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Circuit race tuition by Gillian Goldsmith |
| Gillian Goldsmith is one of the most respected lady racing drivers of the last thirty years. She initially started competing in 1970 at Lydden Hill and winning in a formula 1200 REJO, but lack of funding obliged her to further her career by seeking more lucrative drives. Simultaneously Ford at Boreham, then managed by the well known Stuart Turner, were actively seeking lady drivers to promote as they had at last, realised that women's opinions were an influential factor in the everyday family decision to buy a new car. Gillian won a gruelling selection process and was then awarded a "works" drive in the early 1970's Escort Mexico Challenge alongside such well known figures as Jody Scheckter, Gerry Marshall, Andy Rouse and Barry Williams. I believe these gentlemen will testify that she was no pushover when it came to real racing and did, on occasions, beat them. |  |
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In the mid 70's her interests changed to racing horses, both at point to point and, later, when the Jockey Club of Great Britain allowed ladies to ride under "rules", at bigger horse racing meetings such as the famous Cheltenham Festival. Once again she enjoyed remarkable success on other peoples horses, and the competitive side came to the fore when she became the first ladies National Hunt Champion jockey in 1976. | |||
| By the early 1980's she was back to cars again - this time hill climbing Terry Grainger's original 1950 HWM Alta Jaguar and later a well prepared Lotus 23B. She is particularly fond of the famous Shelsley Walsh hill climb in the Midlands. She has held the historic record there on a number of occasions and hopes to regain the outright ladies record which she took in a borrowed V8 Anson in 1985. | ||||
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In addition to the activities above Gillian was reintroduced to circuit racing in 1989 when her husband John invited her to drive his 4.2 litre lightweight Aston Martin DB4. She was immediately successful, qualifying on pole and coming in second at Oulton Park to well known club racer Ronnie Farmer. Not bad after an absence of 14 years. Since then she has continued to go from strength to strength driving a number of Aston Martins, including Aston Martin DBR 1 and 2 (now in America) and Project 214, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. She has regularly driven the Goldsmith & Young Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato at both the Coys International Historic Festival and the Goodwood Revival Meeting Tourist Trophy, where in September 1999 she had Aurora Formula One driver Desiree Wilson as a co driver. The car also appears at AMOC club events from time to time and she is the holder of most of the Zagato AMOC lap records. In early 1999 the Zagato and Gillian took part in the Adelade 500 Fesival in Australia where they both successfully completed a tough schedule of hill climbs and race meetings. |
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Gillian's day job is as a race car instructor based mainly at Thruxton circuit in England. She is available by appointment for private circuit tuition for those who want to be introduced to safe high speed driving via one of the circuit driving clubs, such as Wheeltorque. Click HERE to e-mail Gillian |
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