NEWS
Celebrating Women of the VSCC - Q&A with Sue Darbyshire
Monday 12 February 2018
Following our interview with Gemma Price of The Old Post Office team, our second installment of Q&As with wonder women of the VSCC comes from none other than Sue Darbyshire, 2017's Race Driver of the Year!
How did you get involved with motorsport?
George took me to the World Championship 24 Endurance Race at Spa in 1981 as an 18 year old who had never been to any motorsport event... underfunded privateer team so got put to work... amazing, blew me away.
How long have you been competing with the VSCC and how did you get involved with the Club?
I purchased the blue racer in 2003 from Bob Towell and Gary Caroline got us to join the VSCC. We competed with the car straight away but it was very unreliable and needed a rebuild and I was very inexperienced racing cars.
Motorsport is traditionally a male-orientated sport – what are your thoughts on this, and do you feel that it impacts your involvement in the Club?
Motorsport within the VSCC is not a male orientated sport. Personally I don’t feel any different from the guys.
What is your favourite VSCC event of the year and why?
No particular favourite... I love them all. Wiscombe because it is the first Hill Climb of the season, Cadwell because it is amazing and all the rest because they are great social occasions.
Tell us about your competition car...
1929 Morgan Super Aero with dog eared JAP engine, running on methanol. It is second only to George in my affections and it has a character of its own. It feels amazing on the race track, it just has lots and lots of torque for a relatively small engine compared to the opposition and I love being the underdog.
Tell us about some of your VSCC highlights...
It’s got to be 2011 Pembrey Sprint FTD [Fastest Time of the Day] and 2013 Goodwood FTD. They don’t come around too often. Any podium finish is memorable an I adored overtaking Duncan Ricketts in the Dixon Riley last year at Snetterton in teeming rain only to have the engine blow itself to smithereens on the last lap.
What is your greatest achievement so far with the VSCC?
Being voted Race Driver of the Year by my peers.
Which VSCC events are you looking forward to this year?
All of the ones I am entering. Always enter Silverstone and never finish a race at that meeting... same every year but still look forward to it!
To see Sue and her fabulous 1929 Morgan Super Aero, visit our Formula Vintage - Round 1 - Silverstone event page to race or buy tickets!
Click to see more of our Q&As in this series...
Gemma Price
Sue Darbyshire
Rachael Watkins
Angela Jones
Annie Peake
Francine Pimperton
Katie Forrest
George took me to the World Championship 24 Endurance Race at Spa in 1981 as an 18 year old who had never been to any motorsport event... underfunded privateer team so got put to work... amazing, blew me away.
How long have you been competing with the VSCC and how did you get involved with the Club?
I purchased the blue racer in 2003 from Bob Towell and Gary Caroline got us to join the VSCC. We competed with the car straight away but it was very unreliable and needed a rebuild and I was very inexperienced racing cars.
Motorsport is traditionally a male-orientated sport – what are your thoughts on this, and do you feel that it impacts your involvement in the Club?
Motorsport within the VSCC is not a male orientated sport. Personally I don’t feel any different from the guys.
What is your favourite VSCC event of the year and why?
No particular favourite... I love them all. Wiscombe because it is the first Hill Climb of the season, Cadwell because it is amazing and all the rest because they are great social occasions.
Tell us about your competition car...
1929 Morgan Super Aero with dog eared JAP engine, running on methanol. It is second only to George in my affections and it has a character of its own. It feels amazing on the race track, it just has lots and lots of torque for a relatively small engine compared to the opposition and I love being the underdog.
Tell us about some of your VSCC highlights...
It’s got to be 2011 Pembrey Sprint FTD [Fastest Time of the Day] and 2013 Goodwood FTD. They don’t come around too often. Any podium finish is memorable an I adored overtaking Duncan Ricketts in the Dixon Riley last year at Snetterton in teeming rain only to have the engine blow itself to smithereens on the last lap.
What is your greatest achievement so far with the VSCC?
Being voted Race Driver of the Year by my peers.
Which VSCC events are you looking forward to this year?
All of the ones I am entering. Always enter Silverstone and never finish a race at that meeting... same every year but still look forward to it!
To see Sue and her fabulous 1929 Morgan Super Aero, visit our Formula Vintage - Round 1 - Silverstone event page to race or buy tickets!
Click to see more of our Q&As in this series...
Gemma Price
Sue Darbyshire
Rachael Watkins
Angela Jones
Annie Peake
Francine Pimperton
Katie Forrest
