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The long-awaited inaugural Stoxkarts Ladies Championship in aid of FORDS-Care took place at Birmingham on October 6th, with 15 lady drivers – all racing novices – on the grid having spent several months raising sponsorship funds in aid of the Fund for Oval Racing Drivers and Staff. Before the meeting each competitor received a small trophy as a qualifying memento courtesy of sponsor Midland Sports Media, with FORDS secretary Manuela and race organiser Nicola Neale (aka Nicci Noo) presenting these and a certificate for each driver.
At the end of the busy meeting the 14 competing ladies (112 Wendy Sumner was unfortunately a non-starter but still did her bit to raise funds) were strapped into their kindly loaned Stoxkarts and headed out onto track, the grid decided by amount of funds raised. 35 Denise Dickinson was top fundraiser with a phenomenal total of £905.40 and started from pole while 59 Sarah Wood and Incarace’s own lap scorer 008 Hannah Drawbridge had the next highest amounts and started second and third, but all the entries had made a truly brilliant effort in aid of FORDS. The full grid read as follows:
| INSIDE GRID | OUTSIDE GRID |
| 35 Denise Dickinson | 59 Sarah Wood |
| 008 Hannah Drawbridge | 81 Ethne Toobey |
| 127 Elaine Abbott | 26 Lauren Makin |
| 003 Helen Hemphill | 100 Natalie Mann |
| 22 Hana Bailey | 111 Sandra Chick |
| 352 Kerris Barclay | 440 Debbie Pool |
| 5 Vicki Shanks | 002 Christina Kelly Smith |
The race began with Dickinson leading them off but Drawbridge was spun out on the first turn by a push from 127 Elaine Abbott and 003 Helen Hemphill, Drawbridge then collected heavily by 002 Christina Kelly Smith who rolled onto her side for a red flag. A complete restart was ordered and after a last minute repair for 111 Sandra Chick all 14 drivers were able to take part, Dickinson leading away once more from pole but 81 Ethne Tooby made a flying start from the second row and was in front after a couple of laps with Dickinson making a mistake and falling back slightly, while behind 352 Kerris Barclay entertained with a couple of spins and 22 Hana Bailey almost got caught up but continued. Tooby led until she spun herself exiting turn two and it was Dickinson and 100 Natalie Mann who took up the running, the latter moving through from mid-grid. Back in the midfield Abbott dropped out after a hefty hit on one of the turns after getting as high as second at one point, while Drawbridge was rapidly making up ground after a slow start but she then collected the spun Smith on turn two and had to retire with a damaged side rail. Up front in the closing stages a fine battle had developed with the recovered Dickinson retaking the lead in a fine scrap with Wood, Mann and Lauren Makin who was right in the hunt all the way. Into the final lap the latter had led briefly but Dickinson fought back and with half a lap to go the pair locked wheels and slid into the wall allowing Mann to slip through and win an incredible race with the recovered Makin second ahead of Wood, nine drivers completing the distance.
The top three were presented with their trophies – sponsored by DP Web and Photo – by Jamie, Kieran and Rhys, sons of organiser Nicci Noo, while trophies for the top two fundraisers were sponsored by Hinckley’s Ice Cream and presented to Dickinson and Wood by Junior Stoxkart driver Holly Hinckley.
The real winners however were FORDS-Care for whom the event raised an incredible total of £4132.42 – the single biggest amount raised at one event for the Fund. Well done to all the ladies who took part, thank you to the drivers who donated karts to be raced, and thank you to all the sponsors both of the race and each competitor for their brilliant fundraising efforts.
Result: 100 Natalie Mann, 26 Lauren Makin, 59 Sarah Wood, 002 Christina Kelly Smith, 440 Debbie Pool, 22 Hana Bailey, 5 Vicki Shanks, 111 Sandra Chick, 352 Kerris Barclay, nof.
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