Susie Stoddart - The Henry Ford

<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong><br />

December 6, 1982 - Present<br />

Nationality: Scottish<br />

Raced: 1996 - Present<br />

Background: <strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong> was born in Oban, Scotland in 1982. She gained an interest in racing when she was very young<br />

and her passion for the sport has continued to grow over the years. As a child, she was involved in Brownies and she has said<br />

that it taught her the importance of teamwork and motivation, both of which have helped her in her racing career. She studied<br />

international business studies at Edinborough University and is fluent in both German and English. <strong>Stoddart</strong> began karting<br />

consistently on the national and international scene in 1996, winning a number of awards in the process. In 2001, she made<br />

the switch to racing single-seaters and began participating in the Formula Renault Winter Series with Motaworld. By 2002,<br />

she also started competing in the Formula Renault UK Championship with DFR. She earned her first podium finish in the<br />

championship in 2003 and earned three more the following year while racing for Comtec Duckhams. In 2005, she advanced<br />

to the British Formula 3 International Series, driving with Alan Docking Racing, but her season was interrupted by an ankle<br />

injury she had suffered after falling the previous winter. <strong>Stoddart</strong> had ten pins and two plates inserted into her leg and it<br />

caused her to miss a good portion of the year. In 2006, she was back and ready to compete again. She moved up to the DTM<br />

(the German Touring Car Masters series) that season and raced for the Mücke Motorsport team. She suffered her worst<br />

accident ever during that year when her teammate lost his brake pressure and hit the side of her car at the Norisring Circuit in<br />

Nuremberg, Germany. <strong>Stoddart</strong> was taken to the hospital, but did not sustain any serious injuries. She continues to race in the<br />

DTM today and is determined to use her skills to become the first successful British female in Formula 1.<br />

Early Influences: <strong>Stoddart</strong> has racing in her blood. Not only did her grandfather used to ride for the British Trials Biking<br />

Team, but her father raced road bikes as well. During her childhood, she and her brother would always go watch him when

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he competed at Knockhill Racing Circuit in Scotland. <strong>The</strong>y spent so much time and energy driving the fun karts there that her<br />

dad eventually bought them their own. <strong>Stoddart</strong> started motor racing herself when she was just eight years old and she has<br />

never looked back. Her parents have supported her every step of the way, attending all of her races. With a deep passion and<br />

love for the sport, she has said that she cannot imagine doing anything else.<br />

Racing Accomplishments:<br />

� Finished 1 st in the 24hr Middle East Kart Championship in 1997.<br />

� Won the championship in both the Scottish Junior Intercontinental “A” category and the Scottish Open Junior<br />

Intercontinental “A” category in 1997.<br />

� Finished 10 th in the British Junior Intercontinental “A” Championship in 1998.<br />

� Finished 11 th overall in the Federation Cup European Intercontinental “A” Championship in 1998.<br />

� Placed 13 th overall in the British Formula “A” Championship in 1999.<br />

� Finished 10 th overall in the British Formula “A” Championship in 2000.<br />

� Finished 15 th in the Formula “A” World Championships in 2000.<br />

� Finished 9 th overall in the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2003, earning her first podium.<br />

� Finished 5 th overall in the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2004, while racing for the Comtec Racing team.<br />

o She earned three podium finishes during the season.<br />

� Made a one-off appearance in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch in June 2005.<br />

� Competed in the DTM in 2006 and achieved a best finish of 9th overall in the final round of the season at the<br />

Hockenheimring.<br />

� Finished in 10 th place at Mugello, Italy in 2007 while racing in the DTM.<br />

� Finished in 10 th place at Norisring in Germany in June 2008 while racing in the DTM.<br />

Awards and Recognition:<br />

� Named British Woman Kart Racing Driver of the Year for four years in a row, 1996-1999.<br />

� Won the British Women Racing Drivers’ Club (BWRDC) Kartsport Trophy in 1999 and 2000.<br />

� Named the Top Female Kart Driver in the World in 2000.<br />

� Second in the BWRDC Monoposto Trophy in 2001.<br />

� Second in the BWRDC Goodwin Trophy in 2002.<br />

� Won the BWRDC Monoposto Trophy in 2002, 2003, and 2004.<br />

� Selected as one of the finalists for the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award in 2003.<br />

� Won the BRDC Rising Star of the Year award in 2003.<br />

� Won the BWRDC Goodwin Trophy in 2004.<br />

Life off the Track: When she is not racing, <strong>Stoddart</strong> spends a large portion of her time training and working on her upper<br />

body strength. She is always preparing for the next season, eager to be the best driver that she can be. Her family is very<br />

sports-oriented and together they enjoy skiing, biking, and playing tennis. <strong>Stoddart</strong> actually used to ski competitively when<br />

she was younger, but stopped doing so to focus on her racing. She likes music and dancing and has even gone bungee<br />

jumping before. She also spends her time instructing drivers and giving them advice at PalmerSport, a corporate driving<br />

event based at Bedford Autodrome in England, as well as serving as a mentor to karting sensation Louise Richardson.<br />

Although she currently resides in Switzerland, she loves going back to Scotland to visit her grandparents.<br />

Interesting Fact: She loves the movies <strong>The</strong> Count of Monte Cristo, <strong>The</strong> Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart, and Dirty<br />

Dancing and enjoys music by Madonna.<br />

Personal Website:<br />

http://www.susiestoddartracing.com/<br />

Sources Consulted<br />

Newspaper and Online Articles:<br />

“I’m Never Afraid,” Wanted. September 2007. .<br />

Lewis, Simon. “Catch Me if You Can - <strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong> on the World of Racing Cars,” Mail<br />

Online. 21 February 2009. .<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” Official Website. .<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” AutoEvolution. 2008-2009.<br />

.

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-Shows breakdown of racing career<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” BWRDC. 2007. .<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” DriverDatabase.com. 25 October 2009.<br />

.<br />

-Shows all her races, career highlights<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” Health & Fitness. August 2007. .<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” Womeninracing.org. 1996-2009.<br />

.<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>,” Racerchicks.com. 2003. .<br />

“<strong>Susie</strong> <strong>Stoddart</strong>: Racing Driver,” Girlguiding Scotland.<br />

.<br />

Research and biography written by Hilary Resteck and Casey Schuster, graduate students at Indiana University/Purdue<br />

University Public History Department.