Karting Archives – Horsepower & Heels

First win of 2017 for Alyx Coby

June 20, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Last weekend marked the first win of 2017 for Alyx Coby. The 13 year-old from Newbridge, Co. Kildare competed in the IAME X30 Junior class during Round 4 of the Motorsport Ireland Kartin Championship in Galway.

The IAME X30 Junior class includes drivers from 12 to 16 years of age, and Alyx Coby began the day with a steady start – ending up with a fifth and fourth place finish in the two qualifying heats.

This gave Coby the fifth spot on the grid for the first of the day’s finals. She made up two places at the start before dropping back to fourth on lap 2. She quickly regained third position and worked hard, reeling in the leaders over the following two laps. For six laps, the top three drivers were locked in a close battle, swapping positions several times on each lap. At the end of lap 9, Coby carried more speed than the leaders out of the last hairpin onto the long main straight and managed to outbreak both drivers into the first corner to take the lead. While doing everything she could to defend her position from the three karts in pursuit, the second placed driver ran wide and fell back into the chasing karts. This allowed Coby to pull away and take the checkered flag with a comfortable lead of almost two seconds.

This was the first win of 2017 for Alyx Coby in the X30 Junior class, although she had won a qualifying heat in the season opener in Cork earlier this year. In 2015, Coby became the first young woman ever to win a final in the Cadet class, going on to win three finals that year and with this latest victory she is also the first female race winner in the X30 Junior class.

The race victory placed Coby on pole position for the second final, which would also see the winner presented with the Southern Karting Club’s coveted All Ireland IRL plate trophy. After her strong showing in the earlier races, she was eager to continue her streak for the top honor.

A great start allowed Coby to maintain her position at the front for the first lap before dropping back to second place on lap 2. Once again, it was a close battle over the next few laps with the positions changing almost at every corner. Coby managed to regain the lead with a great pass up the inside at the hairpin on lap 5 before dropping back one spot on the next lap. Over the following four laps, Coby raced wheel to wheel with the leader before making a move round the outside on the way into the esses to take back the lead with just three laps remaining.

Having to defend heavily at the start of the final lap, Coby took a tight line into the first corner which meant she ran wide on the way out of it, allowing the chasing driver to slip back through into the lead. She had two attempts to regain the lead before the finish, but they proved unsuccessful and she crossed the line just four tenths of a second behind the leader. A post-race five second time penalty for a dropped nose cone would demote Coby to third place.

Coby’s performance at the event improved her position in the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship to the No. 2 spot with 324 points, just 12 points off the top spot and 59 points clear of the driver in third place.

With a prize of a trip to compete at the IAME X30 World Finals at Le Mans in France for the top three finishers in this year’s championship up for grabs, Coby is doing all she can to make sure her name is on one of the tickets.

The Championship moves on to Nutts Corner Circuit in Northern Ireland at the end of July.

Feature: Stewart Sisters Racing

December 30, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

This young, up and coming New Zealand duo are making waves in the Karting Racing world. Say hello to the Stewart Sisters Racing team, our latest featured drivers!

Wellington, New Zealand natives Ashleigh and Madeline Stewart were born into the world of Karting Racing. Their grandfather and father, both established racers, introduced them to the sport from the time they were very little, and the sisters have grown up at the racetrack, spending countless hours participating in the family pastime. Once the girls came of age, it was a natural progression that both would carry on in the racing tradition.

Ashleigh Stewart – Stewart Sisters Racing

The older of the pair, eighteen year-old Ashleigh Stewart first attended the races when she was just 6 weeks old. Growing up around her father and grandfather’s racing background, Ashleigh couldn’t wait for her turn behind the wheel, getting her racing start at the age of 10, after begging her father for 2 years. Now in her eighth year of racing, Ashleigh competes in the Rotax Light Karting division.

In the beginning, as Ashleigh was learning and developing her skills, she admits that she was not particularly competitive within the field. But the junior racer worked hard, and with the help of her family and several driving coaches, has made considerable progress in her career and driving technique. This hard work began to payoff, and in 2015 she earned a first place Rotax Light win at the KartSport Manawatu Championship race. That year, she also finished 3rd in the Yahama Light division at the Kart\Sport NZ South Island Champs.

In 2016, she would begin studying under a new driving coach in Tom Williamson. Joining his team in Australia for 2016 has seen a major impact in her driving performance, as Ashleigh stepped up in driving skill and proved to be a front-of-field challenger all season long. She would finish 7th overall in Rotax Light at the KartSport NZ Nationals, and 2nd overall at the KartSport Hawkes Bay Blossom event.

For Ashleigh, this career-progression has taught her much both on and off the track. Being one of few females in the sport, she’s used to the attention — both good and bad.

“I guess for me it’s normally surprise when I tell people what it is I do, I don’t fit the typical type of person everyone expects would love motorsport. I love fashion, makeup and motorsport, they don’t usually go together. For a long time, I was not particularly competitive and everyone was my friend. Recently I’ve begun to race towards the front of the field and things have gotten more tense. I’ve had some criticism on social media but it generally backfires as there are more people who make positive comments that negative. The negative comments just make me want to race harder and to be better.”

Ashleigh Stewart - Stewart Sisters Racing

Being treated just like everyone else on the circuit is par for the course, and Ashleigh takes her off-track duties seriously as well, putting in work mechanically to aid in her kart setup, and keeping everything clean and performing well. In addition to her on-track training, she also keeps up with her fitness to handle the demands of racing.

I do a lot of fitness training at the gym. Fitness is really important for the long test days and also the longer races. My trainer is ex army so he pushes us hard but makes it fun at the same time and I really enjoy the challenge. I build muscle quickly so for me its about keeping a balance between weight training for strength and cardio for the endurance. It is important to be able to keep your concentration up at all times and being really fit is essential.”

For the upcoming year, Ashleigh will be making some big moves, heading off to attend university in Melbourne, Australia. In what will surely be a busy year both personally and in her racing career, Ashleigh plans to take much of the momentum she has gained this season in her driving and convert that into more podium finishes. She also aspires to make the bigger jump from karts to cars ultimately, and is looking forward to the new challenges that await in her journey.

I’ve had good pace over the past two years and I’d like to do a better job of converting that in to results. This year I want to get some solid podiums and work towards a move to cars in a year or two.”

Balancing her love for racing, and her feminine side has always been an easy measure for the eldest Stewart Sister, who doesn’t cave to the pressures that she must sacrifice her femininity to be taken seriously as a competitor in the sport.

The best piece of advice I got — and advice I often pass on, is to always show up as yourself. If you like pretty things and to look good then make sure you carry that through to your racing. There is no need to look like one of the boys to be successful in Motorsport.”

Madeline Stewart – Stewart Sisters Racing

Sixteen year-old Madeline Stewart followed closely behind her older sister in the family sport, taking up driving in 2010 and following in a very similar path as Ashleigh.

At the beginning I was very slow but we kept going racing doing as many meetings as possible. It was not until 2013 when I moved in to Juniors that I started to show any pace. We had the opportunity to go and race in Australia at the end of 2013 and that was a big boost. We brought the experience from racing in bigger fields back to NZ and in 2014 I started to race competitively.”

Now racing for the past 7 years, she competes in the Rotax Light and KZ2 divisions and has already amassed quite a few accomplishments in her young career. In 2014, she finished 6th in the Rotax Junior class of the KartSport New Zealand National Schools. She went on in 2015 to finish 5th in both Rotax Junior and Yamaha Juniors at the KartSport New Zealand Nationals, and 2nd in Rotax Junior at KartSport New Zealand South Island Championship.

Madeline also joined driving coach Tom Williamson and his team in 2016 and the results were quickly showcased with a No. 1 qualifying performance in Rotax Junior at the KartSport New Zealand Nationals and a 4th place finish. She also made the jump to Rotax Light at the New Zealand Rotax Challenge Round 5, and qualified first there as well in her first race as a senior.

Tom has some special techniques he uses to get the best out of the drivers in his team. Racing as part of a team has really improved my driving. I’ve had a few top five qualifying in the really competitive Rotax Pro Tour in Australia and Pole positions in NZ. Recently I’ve started racing in KZ2. They are the formula 1 of karting and are really challenging to drive. I raced at the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific KZ Championship in Macau as part of a 6 person TWM team.”

Off-track, Madeline also works out regularly to increase her physical fitness performance, and for the past 3 years has enlisted the help of a personal trainer to work on strength and endurance, both very important to driving karts and especially critical in the more physically demanding KZ2 vehicles. She spends a lot of time going over data from races to help improve, and can handle most of the mechanical duties on the kart when needed. For Madeline, the toughest part comes in balancing her racing ambition and her school studies:

The hardest thing has been fitting in school with my racing particularly with the international travel. Education is very important to me as well as my racing. I have to do well at school over the next two years to ensure I can go to University when I want to as well as it being a really critical two years for my Motorsport career. Motorsport is as much a mental game as it is physical. The physical side is relatively easy to overcome with an good exercise program but the mental side is much more difficult especially for a woman. You’ve got to work hard not to let the external factors affect your performance. Having a great coach helps, especially one that treats you as an equal with your team mates.”

Being one of the few females in the sport hasn’t really affected Madeline much directly. Though the attention of being a young woman on the track comes with added pressures and sometimes judgemental critics that examine performances under a microscope, she hasn’t experienced much negativity related to her gender.

I’ve only had one major incident with another competitor telling me I should get out of the way and that females should not be allowed to race. When I was younger there was a general feeling that I was not as good because I am female. All that just made me want to do better and push myself harder. Now days I get mostly positive reactions, I am just as fast as the boys and have earned their respect. The funniest experience was in Macau where I got lots of attention for being the only female in KZ. I had lots of people wanting to take selfies with me.”

That experience came on a recent trip to Macau for the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific KZ Championship. Madeline was the lone female racing in KZ, and had the attention of media and fans during pre-race ceremonies on the starting grid. Media, officials and other drivers were all encouraging of Madeline and lined-up to take selfies with the popular young driver.

Madeline Stewart - Stewart Sisters Racing

For 2017, Madeline’s goal is to qualify for the Rotax World Grand Final in Portugal and to place in the top 10 for the KZ2 division. Future goals include more KZ2 races across Europe, and an aspiration to visit the United States for the SKUSA Super Nats in Las Vegas, NV. She aspires to drive karts professionally in Europe eventually, or has considered a move to cars possible one day.

One thing is certain – the Stewart Sisters Racing duo have only just begun their colorful career journeys. We can’t wait to follow their stories and adventures in 2017 and beyond

From all of us here at Horsepower & Heels –

Best of Luck to Stewart Sisters Racing!

Ireland Karting Driver, Alyx Coby

March 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

At an age where most of her schoolmates are preoccupied with music, fashion and the average tweenager rites of passage, 11 year-old Alyx Coby is making her presence known in the Ireland Karting scene.

Hailing from Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland, Alyx grew up around the karting world. Her father, Gary, raced them when he was much younger, and her uncle Aaron still competes. For her, it was inevitable that she would end up behind the wheel herself, and she took that opportunity by testing shortly after her eighth birthday. Her father and uncle coached her on mastering one skill at a time, gaining seat time in testing when the opportunities were available.

“My dad and my uncle took me out for some test days after my eighth birthday and it’s just been a case of getting out for as much testing as possible and working on one particular thing at a time to get it right before moving on to the next thing.”

In 2013, she entered her first official race. She would capture a few top 5 finishes that year, winning two novice finals in her rookie season. Her second season, she continued to improve, winning her first qualifying heat and appearing on the podium several times. But her third season in Karting would be a breakout year for Alyx Coby. She won three finals and set six fastest lap records, finishing the season in 5^th place for the championship.

“I had a great start to the year and at the third round of the championship I finished in second place in the two qualifying heats and went on to win both finals on the day. That’s when I knew that I had what it took to be successful in karting. I always enjoyed racing, but this was when I really fell in love with it.”

At the end of the year in 2015, Alyx Coby made the jump up to the IAME X30 Junior class, becoming the youngest driver and the first girl to race the class in Ireland. The class features 125cc engines that produce 28 horsepower and can reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour. Alyx will be competing in the IAME X30 Junior class for the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship this season in a new, more powerful FA-Alonso Kart.

“Being the first girl to win a national final at cadet level in Ireland was pretty special and unique. Nobody else will ever be able to say that. There are not that many girls racing karts in Ireland so a lot of the time when I do something I’m the first to do it. Last year I became the first girl to race the IAME X30 in Ireland.”

With the new class and kart comes new challenges. Alyx works hard away from the track to meet the physical demands of the sport – aiming at increasing her strength and upper body control.

“My new kart for the 2016 season is bigger and more powerful than the one I used in the Cadet class for the last three years and the tyres have a lot more grip so it requires more effort to get the kart through the corners. After my first few long runs in the kart my arms were really sore so I have had to spend the winter doing extra training to build up the strength in my arms. I recently started doing Karate and train four nights a week for two hours and also on Saturdays. It is really helping me and it is a lot of fun too.”

At the track, Alyx’s only focus is driving and improving her skills on the track. Her father handles the business side of the team: loading/unloading the truck, getting them to the races, setting up awnings, setting up kart for competition. But Alyx is beginning to learn from him on the basic mechanics of the kart and how to set it up, adding that for now, she’ll leave it to the experts. She focuses on fine tuning her driving skills, adding more race events whenever possible to increase her experience.

“Testing only gets you so far, you still need racing experience to improve. Having somebody else to use as a target or reference on track is so much more valuable that just doing lap after lap in testing on my own so I try to get out as often as I can in local club meetings in between the Championship races and over the winter.”

The demands and discipline needed to be successful in karting help Alyx at school to focus and concentrate and have helped develop her self-esteem.

“It has made me tougher and more determined and winning my first few races gave me more confidence in myself, that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. Being around older drivers has also helped me to be more mature than a lot of girls my age.”

Between the demands of her race schedules, school and karate, Alyx doesn’t have the typical life of an 11 year-old. At first, her classmates didn’t understand her passion for racing, and what she was involved with. But that all changed after her first win received some local news coverage.

“When they first heard I was racing karts they thought it was just like bumping cars or the little rental karts they have at some tracks. It was only after I won my first race and appeared in the local newspaper that they realised what it was I did. Now they all think it is pretty cool and some of them keep up to date with what I’m doing by checking the news on my website or following my Facebook and Instagram accounts!”

But even with her success, Alyx Coby has faced some obstacles in her path. Two years ago, the young racer was involved in a big crash at the beginning of the season that led to her kart rolling over several times and ejecting her from the seat. She was ok, and wasn’t badly injured physically, but the emotional side shook her up considerably. Through time, experience and motivation from her father and uncle, she works to overcome the lingering obstacles that the crash created.

“I have a fear of crashing,” said Alyx. “… It took me a while to get used to being in the middle of a big group of karts. I’ll get over that with a bit more experience though.”

For now, Alyx is excited to take the next step in her racing career. Her racing role model is her father, who she looks up to in the sport. His support and guidance have meant everything to the young driver, who is eager to follow in his footsteps and make him proud.

“My dad is my racing hero. People at the track are always telling me they remember him racing when he was younger and tell me stories about when they raced against him so I really want to be as good as he was. I think my biggest fear is coming in after a bad race and having to face my dad and explain to him what went wrong!”

With a bright future in front of her, Alyx Coby is determined to carve out a career in motorsports. She is putting in the work to improve as a driver, with ultimate hopes of a future in Formula 1 racing.

“When I’m older I would love to race cars and maybe go all the way to F1 but for now I’m focusing on karting and the main goal is to win the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship at least once.”

One thing is certain, we have just seen the start of a bright career for Alyx Coby.

Best of luck this season!

Video from Alyx Coby Racing

Alyx Coby – On board video. March 5th 2016Some more on board footage from the 360 camera.

Posted by Alyx Coby Racing on Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Karting Magazine Female Driver of the Year

November 17, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Karting Magazine is hosting their 2015 awards, and the Female Driver of the Year category is up for grabs. Readers can vote on their favorite female driver out of the 20 young ladies eligible for nomination. All females who competed in a Club or National Championship event during the 2015 season were candidates for the category.

To vote, visit Karting Magazine and follow the link for your driver, using the Facebook Like button at the bottom of their page to place your vote. Voting closes November 22, 2015, and the winner will be announced in the December edition of Karting Magazine.

2015 Karting Magazine Female Driver of the Year Nominees

Abbi Pulling
Abbie Munro
Abigail Ross
Alicia Goundry
Alisha Roland
Anna Morris
Bryony King
Carol van Beusekom
Charlotte Fox
Jamie-lea Hawley
Jem Hepworth
Kaite Crowther
Logan Hannah
Lucy Fulton
Lydia Walmsley
Marcie Russell
Megan Lawson
Stephanie Walters
Susanne Gutzold
Tilly Goundry