It is the first day of my new blog!
G'day! My name is Kirsty Last, as you probably already know!
I am a 19 year old female race car driver who is stepping into the NSW Fvee championship for 2004.
This is my first time racing EVER and I don't even have a past in karting!!!
I was brought up with racing in my blood and all around me. My Dad is a mechanic and my mum was brought up watching the Bathurst race every year also. Dad is a pom and into anything transverse(minis I mean!!!) and mum is your true blue aussie, touring cars kinda girl.
My adopted grandpa was a rally car driver and did hillclimbs and stuff too. As you can see, it was all around me.
When it came time for me to choose something to do for the rest of my life in High school, I decided that it was not to be something taken lightly. Whatever I wanted to go into, I was going to do FULL ON!
It was around this time also that I started attending V8 supercar races with mates at our local tracks, Oran Park and Eastern Creek.
As I said, I had always been brought up with racing and it wasn't anything reallllly special or noted in my family that race weekends meant no talking whilst the racing was on. So, I came to see guys like Dick Johnson, Peter Brock and Glen Seton as members of the family. It was only when I got to meet these guys in person, in the paddock, that O understood what an impact this would have on me.
My first V8 supercar race was at Oran Park in 2001 and as I walk through the pits, I literally bump into John Bowe and latter Dick Johnson. In my mind, these guys were some of the greatest heros that ever lived, but when I looked at them (this might sound silly), they looked exactly how they had on TV, all these years I had been brought up watching them! To me they were Uncle John and Uncle Dick (Thought seeing guys like Jason Bargwanna and the like was like seeing an annoying little brother!). I was blown away by how down to earth they were in an environment that was so crazy!!!
I decided that this is where I wanted to be. I didn't care whether I was sweeping floors for the lowest of low teams, I was in LOVE!
So, I took on the subject required to do mechanical engineering, dropped the idea of becoming a navy lawyer or even an aeronautical engineer for the airforce and started pursuing my dreams of becoming the 1st and Best Australian Female driver and Engineer for race teams.
After much hassles doing my HSC and such, I had finally started to see the fruits of my labors. I had been accepted to the University of Wollongong to do Mechanical Engineering.
University of Wollongong was the current Australian champions in the university category of Formula SAE.
After being rejected by other unis, I was hell bent on using SAE as one of my outlets to show them what they had missed out on. So, before I had even been to a university lecture, I had signed up for the team and had attended my first meeting. I was finally heading in the right direction.
Things started to go wrong along the way though, as they always seem to do, and I found myself with a negligent driving charge, a written off road car and no way of getting around independently.
I finally knew how Steve Johnson felt when after only having his license and car for a little while, he was left with the ultimatum I was. Buy another road car or buy a race car. Like him, it was my Dad that put it to me. Of course I jumped at the chance to get racing, the dream I had always had since I was a little girl.
So, on the internet I hopped and found myself the nicest, cheapest and closest race car I could find in which to start my career in.
The car I found and eventually got was a 1980's model FVEE made by Elfin. It is one of the last of it's kind and it one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!!!
Things were looking up for me. I got my racing license and was finally faced with the oncoming season. 2004.
Now, just 3 days out from my first race, fears are starting to mount. No real or justified fears, but the fears I am putting up for myself. My first race day also marks the anniversary of Aryton Senna's death in his car. Reading about it is really putting things in perspective for me. I know what my beliefs are, and I am continually looking for my boundaries.
I am just glad that I have been given the opportunities to hunt down my dreams, rather than just trying to follow them.
I thank God that he has put me where he has and I just pray for his continual protection throughout all this for me.
I'll keep you all posted about how it is going leading up to and on race day!
Till then, Keep tuned... No other blog will be as long as this!!!
GB Ya'll
Luv Kirst
xxx
ooo
