Gail
Hill

LATEST

 Hope to get a chance in 2007 to race in higher series of any type though touring cars is my ambition. Also one day to race at the Revival. Will defend my title with XJS series too and hope to go to Daytona too.

Bio
Results
Schedule

Related Issue: Women Racers Directory, Women in Racing, Women Racers, More Women in Racing, Race Schedules, Notable Women
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Bio

Age Wrong side of 40 and getting too near 50
Occupation NHS care home manager
Type of Motorsport Club track racing
First year of Competition 2002
Why did you start? I had watched some friends from the Jag owners club in the 2001 season. Did a track day in my own XJS and thought this is absolutely brilliant and the rest is history
Best Race / drive and why? At Oulton park this season (2006)….exactly one year on from a disastrous race at Brands where my two cars got written off when I led the championship, I took a third overall, my eighth class win from nine starts and won the overall XJS Championship with one round still to go
Worst Race/drive and why? At Brands last year. Leading the championship my 4 litre car was written off on the Saturday on the run up to Druids by another car which lost control and pitched me into the Armco. The next day with the championship still possible my car (bought for the 2006 season) a V12 was brought down. I started 32nd on the grid, finished 8th just behind the 2 cars in front. Another driver (who shall remain nameless) went across down the straight and then across the circuit with one wheel missing and turned into the pit lane exit, right in front of yours truly. 120mph crash ensued new car written off and a trip to hospital was the outcome championship hopes out the window
Favourite Circuit / Venue Any and all!!! If it means I can race then anywhere will do
Types of cars competed / owned Road: Jaguar XK8 (having just sold my Datsun 240Z) Race: 4 litre road going XJS and 5.8 litre V12 (modified now rebuilt)
Favourite car Race car by far because it's the only one that really gets driven on the edge
Any Funny stories? In my first season during practice at Snetterton I heard a clunking noise from the car, began to get worried when session was red flagged. During a chat with the other drivers in the pits someone mentioned Optimax petrol and it was then that I realised what the clunking noise was! I had left my spare can of petrol behind the drivers seat..oops! to make matters worse when I got into my car to take it out and couldn't find it one of my colleagues kindly pointed that I had got into the wrong XJS in my panic and my car was further up the pit lane…didn't live that down for quite a while!
Current Sponsors RH Classic Insurance and Cov cats and still plenty of space elsewhere on the car

Results

Previous Championships / Competitions Now in my fifth year of Jaguar World Monthly/Classic Spares XJS championship
Previous Achievements
2005 Class D (XJS) champion (5 class wins from 10 starts) 3rd in overall championship
BWRDC Hillwood trophy winner
BWRDC Goodwin trophy runner up
2003 BWRDC Jean Denton best newcomer
2004/2005 I have also been writing race reports for Jaguar World Monthly magazine and this year began doing talks to JEC clubs about racing. I also hope to do some after dinner speaking about racing in the future too
2006 I won the championship at Oulton and look forward to racing in Zaandvoort and in the Birkett 6 hours

Schedule

Gail makes Pussycats of her opposition 94/24/05)
Gail Hill has got her season off to a storming start, by notching up three straight class wins in her attack on Class D of the JEC Jaguar XJS Championship. At Silverstone on April 9th Gail kept her cool whilst the chasing opposition examined the scenery at Luffield. Then at Snetterton on the weekend of April 23rd/24th Gail stamped her authority on the class by scoring two wins, and two fastest laps at the Norfolk circuit. Her championship progress continues at Oulton Park on May 14th.

Gail Hill testing Silverstone


Gail Hill was back on track last weekend at Silverstone but not in her usual Jaguar. She was testing the Ginetta G50 sports car and is now working hard to raise enough money to compete in the G50 Cup this season which forms part of the British Touring Cars package.

The car is powered by a Ford 3.5 litre engine developing 300bhp but with the car weighing in at only 945kg there is more than enough power all of which is fed through a Quaife six speed sequential box to the rear wheels. She had not previously driven such a professionally built car and wanted to make sure she wasn’t a complete numpty behind the wheel. ‘I am really looking forward to throwing it around the GP circuit but sadly the slick tyres have been replaced with full wets due to the sopping wet conditions after all the rain last night’ she said prior to going out for her first few taster laps.

The conditions were treacherous and she did admit to turning in a bit late at Vale and spinning onto the grass infield. Once she re-familiarised herself with the circuit layout however and got used to the slip shift system she was flying. The car is an absolute dream to drive with extremely responsive steering and ten times easier than my non power assisted V12 she quipped later. The acceleration is lightning quick and the whole package feels right, very easy to develop confidence even in such bad conditions though I am only driving at around 80% because I haven’t organised insurance, and this baby is worth more than my annual salary she joked after completing several stints in the car.

It was a shame that the track never really dried out all morning so she never got the chance to see how the car performed on slick tyres but she was very happy with the support provided by Ginetta cars who had transported the car down for the day, many thanks to them.

Asked afterwards what the next step was she said ‘I need to arrange to see my commercial partners now and get the money together. I can definitely go well in the car and with more seat time think I could do well in the G50 Cup. The hard work starts now with trying to get all the funds in place and with the current economic climate it could be hard and there is not much time before the season begins. I’ll be spending more time on the phone and travelling around I suspect in the next few weeks but I am hopeful of getting a package together.That said, anyone who is interested in talking to me about what is on offer, the TV and other media exposure, corporate hospitality etc then don’t be shy and do get in touch.’

Lets hope we do see this ex Jaguar champion driver out competing with the mostly male grids that appear on the TOCA calendar.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/gail-hill-testing-silverstone/

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