Sarah Franklin has always had a love of cars. "Even as a child I loved road cars" Sarah told me. "I even liked the smell of petrol!" The fascination stayed with her so it is little surprise that as an adult the luxury she saved for was a dream car, a Lotus. "I had a Lotus Elise and then an Exige" Sarah said, "which I loved. There were beautiful cars to drive and I wanted to get the best driving experience possible so looked into track days. Over the years I took part in track days at famous circuits such as Silverstone and Donington Park. It was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy my road car and at that time I was more than content with that." Passion
 | | Law of the road: Sarah Franklin |
Her passion for cars was matched by her husband, Adrian. Four years ago Adrian took his driving ambition one step further and sat for his race licence test. Sarah and Adrian looked forward to getting him out onto the track for some amateur racing but fate took a drastic turn "Adrian was taken ill not long afterwards" said Sarah. "Initially, it was thought that Adrian was suffering from a type of lymphoma and that he may not make it." It was an astonishing blow to the young couple. Thankfully, Adrian's condition was curable but it has taken over two years to fight the illness and only now is he regaining full health. For both Sarah and Adrian it was a life changing time. "We realised if you are going to do something you have to do it now." Sarah said with clarity. "You have to grab life and live it." It was with this new realisation that Sarah was buoyed to follow Adrian's steps, or rather tyre marks, and take her driving hobby to a new level - to competitive racing. "I'm not sure why I didn't think of it before" Sarah told me. "I'd enjoyed leisure karting, loved taking part in track days and was all for Adrian getting his race licence. Then I thought why not get a race licence myself?" Reality TV twist Sarah went to the 2003 Autosport International Show. Held each year at Birmingham NEC, Autosports is one of the world's leading motorsports shows with over 780 exhibitors. From Karting to Formula One, Rallying to Sportscars, the show covers every conceivable corner of car racing which attracts over 90,000 visitors who flock to see world famous names and those, like Sarah, who want to find out how to start in such a thrilling sport with so many different routes. Sarah was initially attracted by the inaugural Formula Woman Championship. The country's first all female national championship was being organised with a reality TV twist. The championship was open to female, would-be racing drivers who had no previous race experience. Applicants would be put through a selection process, to be televised, until 16 finalists were chosen to take part in the Formula Woman Championship. Sarah applied and sailed through to last 50. But, it was at this point that Sarah had reservations about taking part in an all female series. "I didn't want to just race against woman" said Sarah, "so I decided to withdraw from the show and look into taking a different route." All consuming | "I would love to have driven a Bentley at Le Mans but quite frankly I'd race a shopping trolley there if I was given the chance!" | | Sarah Franklin |
Her new route saw her take part in Silverstone's famous intensive five-day driver's course and she achieved her dream, gaining her race licence in March 2004. After learning of Action Resources Limited by recommendation at Autosport International, Sarah contacted MD Roger Philips, whose company specialises in integrated race driver management. Under ARL's wing Sarah was introduced to Reflex Racing and Ginettas. "I loved being in a Ginetta "Sarah said. "I knew this was the car for me and took part in my first national race in October 2004 at Brands Hatch, it was fantastic. I think I proved I can hold my own in what is a very competitive championship and so now all plans turn towards doing a full season in the AVO Ginetta Championship in 2005." Sarah's 2005 Ginetta is currently being prepared by Reflex Racing, whilst Sarah prepares herself with trips to her local gym straight from work. "It is all consuming" said Sarah. "It has been incredibly hard work qualifying as a solicitor and now the majority of my weekends are taken up visiting the team and preparing for the season ahead. Luckily Adrian understands it totally, in fact we are hoping that when he is fully fit we can celebrate by taking part in some endurance style races together!" And as Sarah prepares for the coming season she admits her ambition lies even further afield. "My dream would be to race at Le Mans. I would love to have driven a Bentley at Le Mans but quite frankly I'd race a shopping trolley there if I was given the chance!" And I wouldn't bet against seeing Sarah go from the roads of Kettering to the track at Le Mans. With steely determination, this solicitor may just break the unwritten law that says motor racing is a man's game!
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