The racing lady of Lakefield
Lakefield resident Clare Vale (55) started to pursue her dream of racing 13 years ago and is still loving it.
BCT: Who or what inspired your love for motor vehicles?
CV: I have always been mad about cars, and my great uncle, John Duff, won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in a Bentley in 1924, so I think it must be in the genes.
I always wanted to race, but never had the opportunity when I was younger.
BCT: Do you enjoy driving a particular make of car?
CV: I am fond of American V8 Mustangs, and my drift car is a Mustang.
I also race a Subaru BRZ, and am a big fan of the Subaru brand.
I represent Continental Tyre SA, so I take my motorsport seriously although I most definitely have fun.
BCT: What would you say are the biggest challenges and your biggest fears of doing this?
CV: Racing at any level is a challenge; you have to be extremely focused because many things can go wrong.
You can have the best prepared car on the day and a first corner pile-up could send you packing with no points and expensive damages to your car.
Mechanical failures can also occur at the most critical moments.
BCT: Do you have fears of racing?
CV: I do not feel afraid when racing, although it is definitely an intense adrenaline rush.
I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, especially as a female driver.
BCT: Which race would you consider your most memorable one?
CV: When I was racing in the WesBank V8 class (since 2008), we had two street races in Soweto (2009 and 2010).
These will always be highlights for me, as we were able to take motorsport to the people for the first time, and the passion and delight we saw in the crowd was incredible.
BCT: What are your goals?
CV: They are to continue racing and drifting, and building our business, The Truck Man.
I am also involved in road safety, and as an Ambassador for Continental Tyre SA’s Vision Zero Road Safety Project (since 2016), will be working towards improving road safety on South African roads.
I am the chairperson of Women in Road Safety (since 2011), a forum of the Road Safety Foundation, and will be working with other women to change attitudes and make our roads safer for everyone.
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