eing a female
driver might make
Eaton an anomaly
in this sport, but
her huge amount
of success must
breed envy among her male peers. Having
started racing in 2001 at national karting
level, it was there that she learnt every bit of
track craft she knows today. “Due to having
large grids, there’s always a kart around you
somewhere, so it’s like learning how to play
chess,” Eaton says. “If I position my kart here,
where will the kart behind me move? It also
taught me how to drive a hard race and not
to be intimidated by others.”
Karting has been the foundation for many
successful drivers and still continues to be,
but the real issues facing drivers nowadays is
INTERVIEW
14
MOTORSPORT DAYS ANNUAL
MotorsportDays.com
It’s a family affair
.
B
Success in Clubman motorsport does not come overnight, nor does it come from a stroke
of luck – despite that being one of Abbie Eaton’s answers during our interview. An impressive
two pole positions, five wins, six fastest laps and eight podiums in a fiercely fought 2014
Mazda MX-5 SuperCup has to be recognised as a truly great driving achievement.
budget. 2010 saw Eaton out of racing due to
lack of funds, but she managed to secure
more funding from previous sponsors to go
racing again in 2011 in the Mazda MX-5
SuperCup.
But motor racing at Clubman level on a
budget can be difficult, especially if you are
competing with racers for whommoney is no
object. So, how has Eaton managed to keep
on winning?
“The BRSCC (British Racing & Sports Car
Club) has ensured that the Mazda MX-5
SuperCup isn’t about how much money you
can throw at it. They have made sure regula-
tions are stuck to and that only slight modifi-
cations can be done to the car, so it’s a very
level playing field. My car is run by the family
team, which helps to keep costs down not
paying others to maintain everything. With
my father having many years’ experience in
racing and building race cars I always knew I
would have a car that was there or there-
abouts setup-wise, and it was down to me to
bring the best out of the car too.”
Eaton’s father is the team boss, her uncle
Matt is a keen mechanic and the team’s sec-
ond in command, while a family friend, Chris,
is the lead mechanic. Eaton explains to MSD
that running a family team helps to reduce
costs, mainly because there is a genuine pas-
sion for motorsport and nobody is involved
just to earn a wage.
In 2014, Eaton again raced in the BRSCC
Mazda MX-5 SuperCup and one of the high-
lights of her season was securing three race
wins at Anglesey, which for us at MSD high-
lights her consistent pace and commitment.
Although she had only been there a handful
