Divina Galica
Encyclopedia
Divina Mary Galica MBE
(born 13 August 1944, in Bushey Heath, near Watford
, Hertfordshire
) is an English
sportswoman, best known for her Olympics
career and her motorsport
racing career.
in 1964
, competing in downhill skiing and the slalom
. She also participated in the next two winter Olympics, at Grenoble
in 1968
and Sapporo in 1972
. On both occasions Galica was captain of the British Women’s Olympic Ski Team, and finished in the top-ten in the Giant Slalom
. Aside from Olympic competition, Divina Galica achieved two World Cup podium finishes in the downhill event, taking third place at both the Badgastein and Chamonix rounds in 1968. Galica also held the British women's downhill skiing speed record (at 125 mph). Following her subsequent driving career, Galica returned to skiing and once again represented Great Britain at the 1992 Winter Olympics
, this time in the speed skiing event.
and Formula One
before finding success in sports cars
and trucks. Her racing career has included stints in Formula Renault and Formula Vauxhall Lotus.
Galica was taken under the wings of John Webb
and Nick Whiting, who entered her in the British Shellsport International Group 8 series in 1976, driving a Surtees TS16 Formula One car. After promising showings in this domestic series, Whiting decided to enter Galica for that year's British Grand Prix
, using their Surtees. This appearance was notable as the first time in 13 years that a car had been entered for a World Championship Grand Prix using the supposedly unlucky number 13; so it also proved for Galica, as she failed to qualify for the race.
For 1977 Whiting acquired a second-hand Surtees TS19 for Galica to use in the British series. The Whiting team lacked the technical expertise required to properly set the car up for each race, and Galica was often hindered by poorly adjusted machinery. Arch rival Tony Trimmer
was also equipped with a Surtees TS19, but his engineering background and well-funded team meant that he was the class of the field at most venues. Whiting managed to secure sponsorship from Olympus Cameras
part way through the season, as prior to this the whole team had been run on a budget of only £10,000 for the entire season. Despite this, Galica did manage to take third place at the Brands Hatch
and second place at the Donington Park
rounds, but with Trimmer winning both he took the Championship title.
Hesketh Racing's works driver Rupert Keegan
had taken part in a couple of rounds of the British domestic series in 1977, and at the start of the 1978 Formula One season
Hesketh offered Divina Galica the opportunity to replace him in the team's Hesketh 308E
car. Galica took the Olympus sponsorship with her (replacing Hesketh's previous Penthouse
magazine sponsorship), but failed to qualify the 308E for either of the 1978 World Championship season's first two races. Following the second failure she returned to the British Shellsport Championship
, now a fully Formula One series. Reunited with her TS19, Galica took second place at the Zandvoort
round. However, in her absence Trimmer had upgraded to an ex-works McLaren M23
car, and with the aging TS19 Galica stood little chance of being competitive. A second entry, later in the season, in her own M23 only produced a seventh place finish.
Aside from a limited number of outings in single-seater cars, Galica switched her attention to the Thundersports
S2000 sports car class, taking a number of top ten finishes, and truck racing. Galica became a racing instructor with Skip Barber Racing School
s, rising to become senior vice president of Skip Barber Racing
, managing both its driving school and racing series. In 2005, at the Mont-Tremblant weekend of the Skip Barber Race Series, Galica announced she was leaving Skip Barber to work for iRacing as a director in the company.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born 13 August 1944, in Bushey Heath, near Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sportswoman, best known for her Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
career and her motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
racing career.
Skiing career
By age 20, she participated in her first Olympic games at InnsbruckInnsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
in 1964
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
, competing in downhill skiing and the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
. She also participated in the next two winter Olympics, at Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
in 1968
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
and Sapporo in 1972
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
. On both occasions Galica was captain of the British Women’s Olympic Ski Team, and finished in the top-ten in the Giant Slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
. Aside from Olympic competition, Divina Galica achieved two World Cup podium finishes in the downhill event, taking third place at both the Badgastein and Chamonix rounds in 1968. Galica also held the British women's downhill skiing speed record (at 125 mph). Following her subsequent driving career, Galica returned to skiing and once again represented Great Britain at the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
, this time in the speed skiing event.
Driving career
Accepting an invitation to a celebrity auto race, Galica surprised everyone with her driving talent. She eventually took up motorsport as a second career, initially racing karts, moving into Formula TwoFormula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
and Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
before finding success in sports cars
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
and trucks. Her racing career has included stints in Formula Renault and Formula Vauxhall Lotus.
Galica was taken under the wings of John Webb
John Webb
John Webb was an English architect and scholar.-Life:He was born in Little Britain, Smithfield London and died in Butleigh in Somerset and became son-in-law and personal assistant to fellow architect and theatre designer Inigo Jones from 1628, having married Jones' niece Anne...
and Nick Whiting, who entered her in the British Shellsport International Group 8 series in 1976, driving a Surtees TS16 Formula One car. After promising showings in this domestic series, Whiting decided to enter Galica for that year's British Grand Prix
1976 British Grand Prix
The 1976 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 18, 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, UK. It was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season....
, using their Surtees. This appearance was notable as the first time in 13 years that a car had been entered for a World Championship Grand Prix using the supposedly unlucky number 13; so it also proved for Galica, as she failed to qualify for the race.
Tony Trimmer
Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970....
was also equipped with a Surtees TS19, but his engineering background and well-funded team meant that he was the class of the field at most venues. Whiting managed to secure sponsorship from Olympus Cameras
Olympus Corporation
is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,...
part way through the season, as prior to this the whole team had been run on a budget of only £10,000 for the entire season. Despite this, Galica did manage to take third place at the Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
and second place at the Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
rounds, but with Trimmer winning both he took the Championship title.
Hesketh Racing's works driver Rupert Keegan
Rupert Keegan
Rupert Keegan is a former racing driver from England. He participated in 37 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 8 May 1977. He scored no championship points....
had taken part in a couple of rounds of the British domestic series in 1977, and at the start of the 1978 Formula One season
1978 Formula One season
The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October 8 after sixteen races. Mario Andretti was the season Champion and the last American to date to win a Formula One race...
Hesketh offered Divina Galica the opportunity to replace him in the team's Hesketh 308E
Hesketh 308E
The Hesketh 308E is a Formula One racing car model built by the Hesketh Racing team in . The car was designed by Frank Dernie and Nigel Stroud and was the last car built by the Hesketh team before it folded at the end of . The 308E was a relatively conservative design, with an aluminium monocoque...
car. Galica took the Olympus sponsorship with her (replacing Hesketh's previous Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
magazine sponsorship), but failed to qualify the 308E for either of the 1978 World Championship season's first two races. Following the second failure she returned to the British Shellsport Championship
British Formula One Series
The British Formula One Series, often abbreviated to British F1, was a Formula One motor racing championship held in the United Kingdom. It was often referred to as the Aurora AFX Formula One series due to the Aurora company's sponsorship of the series for three of the four seasons.The long...
, now a fully Formula One series. Reunited with her TS19, Galica took second place at the Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...
round. However, in her absence Trimmer had upgraded to an ex-works McLaren M23
McLaren M23
The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...
car, and with the aging TS19 Galica stood little chance of being competitive. A second entry, later in the season, in her own M23 only produced a seventh place finish.
Aside from a limited number of outings in single-seater cars, Galica switched her attention to the Thundersports
Thundersports
Thundersports was a variety of sports car racing introduced by John Webb of Brands Hatch fame.Webb saw it as a replacement for the Aurora AFX Formula One championship as a spectacular class that could headline national-level meetings, and a partner for the Thundersaloons series for...
S2000 sports car class, taking a number of top ten finishes, and truck racing. Galica became a racing instructor with Skip Barber Racing School
Skip Barber Racing School
The Skip Barber Racing School is one of the largest racing schools in the world. It conducts racing schools, defensive and high performance driving schools, amateur and professional racing championships and corporate entertainment schools. Skip Barber started the school in 1975 with two borrowed...
s, rising to become senior vice president of Skip Barber Racing
Skip Barber
John "Skip" Barber III is a retired racecar driver who is most famous for his Skip Barber Racing Schools.- Driving career :...
, managing both its driving school and racing series. In 2005, at the Mont-Tremblant weekend of the Skip Barber Race Series, Galica announced she was leaving Skip Barber to work for iRacing as a director in the company.
Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 1976 Formula One season The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on October 24 after sixteen races... |
Shellsport Royal Dutch Shell Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six... /Whiting |
Surtees Surtees The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000.-History:... TS16 |
Cosworth Cosworth Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
BRA 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil on January 25, 1976. The race was contested over 40 laps and was the opening round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race was won by defending World Champion, Niki Lauda, who drove a Ferrari car... |
RSA 1976 South African Grand Prix The 1976 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 6, 1976. The race, which was the second round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Niki Lauda in a Ferrari car who increased his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 12 points by taking his third... |
USW 1976 United States Grand Prix West The 1976 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 28, 1976 in Long Beach, California. The race, which was the third round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari car whilst his teammate Niki Lauda finished second, and therefore... |
ESP 1976 Spanish Grand Prix The 1976 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 2, 1976, and was the fourth round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race, which was contested over 75 laps, was won by James Hunt who drove a McLaren-Ford to take his first victory of the year... |
BEL 1976 Belgian Grand Prix The 1976 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on May 16, 1976.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... |
MON 1976 Monaco Grand Prix The 1976 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 30, 1976.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:29.65*Fastest lap: Clay Regazzoni - 1:30.28 on lap 60-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... |
SWE 1976 Swedish Grand Prix The 1976 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 13, 1976.It saw the first win of a 6-wheel car - the Tyrrell P34... |
FRA 1976 French Grand Prix The 1976 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 4, 1976.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: James Hunt - 1:47.89*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:51.0 on lap 4... |
GBR 1976 British Grand Prix The 1976 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 18, 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, UK. It was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season.... DNQ |
GER 1976 German Grand Prix The 1976 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976, and is notable as the location of Niki Lauda's near fatal accident... |
AUT 1976 Austrian Grand Prix The 1976 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Österreichring on 15 August 1976. This race was the only major Formula One and European victory for Penske Racing. It was a poignant win for the team, coming a year after the death of their former driver Mark Donohue at the same... |
NED 1976 Dutch Grand Prix The 1976 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 29, 1976. It was won by British driver James Hunt driving a McLaren M23.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... |
ITA 1976 Italian Grand Prix The 1976 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1976.-Background:Monza had been modified from the year before, and the circuit featured 2 consecutive left-right chicanes creating the Variante Retefilo added before the Curva Grande, and a left-right chicane... |
CAN 1976 Canadian Grand Prix The 1976 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on 3 October 1976.-Qualifying:- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... |
USA 1976 United States Grand Prix The 1976 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 10, 1976 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York... |
JPN 1976 Japanese Grand Prix The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Fuji on October 24, 1976.The 1976 World Championship was to be decided at the Mount Fuji circuit, with Niki Lauda just three points ahead of James Hunt after a season full of incidents including Lauda's near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring... |
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| 1978 1978 Formula One season The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October 8 after sixteen races. Mario Andretti was the season Champion and the last American to date to win a Formula One race... |
Olympus Cameras Olympus Corporation is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,... with Hesketh |
Hesketh 308E Hesketh 308E The Hesketh 308E is a Formula One racing car model built by the Hesketh Racing team in . The car was designed by Frank Dernie and Nigel Stroud and was the last car built by the Hesketh team before it folded at the end of . The 308E was a relatively conservative design, with an aluminium monocoque... |
Cosworth Cosworth Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries... V8 |
ARG 1978 Argentine Grand Prix The 1978 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 15 January 1978 at Buenos Aires.-Report:Mario Andretti took pole in his Lotus, with Carlos Reutemann's Ferrari joining him on the front row and Ronnie Peterson in the other Lotus third on the grid... DNQ |
BRA 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 29 January 1978 at Jacarepagua. The race was won by Argentine driver Carlos Reutemann driving a Ferrari 312T2 in a flag-to-flag performance. The win also represented the first win for tyre manufacturer Michelin... DNQ |
RSA 1978 South African Grand Prix The 1978 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 March 1978 at Kyalami.Both the Ferrari and Brabham teams had new cars in Kyalami for the race... |
USW 1978 United States Grand Prix West The 1978 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One race held on April 2, 1978 at Long Beach, California.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Carlos Reutemann took over at the halfway mark from Ferrari teammate Gilles Villeneuve, when the Canadian crashed out of the lead, and won by eleven seconds... |
MON 1978 Monaco Grand Prix The 1978 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 7 May 1978 at Monaco. It was won by Patrick Depailler of France, his first Formula One victory.-Report:... |
BEL 1978 Belgian Grand Prix -Report:The main news before the Belgian Grand Prix was that the new Lotus 79 was now ready to race, and immediately Mario Andretti showed its pace by taking pole comfortably from Carlos Reutemann and Niki Lauda... |
ESP 1978 Spanish Grand Prix The 1978 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 June 1978 at Jarama.-Report:Once again the new Lotus 79 demonstrated its speed, with Mario Andretti on pole again with Ronnie Peterson alongside, and Carlos Reutemann having to settle for the second row... |
SWE 1978 Swedish Grand Prix The 1978 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 17, 1978 at the Scandinavian Raceway; it was the eighth race of the 1978 Formula One season... |
FRA 1978 French Grand Prix The 1978 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 2 July 1978 at Paul Ricard.-Report:Following the banning of the "fan car", Brabham were forced to revert back to their previous car again, but it did not deter them, with John Watson on pole and Niki Lauda starting third behind Mario... |
GBR 1978 British Grand Prix The 1978 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 16 July 1978 at Brands Hatch.-Report:Lotus took the front row, with Ronnie Peterson beating Mario Andretti to pole, with Jody Scheckter next up on the second row. Andretti took the lead at the start from Peterson, and the two Lotus cars... |
GER 1978 German Grand Prix The 1978 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 30 July 1978 at Hockenheimring.-Report:There were no surprises in qualifying, with Mario Andretti on pole and Ronnie Peterson alongside him, with Niki Lauda third. At the start, Peterson got off better and took the lead from Andretti, but he... |
AUT 1978 Austrian Grand Prix The 1978 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 13 August 1978 at Österreichring.-Report:The crowds for the Austrian GP were full of Niki Lauda fans; but however for them Lauda qualified only 12th as the Lotus cars again took the front row, with Ronnie Peterson on pole. The surprise in... |
NED 1978 Dutch Grand Prix The 1978 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 27 August 1978 at Zandvoort.-Report:Qualifying was as expected, Mario Andretti taking pole with Ronnie Peterson alongside in the all-Lotus front row, and Niki Lauda heading the second row. At the start, Andretti led with Peterson following,... |
ITA 1978 Italian Grand Prix The 1978 Italian Grand Prix was the 14th race of the 1978 Formula One season. It was held on 10 September 1978 at Monza. It was marred by the death of Ronnie Peterson following an accident at the start of the race.... |
USA 1978 United States Grand Prix The 1978 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 1, 1978 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York... |
CAN 1978 Canadian Grand Prix The 1978 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 8 October 1978 at Montreal.- Pre-Race :Both championships were already sown up , so this, the final round, was a dead rubber in the 1978 title chase... |
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