Fiona Leggate
Encyclopedia
Fiona Leggate is a British auto racing
driver, born on 28 May 1980 in Lincolnshire
.
Leggate had been interested in motorsport since her childhood, influenced by her father Malcolm Leggate who had a 19-year career in saloon car racing.
After competing in showjumping and dressage
events she switched her attention from horseriding to horsepower, entering and winning a competition to drive with ex-British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans
.
This led to her spending 2003 and 2004 contesting various championships including Britcar and the MG XPower
trophy, and in July 2004 she set a world record
for the most races contested in one day.
in 2005, joining halfway through the season in a Vauxhall Astra Coupé
acquired from the championship-winning works team 888
, but converted to run on bioethanol fuel and run by the Leamington Spa
based Tech-Speed team. She scored 12 points including a 5th place at Silverstone
, gaining much publicity for the envionmentally-friendly fuel.
For 2006 Leggate once again raced in the BTCC in the same car running on bio-ethanol, with new sponsorship from Vauxhall dealer Thurlby Motors as well as continuing support from the Energy Efficient Motorsport (EEMS) scheme. Her best results were a trio of 10th places. She missed the races at round 6 due to a cracked engine cylinder. After also missing round 8, she withdrew from the series, her replacement being Paul O'Neill
for the remaining two rounds of the series.
In 2007, she again raced in the BTCC with the Kartworld team using an ex-WSR MG ZS
fuelled once again with bio-ethanol. She also raced in the EERC Production S1 championship with the same MG ZR
that she used in 2006.
As well as this she also raced another MG ZR
in two endurance races at the MGCC Silverstone meeting in June. She was partnered in Race 1 by Regular driver Rob Oldaker and by Mark Stacey for the second race. The car retired from the second race with head gasket failure.
In 2007 Leggate entered the PS1 Championship, where she won her class in the first four races, as well as having the class pole at the two meetings and fastest lap.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver, born on 28 May 1980 in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
.
Leggate had been interested in motorsport since her childhood, influenced by her father Malcolm Leggate who had a 19-year career in saloon car racing.
After competing in showjumping and dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
events she switched her attention from horseriding to horsepower, entering and winning a competition to drive with ex-British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans
Gwyndaf Evans
Gwyndaf Evans is a Welsh rally driver, ex-school bus driver, and car dealer. He won the British Rally Championship in 1996, and was also the runner-up in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2010...
.
This led to her spending 2003 and 2004 contesting various championships including Britcar and the MG XPower
MG XPower
MG XPower is a British automotive brand created by MG Rover Group in 2001 and now owned by MG Sports and Racing Europe, based in Tenbury Wells.-Overview:...
trophy, and in July 2004 she set a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for the most races contested in one day.
BTCC
Leggate entered the BTCCBritish Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
in 2005, joining halfway through the season in a Vauxhall Astra Coupé
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
acquired from the championship-winning works team 888
Triple 8 Race Engineering
Triple Eight Race Engineering is an auto racing team formed in 1996 to design, build and race Vauxhalls on behalf of the General Motors brand in the British Touring Car Championship . A close working alliance has developed during a decade of success and Triple Eight is now Vauxhall's technical...
, but converted to run on bioethanol fuel and run by the Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
based Tech-Speed team. She scored 12 points including a 5th place at Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, gaining much publicity for the envionmentally-friendly fuel.
Paul O'Neill (racing driver)
Paul O'Neill is a auto racing driver from Widnes of Irish parentage, and the half-brother of 'Sporty Spice' Mel C.-Career:...
for the remaining two rounds of the series.
In 2007, she again raced in the BTCC with the Kartworld team using an ex-WSR MG ZS
MG ZS
The MG ZS is a sports family car. The ZS is essentially a badge engineered Rover 45 . The 45 in turn is a facelifted version of the Rover 400 which was launched in hatchback form in 1995 and saloon form in 1996. The Rover 400 had much in common with the Honda Civic of 1995-1999...
fuelled once again with bio-ethanol. She also raced in the EERC Production S1 championship with the same MG ZR
MG ZR
The MG ZR is a high-performance MG-branded "hot hatch" version of the Rover 25 supermini-class car, produced by MG Rover at their Longbridge plant in Birmingham from 2001 to 2005...
that she used in 2006.
Other racing
In 2006 Leggate competed in non-clashing Britcar Production S1 races in an MG ZR. She was partnered once by MG racer Paul White in March at Silverstone and then Rob Oldaker in June at Brands Hatch. Leggate and Oldaker were then joined by MG Trophy racer Ben Jacques and Italian BMW racer Umberto Nacamuli for the Silverstone 24 hour race. Sadly the car retired with engine failure with only just over an hour to go. She also competed in the Mini Challenge, driving at Thruxton and Spa, although she missed race two there due to failure of the engine electronics.As well as this she also raced another MG ZR
MG ZR
The MG ZR is a high-performance MG-branded "hot hatch" version of the Rover 25 supermini-class car, produced by MG Rover at their Longbridge plant in Birmingham from 2001 to 2005...
in two endurance races at the MGCC Silverstone meeting in June. She was partnered in Race 1 by Regular driver Rob Oldaker and by Mark Stacey for the second race. The car retired from the second race with head gasket failure.
In 2007 Leggate entered the PS1 Championship, where she won her class in the first four races, as well as having the class pole at the two meetings and fastest lap.