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Former local rally driver, Barbara Armstrong from Castle Douglas, was normally known for competing in the British Rally Championship. Her major claim to fame has been twice British Ladies Rally Champion. Now, in support of a good cause; Barbara is taking part in a project which will reveal her to the world in a whole new light!

In the tough, dangerous sport of rallying it can be hard to tell the few female competitors from the men. Once they are kitted out in race suits, crash helmets and two layers of fireproof underwear there is little scope for femininity. Now the new “Gravel Girls” calendar will leave no doubt that Barbara and her fellow competitors are female. These fearless motorsport competitors have been persuaded to face a new challenge by revealing all for a project that’s sure to get male hearts racing all over the country. But Barbara and other “Gravel Girls” from all over the UK would not have agreed to strip off unless there was a very good reason.

Nicola Parker, an up-and-coming young rally competitor, suffered a severe head injury in a horrific rally accident last November. The powerful Subaru Impreza she was driving crashed off a gravel forest track and became stuck 30ft down a steep ravine. The crash could easily have proved fatal, but Nicola and her co-driver were rescued from the wrecked rally car by the Wales Air Ambulance. A reconstruction of the dramatic events has been made for a television documentary.

Nicola, 28, is now fighting fit again and well on the way to a full recovery. The “Gravel Girls” calendar was her brainchild, to raise funds for the Air Ambulance charity that literally saved her life. Nicola has received outstanding support from fellow competitors nationwide. Along with Barbara the calendar will feature reigning British Ladies’ Rally Champion Lorna Smith, along with 2 other previous holders of the title including rally driver and television presenter Penny Mallory. Many other female competitors from all levels of the sport joined them during two days of intensive photo shoots.

Barbara and the other “Gravel Girls” have rallied round because many rally teams from all over the UK compete in Wales on a regular basis. All motorsport can be dangerous and rally driving especially so. Far away from the relative safety of a race track with its gravel traps and crash barriers, rallying takes place on narrow forest tracks in remote locations. Rally competitors know that the gravel “rally stages” of Wales present a particularly hazardous challenge. With slippery surfaces and steep hillsides, a small mistake or mechanical problem could easily put any competitor in difficulties.

Knowing the risks of their sport only too well, Barbara and her fellow “Gravel Girls” are grateful for the important role played by the local Air Ambulance charity. The Wales Air Ambulance provides a life saving service without any government help or funding. About 40% of all incidents attended are Road Traffic Accidents. In the last 5 years they have responded to 5000 missions, and the air ambulance only works an 8 hour shift! This year they have been exceptionally busy and rescue missions have been double that of any other summer. Speed of rescue is paramount to the recovery of any casualty
The “Gravel Girls” project has already received financial sponsorship from major motorsport companies including Pirelli, Kumho, Speedline, Proflex, Geoff Jones Motorsport, VK, Prodrive and Demon Tweeks as well as the Sun newspaper. With such great backing, the girls are confident that their calendar will be a huge phenomenon. The combination of fast cars and the female form has become so popular that it’s almost a cliché, but Barbara and the other “Gravel Girls” are offering something truly unique. They are not airbrushed models, but real women who actually compete in the tough sport of rallying, and the high-performance cars they will be appearing in, on and under are their own.The “Gravel Girls” calendar aims to emulate both the fundraising success of the famous WI “Calendar Girls”, and also their fun style of presentation. Expertly-lit monochrome photos will give the calendar the same cheeky yet artistic look. The major difference is that Barbara and friends will have their modesty tantalisingly preserved by car parts, wheels, tyres maps and other rally paraphernalia instead of cakes, knitting and jam.

The 2007 “Gravel Girls” calendar will be available to purchase by visiting www.gravelgirls.co.uk, or from motorsport mail-order giant Demon Tweeks, price £10 with all proceeds going to the Wales Air Ambulance charity.

For an interview, please contact Barbara at b.armstrong@racingline.com for further information about “Gravel Girls” or to obtain publicity photographs please contact Nicola Parker on 07970971664, or email nicola.parker@virgin.net”

http://www.barbaraarmstrong.com/gravelgirls.htm