24 May 2010 | Thames driver Cassey Watson experienced both the Adrenaline and pit stops of motorsport last weekend when she took to the track for the third round of the Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB race series at Cadwell Park.
It was not only another chance for the Evesham-based driver to tackle the intense mountainous terrain of the Lincolnshire circuit – and in front of a large crowd, but also drive home the Team’s core values in working with more young people to carve out opportunities through the sport.
For the Thames driver, who was once one of the biggest names to emerge from junior club racing, she exemplified the team’s progress – qualifying in a time of 1:42.455 – to knock two seconds of her previous best to register on the fourth row on the starting grid.
19 April 2010 | Thames’ driver Cassey Watson managed to pull out the stops and drive through the pain barrier to finish a highly creditable 9th at the infamous Silverstone grand prix circuit last weekend in the second round of the Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB series.
The highly rated 18-year-old Worcestershire driver, who was suffering from a high fever prior to the race, qualified 13th on the grid, but performed heroics to complete both races in 9th position – let alone fend off other drivers in the chasing pack.Read More
6 April 2010 | Thames’ driver Cassey Watson helped make history at Oulton Park over the bank holiday Easter weekend, when she took part in the first ever Abarth 500 race series in Great Britain.
The highly anticipated series, which also listed the British Formula 3 and the British GT on the same billboard, saw 18-year-old Watson qualify 10th of the grid (5th row) on Saturday (3 April) in a time of 201.403. Leading the pack was former Clio Cup champion Ben Winrow, who notched up a best time of 156.394.
Despite Watson’s limited testing in the Abarth, she was quick to demonstrate her driver-talent early on in the first race (round 1) after managing to claw back six places to take up forth position during the third lap. However, she eventually finished eighth, with clear signs that both driver and car have more to give, which bodes well for the season.Read More
Ginetta Junior driver Cassey Watson has always been recognizable in both SAXMAX and Ginetta Junior for her cars purple paintjobs and pink tiger graphics. However from now on she will be recognizable for flying the colours for award winning Sunderland based housing firm and community builder Gentoo. The market leading company, and Sunderland’s biggest landlord, back the two cars owned by CBS Racing who have signed Cassey to run alongside team owner’s son Alex Austin. Read More
Ginetta Junior driver Cassey Watson always knew rounds 5 & 6 were going to be tough at Rockingham, and so they proved, but ended up leaving the circuit with high hopes for the rest of the season.
Since the first test day back in February it has been obvious that Cassey’s car has been struggling for straight line speed and despite great effort the problem had proved impossible to find, so the Super Speedway section of Rockingham was always going to show the problem at it’s worst. Read More
RDA driver Cassey Watson returned from Brands Hatch content with her first weekends racing in front of the BTCC’s bumper crowds and live TV cameras.
After a wet practice session a decision to play it safe left her on a wet set up when the weather changed and the track dried for qualifying and race 2, despite battling a badly handling car Cassey managed to grid in the midfield of the 22 car grid.Read More
On the 8th and 9th of December 2007 saw the 2nd London Motorsport show take place at the ExCel centre in Docklands. Girlracer had an impressive stand featuring many of the top female drivers in British Motorsport. There was the MG belonging to the most successful woman to race in the BTCC, Fiona Leggate, soon to be British GT driver, Anna Walewska with her Dodge Viper, Cassey Watson, an upcoming driver in the Ginetta Junior championship and Dawn Boyd from the Uk Mini Challenge Championship.
Also present were the 2006 Silverstone rally school Ladyquest winner, Beck Kirvan, and VW racer Karen Andrews and Autograss racer Michaela Bevans. It wasn’t just four wheeled Motorsport that was represented as the impressive Motorcycle racer Sam Burnam had her bike on the stand. Even Motorsport on the water was covered with National and European Championship winning Power Boat racer Sarah Donohue sharing her experiences, which even include Stunt driving for a James Bond Movie
The stand formed part of a women in Motorsport display designed to encourage potential upcoming female racing drivers to take an interest in the sport. The other purpose of the stand was to launch the Brand new Girlracer product GR1, a Fragance designed to make both your car and house smell amazing!
The stand was the busiest in the whole show with all the drivers talking to huge numbers of people throughout the two days, hopefully encouraging many more women to enter what has until recently, been a male dominated sport. The entire Girlracer range of products was on display throughout the stand and proved to be very popular with visitors.
Director Gary Wood declared the event to be a huge success, “It’s been a fantastic event, but very tiring!” he said after the show.
The next big Motorsport show is the annual Autosport event at the NEC in January where there should be another Girlracer stand. We hope to see you there!
BWRDC Junior Champion and Student with the Race Driver’s Academy Cassey Watson, 16, has committed to the 2008 Junior Ginetta Championship and to York based team Tockwith Motorsport.This is not the first time the Worcestershire teenager has raced a Ginetta, having used the category twice before to break some impressive records. In 2006 Cassey drove six consecutive races in 3 different cars at the MSVR Junior Festival to break the record for most races in 24 hours. Then in 2007 she returned to attempt to become the first driver to stand on the podium in all 3 Junior Championships, SAXMAX, TCar & Ginetta, a feat she acheived at the very first attempt at Anglessey in round 1.
2008 will be Cassey’s last year as a Junior so this time she has commited to a full championship campaign and will run in a team for the first time.
Cassey says, “We have had 4 test days with Tockwith Motorsport so far and being in a team enviroment is filling me with confidence. Simon, (Simon Moore Team Owner), is terrific to work with and has already set the car up perfectly for me, this is the best car I have driven and I can’t wait for the season to start.”
The high profile BTCC support championship gets under way 29th March at Brands Hatch where Cassey will find herself going head to head for victory against a Motorsport Dynasty. Josh Hill, son of F1 World Champion Damon and grandson to legend Graham Hill, will also be on the grid.
Cassey said, “We already knew that the championship would receive massively increased coverage when it became part of the BTCC package, the biggest domestic championship. Then we heard about a massive TV deal with ITV4. However now with the famous Hill name back on the grid the eyes of the world will be on us, I can’t wait!”
SAXMAX & Junior Ginetta driver Cassey Watson, 16, was at the BWRDC Awards Night last Saturday to receive her championship trophey after retaining her title of Junior Champion in 2007.
For the second year running Cassey more than doubled the score of the second placed driver. More astounding though is that Cassey would have placed 4th in the Senior Championship, had she been eligible by age, a championship which is open to every female racing driver in the country.
Cassey will now try and defend her championship title in 2008 in her last year as a Junior.
