* FKS Championship Director recognised for services to motorsport.
* Hoy ‘honoured and humbled’ at Night of Champions.
Formula Kart Stars Championship Director Carolynn Hoy has been awarded the 2012 Lord Wakefield Challenge Trophy by the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club for her lifelong services to motorsport.
Hoy was presented with the internationally recognised award by MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton last week at the MSA Night of Champions at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London.
The Lord Wakefield Challenge Trophy is acknowledged the British Women’s Racing Drivers Clubs’ premier award and has been awarded by the BWRDC since the Clubs’ creation in 1962 by Mary Wheeler MBE. Previous winners include ex Formula Kart Stars drivers Sarah Moore and Alice Powell as well as former Formula One driver Divina Galica, current DTM driver Susie Stoddart, rally drivers Louise Aitken-Walker and Michelle Mouton and Dakar Rally winner Jutta Kleinschmidt.
A leading contender in the burgeoning Superkart scene of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s culminating in second place in the British Championship and sixth place in the World Karting Championship during the early 1980’s when she was a factory driver alongside the late Martin Hines in the world renowned Hermatite Zip team.
Hoy retired from karting in 1987 but went on to forge a successful saloon car career, where she was a factory driver for British based sportscar marque Panther and latterly the FIA European Truck Racing Championship until her retirement from racing due to injury in 1995.
Two years later Hoy joined Formula Kart Stars, then known as the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future, and took over the championship from series founder Hines in 2000. In 2009 Formula Kart Stars became the only karting championship in the world to receive official support from Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management company and Lewis Hamilton, a champion in the series inaugural season in 1996.
“I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to receive this award,” said Hoy, who also competed and finished the Le Mans 24 Hour Prokart race despite driving the entire race on her own. “It’s lovely to be awarded the Lord Wakefield trophy as an individual and very humbling. Formula Kart Stars is a team effort and everything we do we do as a team.
“I have been extremely fortunate to be involved in motorsport and specifically karting for more years than I care to remember and Formula Kart Stars exists solely to help young drivers make a career out of racing. Although my name is associated most closely with the Championship there is a dedicated team who work tirelessly on the Championship as well.”
Hoy was not the only Formula Kart Stars personality to be honoured at the Night of Champions with MSA British Cadet Champion Daniel Ticktum also receiving his official MSA trophy from British Touring Car Championship boss Alan Gow.
