Although Chloe Grant obtained her regular driver’s licence only recently, she has been getting behind the wheel of racing vehicles since she was seven years old.
Chloe, who hails from Perth, Scotland, says that she became interested in kart racing thanks in part to her sister, Lisa, who was the first in the family to take the track.
“I got the bug, loved it, and took it on competitively. After a lot of seat time and race craft experience, I realized I had something I wanted to prove on track. The more I improved, the more I wanted to achieve.”
The Grants aren’t strangers to motorsport. “My dad has always been a fan, as has his mum, our granny,” notes Chloe. “It must be in our blood.”
She loves racing for many reasons, including the friendships that she has forged.
“When I was only seven and hanging around at the kart track, I had so many friends. The racing community is awesome, and I look forward to seeing those people at each meeting I attend. I have made lifelong friends through a shared passion for sport.”
Chloe got her start practicing with the North of Scotland Kart Club. The following year, she was old enough to compete, and did so through East of Scotland Kart Club.
In 2017, she won her first championship at age 11. It would not be her last. Now 17, Chloe is well on her way to an adult career, earning her Motorsport U.K. Junior Racing Driver Licence in 2020 – making her the youngest person in Scotland to do so.
She notes that “no two days are the same”, and that she is always learning new things both on and off the track.
“A big milestone was definitely winning the Junior Saloon Car Championship (JSCC) Scholarship (2021). This was a huge step in my career, making the move from karts to cars.
“I would say my fitness has changed with each differing series that I have raced. For instance, karting is extremely physical, as I used my body to drive it more than I did a car like the Saxo I raced in 2021. I have also gained more knowledge of engineering from working closely with my team over the years. Having this in my back pocket has definitely helped to develop me as a driver as I understand my vehicle more.”
The biggest issue in her sport of choice isn’t physical or mental, she explains – it is financial.
“The most prominent challenge motorsport faces are the costs involved. We need this support in order to continue moving up in the industry.”
Fortunately, she found sponsorship support from both John Clark Motor Tools and Laser Tools Racing. In addition, Chloe finds Scotland’s racing community to be “incredibly supportive.”
“I know that Knockhill Racing Circuit pours so much into the development of its facilities and track, which shines through as they continue to share the same events as larger circuits across the country. Globally, I don’t know if racing has ever been more popular than it is now. Since the Drive to Survive (documentary) series came out, the fan base of not only Formula 1, but of other series, has grown so much.”
Chloe also has role models to encourage her. The late Aryton Senna, a Brazilian F1 driver, has been a huge inspiration to her own career. She also points to Susie Wolff – a fellow Scotswoman – who retired from professional racing in 2015 but has since focused efforts on encouraging young women and girls interested in motorsport. Wolff is the current managing director of F1 Academy: a project which aims to prepare young female drivers for higher levels of competition.
In March, F1 Academy announced that Chloe was to be part of its ART Grand Prix team and, as such, 2023 will be her first year of international competition, with visits to Austria, Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. Carrie Schreiner of Germany and Léna Bühler of Switzerland are joining her as part of ART Grand Prix.
“There are a lot of brilliant women in various roles across the sport now,” says Chloe. “I think we will only see that number rise. We have a place here and the drive to continue pushing the sport upward.”
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