A BUSHEY woman will be living life in the fast lane from now on after she was awarded one year's sponsorship as a rally driver.

Miss Celine Amschwand, of The Rutts, Bushey Heath, came first in the finals of Silverstone Rally School's Lady-Quest 2002 on Sunday, August 18.

The 21-year-old, who had "casually" entered the competition, competed with nine other high-speed hopefuls in tasks testing her speed, agility and logic, including changing a tyre and car parking.

The women were timed and their pulse taken and recovery time measured.

While others floundered under the pressure, Miss Amschwand remained calm.

She said: "The thing with them the tests was you had to think about it before you did it. Everyone was so nervous yesterday that a lot of people didn't think what they were doing."

Now, the former IT support worker will train and race for the school, which aims to increase the number of female participants in the traditionally male-dominated sport, and has launched the careers of several British lady rally champions.

She will have a car fitted and will be kitted out with a suit and helmet.

She said: "I'm excited about that, what colour I'm going to have to wear."

Her first training session will be as co-driver for Mr David Taunt, managing director and chief instructor of the school. As well as lessons in navigation and training on gravel and Tarmac tracks, she will have to sit a written test on the rules and regulations for rally driving before she receives her licence.

She said: "I want to get in there and start trying to win rallies."

Although Miss Amschwand has no experience of rallying, her career change came as little surprise to her uncle Marc.

Mr Amschwand raced classic race cars during the early 1990's, like his father before him.

He said: "Already back then Celine was always there helping me in the paddock changing tyres, preparing the car. She was only ten or 11 and said: 'I'll be racing one day'.

"The petrol that flows in our veins must have been inherited from my late dad who also raced cars back in his native Switzerland and all over the continent in the late 50's and early 60's."

For more information about Lady-Quest, visit www.silverstonerally.co.uk.

August 23, 2002 14:00