THERE is only one female driver in Formula One motorsport in the world at the moment, but that statistic does not bother Queanbeyan's Beck Connell at all, who is now aiming for a Formula Ford birth in the Victorian Series next year.
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The 21-year old veterinary assistant has been Queanbeyan's go-karting prodigy since the age of 10, having raced in the NSW motor racing Premier State Cup, the State Championships, and the Australian Junior Nationals, finishing in the top 10 on numerous occasions.
In 2006 she also won the Canberra Club Championship, and looks up to local motorsport legend Mark Webber as her idol.
This year she has been spotted by Ellery Motorsport, a mechanical business based in Warrigal in Victoria, and was invited to drive Formula Ford cars in practice runs at the Winton Motor Raceway and Phillip Island.
But she is now hoping to exchange the go-kart for a Formula Ford for good.
"I'm looking to get everything properly planned for next year to be able to compete, and in doing that as well I'll need to get as much sponsorship as I can," Connell said.
"I'd like to do every race in the state series next year, but a lot of that will come down to sponsorship, of what I can and can't do."
"I can either buy my own car, which would be very costly, or I could lease one."
But she said she would like to introduce some girl power into this male-dominated sport, and said she could easily mix it with the men.
"I always think that once the helmet is on, it doesn't matter whether you're a guy or a girl," Connell said.
With no Australian female drivers ever making it to Formula One level, Connell said she would love to become the first to achieve that.
"That would be a dream come true, but it's a very long way off," she said.
Formula Ford is regarded as the stepping stone toFormula One racing, linking the junior scene of go-kart racing to the pro racing leagues.
Connell finished studies at the Canberra Institute of Technology and Australian Catholic University last year, and is balancing her veterinary work with her second job at Power Kart Raceway and her own driving this year.
She said Ellery Motorsport had been helping her all year, and she would happily race for them in Formula Ford in the future.