Having been interested in motorbikes all her life, Kat got her first opportunity to ride at 15, on her step-dad’s 500cc Kawasaki in a supermarket carpark. The next day, her step-dad surprised her with a trackday at the Donington Park GP circuit – where Kat then had to convince the Ron Haslam Race School to let her in, using the skills she learned only the night before! Riding a Honda CB500, Kat got her first taste of circuit riding, and within a few laps she was doing over 100mph. Even a couple of trips onto the grass couldn’t dampen her enthusiasm – as her grin after each session proved.

On turning 16, she decided to get a 50cc bike on the road - an Aprilia RX50 from HMC-Aprilia, Sheffield. The supermoto-style machine was heavily restricted, but it’s tiny 2-stroke engine taught Kat a great deal about clutch control, especially on hill starts! At the same time, Kat also completed several more trackdays and continued to build her skills rapidly.

Kat is now preparing for the 2007 season, which begins in March. Again riding with Team Feisty Racing, Kat will be competing on her RS250 in the 400cc class, as there are not enough 250s to have a separate event. Although the 250 is slightly down on power in comparison, it has the potential to carry much more speed round the corners. Kat hopes to become more competitive and continue to get faster, in order to meet her goal of racing at National level.

Kat competed in the British Nationwide Championship 2007 with Feisty Racing, Britain's largest all girl race team. She rode her Aprilia RS250 two stroke against a strong field of tuned 400cc four strokes, learning valuable skills on this lightweight machine. With virtually no engine braking Kat had to focus hard on her braking, gear change and corner speed to compete with the easier to ride 4 strokes. With lessons learned from this year, Kat is hoping to secure sponsors to assist the move onto a larger 600 cc machine in 2008 to continue her progression in motorcycle racing.

photos by Imajez.com