Mum puts her foot down

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Wednesday 12th Dec 2007.

FLICKING through the pages of Autosport Magazine while on maternity leave 13 years ago, car-mad Shelly Taunt noticed an article that would change the course of her life forever.

Shelly had been working as a white van driver for 10 years when she was handed an unexpected chance to follow in her father's tyre tracks.

She entered the Autosport Find A Lady Driver competition, beating several experienced competitors to land an 18-month rally scholarship.

In truth, there was a much less rocky road to the career of her dreams, but, as Shelly explains, that route was never a viable option.

"My dad was a rally driver and he runs the Silverstone Rally School," she said.

"Every year they run Ladyquest for novice lady drivers, but for obvious reasons I couldn't enter.

"If I had won, there would have been uproar, so to be honest I thought my chance had gone.

"It was eight weeks after my son Stefan was born when I saw the article in Autosport and I thought why not? The rest is history."

Growing up around the Tarmac and gravel of the British Rally Championship, Shelly was a petrolhead even before she could walk.

By the time she had started school in Highworth, she already knew what she wanted to do with her life - and it didn't involve any of the normal fantasies you expect from a four-year-old girl.

"I actually wanted to be a truck driver in the Army, but when I was old enough to apply they rejected me because I was an inch too short," she said.

"They told me to come back when I was taller, but I never grew!"

Fast forward to 2007 and Shelly is probably glad now that she failed that height test.

Having just lifted the British Rally Championship RallyMasters title, the RallyMasters Production. Cup and RallyMasters Asphalt Championship all in on season, things could not be better for the full-time mum.

But Shelly knows rallying is a team sport, and without the guidance of her co-driver and close friend Julie Murphy, she would probably spend more in the ditch than on the podium.

She said: "Julie is fantastic. "I trust her with my life. She is ever so calm, whereas I am the nutter. We are two completely different people.

"Her voice always stays at the same level, whereas I scream and shout and sometimes swear, but that's just the passion of the sport. I think you need that bit of aggression behind the wheel."

Shelly lives in Highworth with her partner of 22 years, Gordon, and their now 13-year-old son Stefan.

With the champagne still flowing on a regular basis as Shelly and Julie continue to dominate their class, Gordon may have to wait a little longer before Shelly swaps the racewear and helmet for a wedding dress.

"To be honest we spend so much time racing I don't have any time to get married," she said.

"As long as we are competitive and still winning things then I want to carry on.

"If anything I am enjoying myself more now than when I first started. I wouldn't swap it for anything."

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