Jessica Fitch-Hall Makes Car Racing Debut at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch marked a huge milestone in my motorsport career as I took part in my first ever car race weekend.
Going into the weekend, my experience in the car was still incredibly limited. I had completed just three days of testing at different circuits and in a mixture of weather conditions, so this weekend was always going to be about learning, building confidence and getting as much experience behind the wheel as possible.
As a female racing driver competing in the UK, making the move from karting into cars has been something I have been working towards for a long time. Brands Hatch was the moment it became real.
Friday Testing at Brands Hatch
Friday gave me an important opportunity to get more time in the car before my first race.
It was also brilliant to have KDA Dental Recruitment and Forever Callie Media trackside supporting me. Having sponsors there to experience a race weekend with us and see the work happening both on and off track made the day even more special.
Throughout Friday, we continued to make progress. My lap times improved as the day went on and I became increasingly comfortable with the car and the circuit.
There was still plenty to learn, but every session gave us more data and more information to work with.
Preparing for My First Race
Saturday gave us the opportunity to properly prepare for race day.
We reviewed data and video footage from the previous sessions, looking at where improvements could be made and where I could find more time around the circuit.
By Sunday morning, I felt ready to take on my first competitive race day.
Qualifying was another completely new experience. I qualified P24, but came out of the session feeling that there was more performance to find and that I could make further progress during the races.
Race One – P24 to P20
Then came the moment I had been waiting for: my first ever car race.
Starting from P24 also meant experiencing my first standing start. Thankfully, it went well and I was able to settle into the race and concentrate on moving forward.
I crossed the line in P20, gaining four positions during my first race.
More importantly, the lap times continued to improve. With such limited experience in the car before Brands Hatch, seeing that progression throughout the weekend was incredibly encouraging.
Race Two – More Battles and My Fastest Lap
For race two, I started from P20.
This time there was much more happening around me, including a collision to my right at the start which I had to react to and avoid.
Once the race settled down, I had some great battles with the drivers around me and eventually finished P21.
I also set my fastest lap of the entire weekend during race two, which was a great way to finish my first race meeting.
A Weekend of Progress
Looking back at Brands Hatch, I made even more progress than I expected.
Going from only three days of testing to completing qualifying and two competitive races was a huge learning experience. Each time I went out on track, I became more comfortable with the car, improved my lap times and gained valuable racing experience.
A massive thank you has to go to TenSport Performance and my mechanic Richard. I couldn't have asked for a better team around me for my first weekend. Thank you as well to everyone in the paddock who made us feel so welcome.
Congratulations also to Spencer Lane on achieving his first car racing podiums, and thank you for all of the support throughout the weekend.
Thank You to My Sponsors
None of this would be possible without the businesses and people supporting my journey into car racing.
A huge thank you to Sunrise Technologies, Forever Callie Media, KDA Dental Recruitment, Portman Dentex and EBC Brakes Racing for supporting me as I take this next step in my motorsport career.
Thank you also to Clean Inc for making sure the race car arrived looking spotless.
Brands Hatch was only the beginning.
Three days of testing. My first qualifying session. My first standing start. My first two car races. And plenty of progress throughout the weekend.
Next stop: Silverstone.