26 — Sunday, August 29, 1999 — North Shore News

Harrison needs backers to step up to Formula Atlantic

From page 2@

Canadian Formula Drivers
Association Championship and
is setting her sights on Formula
Adantic, the same series that
David Rutledge from West
Vancouver competes in.

For Marybeth it all started
with a ride in a bright yellow
Corvette as a young girl. Soon
Harrison had joined the B.C.
Corvette Club r: 5
more to going

CONVERTING a far,
Maryveth Harrison signs
autographs for an erthu-
siastic onlooker.

originally realized.

She started learning how to
race slalom courses, practising
her driving skiils at racing
schools on both sides of the
border.

Now the realities of financ-
ing one of the most expensiv
sports are hitting home.
Securing sponsorship,
Harrison said is one of the hur-
dies of the sport, turning dri-
vers into part businessman,
part salesman.

Although the Formula
-1600 scries doesn’t cost $35
million a year to run per team
like its Formula One cousins, it
does cost $60,000- $100,000
US per season to be competi-
tive. This year will be the frst
that Harrison expects to break
even financially.

The support of her mother,
Margo Hayward, is instrumen-
tal when it comes to getting
support. She’s like a teammate
Harrison said who likens her
mom to a soulmate. From her
mother to the other male
vers, Marybeth gets the respect
on and off the course by every-

one, even though the money is

still hard to come by.

“I haven't been treated any
differendy by other drivers,”
Harrison said.

Harrison, who has a psy-

chology degree, learned
HTML code and maintains her
own Web site promoting her
Fountain Tire-Valvotine-
Domino's Pizza team. She said

Huge Savings

being a woman in a traditional-
ty male-dominated sport can
have its advantages when it
comes to convincing, sponsors
to distribute che cash.

“You can go to Revion and
other non-automorive compa-
nies whereas men aren’ likely
to,” Harrison said.

If big boys in their rurbo-

Mot A Penny
Down O.A.C.

yew

From

$9

om SZ

1593
UIGK CENTURY

a uto. loaded

charged fast cars don’t phase
Marybeth, neither does tack-
ling the issue of drug educa-
tion. She has found that com-
munity involvement has given

auto, al

her a double-edged sword to
promote both drug awareness
and her passion for speed.

See Passion page 27

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