20 Oct Emily Linscott shortlisted for the Sunday Times’ prestigious Sportswomen of the Year Award
Teenage Racing Driver, Emily Linscott, from Essex in the UK, has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times’ prestigious “Sportswomen of the Year Awards” 2020.
Linscott, who is still on the other side of the Atlantic having completed her first full race season in America, was told the news last week by the awards people. Linscott said, ”I didn’t know what to say, which is quite unusual for me, I was so shocked but so happy too, how cool is that!” She added, “this year has been a strange and difficult one everyone but when the President of the United States banned all flights from the UK and Europe into America, I was devastated, I honestly thought I’d not get to race at all this year! After missing the first three races at the circuit I own the lap record at, I felt awful, I wasn’t in a good place! But, with a lot of hard work from myself, my amazing mentor, Pippa Mann, and too many other fantastic people to mention, I eventually got the news I could fly to America as part of an Elite Athlete programme during lockdown. Two days after getting that text, I was on the plane. I knew it would be tough being away from my parents for four months, as I’d never been away from them for longer than a week before, but I had to follow my heart to further my racing career Stateside.”
Linscott is shortlisted in the “Young Inspiration Award” category for defying the odds and pursuing her racing career without any support system in the US, doing it all in the middle of a Global Pandemic and performing to an extremely high standard under such difficult circumstances. Linscott said, “I’m very proud to have been shortlisted for this award, I’m blown away by it actually. I hadn’t regarded what I’d done as inspirational, but I guess it is, I understand it now it’s been explained to me a little more. I’m very honoured.”
You can cast your vote via the website www.sportswomenoftheyear.co.uk where you will get the chance to vote for each of the three categories that are chosen by the public. You will find this affable young athlete on the second of the three voting pages.
The Essex based pocket rocket finished her championship in 7th place overall, with some impressive stats such as a 3rd place podium finish at Sebring in Florida, 2 x fastest laps, 1 x pole position, 1 x new lap record and 5 x top five finishes, but being the perfectionist she is, she’s not happy. Linscott adds, “I’m pleased with some of my performances especially since I’ve had a very limited time in the car and all but one of the tracks were new to me, so I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. My final round at Sebring International was my best driving all season though, I changed a few important things about my preparation that really paid off for me, it helped me concentrate more on my driving and I produced three great performances. I’m ready for the next step in the US now, I’m testing in Texas soon with an F4 team and I’m working hard to find the partners and sponsorship deals to get back out here early next year for some proper testing”.
