Morris on course to be leading Mini Cooper lady
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Reay racing driver Ashleigh Morris is en route to motorsport glory following two successful meetings at Knockhill and Northern Ireland.
Morris leads the ladies' section of the Celtic Speed Scottish Mini Cooper Cup despite having a slow start to the season.
The championship was staged at the Kirkistown circuit at near Newtownards, County Down, for the first time and there were one or two teething problems to begin with.
Testing proved to be a bit of a struggle but Ashleigh's team managed to get her car ready for qualifying. However, that in itself proved to be an ordeal with Ashleigh only managing to post a time to get her onto 14th on the starting grid.
The first race looked promising as she zeroed in on third place only to be hit heavily from behind which in turn caused her to spin. She recovered but others had passed her and could only limp over the line in 15th.
However, in race two, Morris bounced back in style when, after starting in 15th place on the grid, she finished eighth overall but first in the ladies' standings.
It was more of the same in the third and final race and, despite some issues with the brakes, Morris was once again the top ladies' driver.
She was back on home turf at Knockhill in the next round. Despite being 14th on the grid following qualifying – where most of the field was separated by only one second – she stormed out from the blocks to take the Leading Lady Trophy along with a seventh-place finish overall.
The trophy soon received a companion for the mantelpiece when Morris repeated her run from the first race.
And a treble was duly completed in race three where, despite finishing eighth overall, she was once again the first lady past the chequered flag.
