Maria Costello, 32, lives in Northampton and works in PR. She's one of the UK's top female bikers and was awarded an MBE for services to motorcycling. She says: "I got into motorcycling because I fancied a biker! We went round some motorcycle showrooms together, but instead of falling in love with him, I fell for the bikes. My first motorcycle was a Yamaha TZR125. I was 17 and it cost me £1,000. I loved the feeling of freedom and the speed - it's so different from being in a car. You're virtually at one with a bike in a way you can never be behind a wheel. Aged 18, I was riding to work as a veterinary nurse when I got knocked off my bike. I broke my pelvis, knee and elbow and was in hospital for a week. All my biker mates visited, bringing me biking magazines and asking me what make and model I'd buy with my insurance money. My mum had other ideas. 'No more motorbikes, you're getting a car!' she said. But by that stage, my heart was firmly fixed on two wheels, not four. I even changed my career to be more bike-focused, taking a job as a sales assistant at a motorcycle shop. At the same time, I got a compensation cheque for £7,000 as a result of my accident. I used the money to buy a Suzuki RGV250, an iconic bike with a top speed of 130mph. I taught myself to get my knee down on the bike when I was riding, just like I'd seen professionals do on the racetrack. The buzz from that was incredible! Soon afterwards, I bought my first race bike for £2,700, and in 1996 I joined an all-girl biking team. We decided to compete in the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man that year. I fell in love with the place, and it inspired me to work towards a new goal - to become the fastest woman to lap the island's famous TT (Tourist Trophy) racetrack. In 2004, I achieved my dream, making it round the course in 19 minutes 43.8 seconds, hitting an average speed of 114 mph. It felt amazing, especially as I was riding with a broken collarbone after coming off a bike just three weeks before! A year later, I became the first woman to stand on a podium after coming third in a race at the Manx Grand Prix. I held my record for the fastest female lap for five years, and I'm determined to take it back this year. I love the fact that men and women compete on equal terms in motorcycling. I'm proud to be seen as a role model in the sport and I always encourage women to get involved. Because I've been around for a long time, I've earned respect from biking guys. But I'm seen as a novelty to a few of the spectators when I remove my helmet and shake out my long blonde hair - some people are still shocked to see a woman on a bike. While I love the thrill of speed, I'm all too aware that it has its dangers. I've broken about 20 bones in total and have spent weeks in hospital. However, my love of riding bikes far outweighs any fear that I might get injured. My parents worry about me racing, but when last year I received an MBE for the work I've done to raise the profile of motorcycling, they were thrilled for me. My love of bikes drives my life. I've just started dating a lovely guy, who's really into racing, too. From working in the bike shop, I've now moved on to being the PR representative for a company that specialises in clothes for motorsports. I get to surround myself with bike gear every day, before taking to the track after work - what more could I want? My ambition now is to get more women involved in the sport. It would be amazing to see an all-female winners' podium one day!" 1996: Suzuki RGV250 £7k 2006: Honda RVF400 £7k 2009: Yamaha R6 £12k 2010: BMW S1000RR £16k (bought by sponsor) 2010: Suzuki XR69 £20k (belongs to a sponsor) Rachel Green, 31, lives in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, and is a publishing analyst. As a part-time racing driver she's won 98 trophies in 10 years. She says: "I was always a tomboy, preferring to build Meccano than play with dolls. I didn't get excited about cars until I was 17 and started driving lessons - then there was no stopping me! I had just six lessons before I passed my test and my first car was my sister's hand-me-down Peugeot 205. I loved it because it gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted - but I was a nutter in it. I'd speed and cut people up, and soon I was banned for six months for doing 103mph up the M11. Not very clever, but it taught me to take things more steadily. I wanted to get into racing but had no idea how. Nowadays, anyone can go on the Motorsports Association website and there's details about how to get involved, but in 2000 there was less information around. My dad read about the Caterham Academy, which helps novices build a car, get a racing licence and head on to the circuit for the first time. I'd already seen a Caterham car on the road and had wanted one for a long time, so I used my savings and Dad put in the rest for a £10,000 kit when I was 21. We spent a lovely winter building it together. The first time I sat in the driving seat was awesome. I can't describe how good driving makes me feel. Whenever I'm feeling down, I know I can go to my 'happy place' in the car. In fact, in those early days of racing, it was like a drug. After a weekend of being on the track and enjoying the rush, I'd suffer a massive comedown and wouldn't be able to stop crying. I've learned to handle that now, and tune into Radio 4 to calm myself down. It's an expensive hobby, costing around £100,000 a season, because of fuel, repairs and tyres. I was lucky enough to have a great sponsor for years, but when the recession kicked in that ended. Since my sponsor backed out in 2009, I've poured every penny of my savings into racing. Luckily, I've also received some one-off donations from mini sponsors, but the cost of racing means I can't afford luxuries like holidays. I don't buy many clothes and I don't drink or smoke. And a night out is staying in with a friend or my boyfriend, Tom, 20, an engineer, and getting a takeaway. Over the years, I've seen sexism in the sport. If a woman is trailing behind in a race, you get comments like: 'What's she doing? She'll be putting on her make-up.' But it's rare and it shouldn't deter women who want to get into racing. In fact, it's one of the few sports where women and men can compete on an equal level - I've even come first when racing against men. I hope in 10 to 20 years we'll even see a female Formula One champion." 2004: Transporter truck £9k 2007: Renault Clio Sport Trophy £8k 2008: Caterham Superlight R400 £20k 2010: Ginetta G50 £50k Nadine Geary, 35, an NHS nurse, lives in Bath with her boyfriend Bjorn, 45, a musician. She says: "About 10 years ago, I was involved in a nasty motorbike accident. I went headfirst into another motorcyclist who was driving on the wrong side of the road. We both ended up in hospital with severe injuries. My leg was broken in five places and I needed a lot of skin grafts. But while I was in excruciating pain, I can honestly say that being separated from my motorbike - and particularly my beloved Dodge Viper sports car - for all those weeks was far more painful. Odd? Perhaps. But then cars have been my passion since I can remember. Relatives would buy me dolls as a child, but I'd just steal my brother's toy cars. I grew up on a farm so was driving tractors at 10. By 17, I'd passed my driving test and saved enough money from part-time jobs to buy a Honda Civic. It was my pride and joy, and using a motoring manual I taught myself mechanics. I was hooked. I love the ways cars make me feel. I can only liken it to being in love, from the initial moment when you see a car so good-looking that you can't take your eyes off it! You want to spend all your time with it and don't want to leave it with anyone else. Of course, sometimes one of my cars will annoy me, like in any relationship, and I'll swear at it. But it feels great knowing it's all mine. It's a very expensive hobby. My Dodge Viper GTS cost £55,000 in 1998 and it guzzles petrol. But I'm not rich by any means. I saved for six years just for the deposit, and it took me another 10 years to pay off the loan I took out to cover the rest of the cost. I'm a nurse and work up to 80 hours a week to be able to afford my cars. Even when I'm given annual leave, I'll often work through it for the extra money. Some people have tried to become friends with me because I've got flashy cars or they think I'm made of money, but sadly I'm not! I met my boyfriend Bjorn through a 'car meet' five years ago. I was staring at his Ford GTD40 and someone came up to me and said: 'Do you want to meet the owner?' I replied: 'No thanks, I'm just looking at his car!' But I ended up meeting him and we became friends before we got together. Bjorn's passionate about cars too, but not as quite as much as me. Between us, we've invested a lot in them. I'm allowed to drive his car, but he's not allowed anywhere near mine - he knows it's more than his life's worth!" 1987: Honda Civic £40 1991: Ford Capri £700 1992: Ford Capri £300 1998: Dodge Viper GTS £55k 2004: Cobra Daytona Coupé around £70k 2006: Volvo Amazon Recovery Truckcab £400 2007: Dodge Viper GT around £60k 2007: MG XPower SV around £70k 2008: Land Rover free from a friend
The Speed QUEENS
Not all petrolheads are Clarkson-wannabees in stonewashed jeans. Meet the girl racers who'd trade handbags for hubcaps any day. Vroom!
When I'm down, I go to my happy place - my car
I work 80 hours a week to pay for my cars
'I got into it because I used to fancy a biker'
Maria's motor bill
'After the rush of a race, I'd have a huge comedown'
Rachel's motor bill
'Buying a new car is like falling in love'
Nadine's motor bill
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