Barbara Cowell

Barbara Babbage (nee Cowell) (born 1958) is a British former racing driver.

She is one of the first female members of the British Racing Drivers' Club. ^[1]

Career

Mini-rod racing

She started racing in Mini-rods at Long Eaton in 1973 ^[2] and was British Champion in 1978. She won the British, European and World Titles in 1981. ^[3]

Tin-tops

Mini 7 Racing

By 1984, Cowell had progressed to racing in the Mini 7 Championship. ^[4]

Production Saloons

Cowell drove a Gerry Marshall-prepared Vauxhall Astra in the 1986 Production Saloon Car Championship. ^[5]

She won the Class D title in the 1987 Season, with six class wins, driving a Suzuki Swift. ^[6]

For the 1988 Season, she switched to a Class B BMW M3. She won her class at Castle Combe. ^[7]

MG Metro Turbo Challenge

Cowell raced in the 1987 ESSO MG Metro Challenge. ^[8]

Her car (#18) was memorably used for a press release featuring future F1 World Champion Damon Hill. ^[9]

World Touring Car Championship

Cowell drove a Toyota Corolla in the 1987 RAC Tourist Trophy, sharing with Geoff Kimber-Smith, but they didn't finish. They entered the Tourist Trophy again in 1988 but did not race. ^[10]

British Touring Car Championship

Cowell raced in the 1988 British Touring Car Championship. She won Class D in the Donington 1 Hour Endurance race in a Toyota Corolla, sharing with Kimber-Smith. ^[11]

She switched to a Ford Escort ^[12] (still in Class D), run by North Essex Motorsport, ^[13] from Brands Hatch onwards. She came 2nd in her class there and this would remain her best result. ^[14]

Her sole outing in the 1989 British Touring Car Championship would be the Endurance race at Donington, once again sharing a Toyota Corolla with Geoff Kimber-Smith. A misfire forced them to retire after 4 laps. ^[15]

Willhire 24 Hours

Barbara finished 4th in the 1993 Willhire 24 Hour race at Snetterton. She formed part of an all-female team with Clare Redgrave and Kirsten Kolby, driving a Honda Civic. ^[16]

References

1. "Women drivers! - Page 7 - The Nostalgia Forum". The Autosport Forums.
2. "December 1973" . Retrieved 18 March 2025.
3. H-g, Rachel (October 24, 2015). "Speedqueens: Barbara Cowell (Babbage)".
4. "750MC Silverstone 13.10.84". March 16, 2021 – via Flickr.
5. "Autocar - 19 March 1986". reader.exacteditions.com.
6. "Barbara Cowell - Suzuki Swift GTi". March 27, 2020 – via Flickr.
7. "Production Saloon Car Championship – MCD/BRDC/BRSCC (1972-2003)". November 7, 2011.
8. "Barbara Cowell - MG Metro Turbo". flickr.com. March 30, 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2025– via Flickr.
9. "No title". gettyimages.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
10. "Complete Archive of Barbara Cowell". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
11. "1988 BTCC - round 4". touringcarracing.net. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
12. "Barbara Cowell - Ford Escort RS1600i - BTCC Silverstone 1988". April 29, 2020 – via Flickr.
13. "Brands Hatch BTCC 1988 - Into Druids Hairpin". September 12, 2012 – via Flickr.
14. "1988 BTCC - round 8".
15. "1989 BTCC - round 4".
16. "Willhire 24 hours 1981/82/83 - Page 2 - TenTenths Motorsport Forum". ten-tenths.com.