Louise Aitken-Walker

Last updated

Louise Aitken-Walker
MBE
Louise Aitken-Walker Race Retro 2023.jpg
Louise Aitken-Walker in 2023
Personal information
Nationality Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British
Born (1960-01-21) 21 January 1960 (age 64)
Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland
World Rally Championship record
Active years1979 - 1991
Co-driver Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Jan Williamson
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Ellen Morgan
Flag of Sweden.svg  Tina Thörner
Teams Ford
Nissan
Opel
Vauxhall
Rallies22
Championships 0
Rally wins 1
Podiums0
Stage wins0
Total points1
First rally RAC Rally 1979
Last rally RAC Rally 1991

Louise Dunn Aitken-Walker MBE (born January 1960 in Duns, Berwickshire) [1] is a British rally and racing driver. Aitken-Walker entered competition in 1979 and finished 19th in her first Rally GB two years later. She contested the 1989 British Touring Car Championship in a Class C Vauxhall Astra finishing fifth in points, and in 1990 was the first ever Ladies World Champion, the pinnacle of a successful 14-year career. She was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1990. [2] She retired in 1993 to have a family (son John and daughter Gina) and concentrate on her business affairs. She runs Aitken-Walker Cars, which specializes in quality used cars, with her husband Graham in the Scottish Borders. [1] [3]

Contents

In September 2008, Aitken-Walker took part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, a round of the Scottish Rally Championship centred in Perth in Scotland. A historic Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was her chosen car for the event. She was one of a number of ex-world and British champions to take part in the event in memory of McRae, who died in 2007.

Aitken-Walker was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. [4]

Racing record

Complete WRC results

YearEntrantCar1234567891011121314WDCPts
1979 Louise Aitken Ford Fiesta MON SWE POR KEN GRE NZL FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR
Ret
CIV NC0
1980 Mogil Motors Ford Fiesta MON SWE POR KEN GRC ARG FIN NZL ITA FRA GBR
Ret
CIV NC0
1981 M.C.D. Services Ford Escort RS2000 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR
19
NC0
1982 M.C.D. Services Ford Escort RS2000 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR
20
NC0
1983 Louise Aitken Alfa Romeo Alfasud TI MON
48
NC0
Ford Escort XR3i SWE
60
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV
British Junior Rally Team Ford Escort RS1600 GBR
Ret
1984 R.E.D. Ford Escort RS1600 MON SWE
23
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret
NC0
1985 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 GTI MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
16
NC0
1986 Team Nissan Europe Nissan 240RS MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
15
USA NC0
1987 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 GTI MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
NC0
1988 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 GTI MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
NC0
1989 Vauxhall Dealer Sport Vauxhall Astra GTE SWE MON POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV GBR
18
NC0
1990 GM Euro Sport Vauxhall Astra GTE MON
11
GBR
17
NC0
Opel Kadett GSI POR
Ret
KEN FRA
Ret
GRC NZL
11
ARG FIN AUS
13
ITA
18
CIV
1991 Mobil 1 / Ford Cellular Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 4x4 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
10
62nd1

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class - 1 point awarded all races)

YearTeamCarClass12345678910111213DCPtsClass
1989 Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v C OUL SIL
20
THR
15
DON
12
THR
16
SIL
19
SIL
22
BRH
15
SNE
17
BRH
15
BIR
17
DON
18
SIL
Ret
5th722nd
Source: [5]

See also

List of female World Rally Championship drivers

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References

  1. 1 2 Low, Dave. "Louise Aitken-Walker world rally champion 1990". A Sporting Nation. BBC Online . Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  2. "Title - Segrave Trophy". Royal Automobile Club. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  3. "Louise Aitken-Walker MBE, Rally Driver, Scotland UK". Aitken-Walker Cars. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  4. "Louise Aitken-Walker, MBE". Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  5. de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Autosport
National Rally Driver of the Year

1987
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Bob Ives and Joe Ives
Segrave Trophy
1990
Succeeded by