Carlisle first took up racing in 1960, entering a club race in a Mini.[2] Carlisle would race other cars in various sports car championship races before she started racing her Mini in the BSCC, taking part in the second half of 1961.[3]
BTCC History[]
Making her debut at Silverstone, Carlisle made a steady start to her BSCC career, finishing sixth in class.[3] She bettered this at the next round with fifth, before taking her first podium at Oulton Park.[3] Carlisle rounded off her season with second place at Snetterton, prompting Don Moore to sign her up for the following year.[3]
Don Moore built an Austin Mini Cooper for Carlisle, with which she would create history.[4] Constantly in the scrap at the top of Class A, Carlisle proved to be a race winner at the second race of the year, beating John Whitmore, John Love and Bill Blydenstein (all driving factory Mini Coopers) to victory at Goodwood.[4] Although she would not win again that year, Carlisle took third in Class A in the final standings, with Don Moore opting to continue with her for the next season.[4]
1963 proved to be Carlisle's final year in motorsport, after two crashes.[2] After finishing second in three of the first four races of the season, Carlisle was involved in accident with Peter Harper, with her Mini ending up on top of the latter's Sunbeam.[5] Although neither of them were injured, Carlisle was shaken by the incident.[2] Two more podium finishes followed, before a second accident that season prompted Carlisle to quit racing.[2] During a club race outside of the championship, Carlisle was involved in an accident which claimed the life of a marshal when her car hit him.[2] Although she was not personally responsible for the death (as many of her fellow competitors told her), she decided to quit motorsport and retired.[2]
BTCC Record[]
A table containing Christabel Carlisle's best results in the BTCC. The figures after the information about the car used indicate Christabel Carlisle's best finish at that meeting.
