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]

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]

Cowell raced in the Mini 7 Championship from 1982 to 1984.^[4]

Cowell drove a Gerry Marshall-prepared Fiat Strada in the Uniroyal Production Saloon Car Championship in 1985 and switched to a Vauxhall Astra for 1986.^[5][6]

She won the Class D title in the 1987 Season, with six class wins, driving a Suzuki Swift.^[7]

For the 1988 Season, she switched to a Class B BMW M3. She won her class at Castle Combe.^[8]

Cowell raced in the 1987 ESSO MG Metro Challenge.^[9]

Her car (#18) was memorably used for a press release featuring future F1 World Champion Damon Hill.^[10]

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.^[11]

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.^[12]

She switched to a Ford Escort^[13] (still in Class D), run by North Essex Motorsport,^[14] from Brands Hatch onwards. She came 2nd in her class there and this would remain her best result.^[15]

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.^[16]

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.^[17]