Track Chic's Woman behind the Wheels Pippa Mann - Her Journey from Ipswich to Indy!

Atlanta, April 3, 2010: It started with a karting birthday party at the age of 13 in the picturesque waterfront hometown of Ipswich, Suffolk UK. A town steeped in history that also served as an emigration gateway to the New World, Ipswich has played a major role in the history of England for nearly 1,500 years. Today’s history books now include Track Chic’s Woman behind the Wheels, Pippa Mann, and her remarkable achievements in motorsports.

Sharing an interest for motorsports with her father, Pippa, (short for Phillipa), channeled her energies and enthusiasm,, and in 2001 at the independent age of “almost 18”, Pippa took the serious step of leaving friends, family and beloved-England to move to Italy, the home of karting to pursue the sport seriously and hone her driving skills. By 2003, Pippa was driving for one of the leading kart teams, CRG, and taking part in the highly competitive Italian, European and World Championship Kart races. Pippa is the only British female to have won an international kart race. She began her single-seater career in 2004, driving in the British Formula Renault 2.0 series, and in 2005 she signed a two-year contract to drive for Comtec Racing in the Formula Renault Eurocup. She also raced in that year's French Formula Renault 2.0. In 2006 she raced in the UK Formula Renault 2.0 Championship as well as the Eurocup. In January 2007, Mann signed for Cram by P1 Europe to become the first female to race in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. In her debut year, Pippa managed to score a point and also start from pole position. Part of the World Series by Renault,,these are actually bigger faster cars than the Formula Indy Lights car she pilots today. Pippa continued in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for the 2008 season still driving for P1 Motorsport team and competed on legendary tracks including Monza, Nurburgring and Estoril. Pippa moved to Indianapolis to drive for Panther Racing in the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights series, the development series for the IndyCar Series and scored a string of top-15 finishes, including three top-ten results Today, Pippa drives the Number 11 for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, THE TEAM known for producing Champions in the Firestone Indy Lights Series! Not coming from a motorsports’ family, it’s Pippa’s determination, discipline and dedication that account for her respected rise and in the industry. She applies that energy and enthusiasm to everything she does, including her strenuous fitness regimen and active engagement with fans via social media Twitter, FaceBook and the Pippa Mann Fan Club. Recently battling a “virus-of-the-ages”, Pippa was eager to compete in Firestone Indy Lights’ Season Opener, The Streets of St. Petersburg March 28th. Through the many frustrating rain delays and numerous trips to the medical center, Pippa and the team were encouraged by the momentum made during practice and qualifying runs. That momentum was quickly gutted by an overly aggressive move made by Campos in Lap 1 Turn 1 inflicting damage to Pippa’s car and several others. Track Chic talks with Pippa as she now prepares for the next race at Barber Motorsports Park, Sunday, April 11th. I understand you were first introduced to karting at a birthday party at the age of 13. You were obviously hooked on racing at that moment, but not coming from a motorsport family or growing up trackside, how did you convince your family and friends that you intended to pursue racing as a serious career?

Although we’re not a motorsport family, I had grown up watching racing on TV with my Dad, and he had taken me to several races as a spectator. It was obvious I had always loved it, so when karting became a hobby no one had any objections. I worked very hard to try and not let my school work suffer, and I don’t think anyone took it seriously until I told my parents I wanted to leave school to move abroad and race professionally. I’m sure you can appreciate that was an interesting conversation! However by the time I moved back home to graduate from karting to cars I think everyone knew I was in this for the long haul!

Five short years later, at the age of 18, you moved to Italy to pursue racing full-time. Can you share a little bit about that experience? It sounds like the script of a movie, but how difficult was it for you to leave friends and family behind and commit wholeheartedly to pursuing your passion?

Actually I was just 17 years old when I moved - it was February and still seven months shy of my 18th birthday in August. This meant that one of the difficulties I had was, despite having my license, not being allowed to drive a road car in Italy until I turned 18!

At first I didn’t think it was going to be that difficult, I had always been independent and everyone had told me they would come to visit. I was so excited. A few months later and it really started to sink in. I think now it would have been a bit easier, but my apartment didn’t have an internet connection, and no one really had or used email or the internet for staying in touch with friends back then anyway. I lost touch with a lot of people back home who didn’t make a big effort to stay in touch with me. I think I can accurately describe the next three years as some of the best and some of the worst times of my life! I grew up and learned a lot about life, and a lot of it I learned the hard way. The experiences I had out there made me whom I am today. And if I was 17 years old again now, even knowing how hard it would be at times, I would still make the same decision to move again.

Did you realize then that you would be setting records for women? How did it feel to become the first British female to win an international kart race and the first female to race in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series scoring a point and also starting from pole position in your debut year!

When I first started out I think that this was part of my dream and what I wanted to achieve in racing. As I grew older I matured, and although this is still something which I think about, my dream became less about competition with other females, and more about finding a niche for myself where I could call myself a professional racing driver and earn my living primarily from driving racing cars. I started to become a big supporter of other female racing drivers, and to this day I still am. I love to see other girls out there doing a good job, and I think the more of us who get involved in racing the better. By the time I won that race, I was more concerned with the fact it was just my first big international win, and ditto with scoring points in the World Series. They were achievements in themselves whether I was a girl or a guy!

Moving from the Formula Renault 3.5 Series to America to compete in Firestone Indy Lights was a dramatic change. Tell us a little about the difference in the power of the machines, their handling and the adjustments you had to make as a driver.

Moving to America last year was actually a more difficult move than I thought it would be in terms of the change in machinery. The World Series cars are more similar to the IndyCars in terms of speed on a road course rather than an Firestone Indy Lights car. They have carbon brakes, paddle shift boxes, and although in theory they only have the same horse-power as the FIL car, the fact that the chassis is so much lighter means they accelerate much more quickly. I always found the soft tyres much more easy to drive in this series than the harder tyres in the junior formulae, so coming back to the harder tyres was quite an adjustment as well. This winter when I joined SSM I also learned I would have to adjust my driving style to something quite different to get the best from the FIL chassis/engine/tyre combination, and that is what I spent this winter working on. I think, as you started to see in St Pete from the lap times, this is something I’m finally starting to get on top of!

Did you notice any dramatic changes between the European approach to race team management vs. American? What about the motorsports culture and fan base in American versus what you were accustomed to on the tracks in Europe.

The biggest difference between America and the European approach to racing is the tracks we race on. In Europe I had never raced on an oval, in fact I had never even seen an oval before I came to the States. We had about one street race a year, and all of the rest of the races were on big wide open road courses with lots of run off... Comparing this to going up through the Esses at Watkins Glen right after the start between the armco barriers on an American road course, and it was quite a culture shock! Watkins and Sonoma are actually two of my favourite tracks here in the States because I love the flowing fast nature of the circuits!

As far as the management or the fan base goes, there hasn’t really been such a big change. It feels friendlier out here in the States when we’re actually at the race tracks on weekends, and there seems to be less tension between the teams, but overall the atmosphere is much the same. It seems to me that it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, or what series you’re racing in, when everybody gets to the race track we’re just all there to go racing!

You raced for a great team last year, Panther Racing, and had some impressive results for your debut season in Indy Lights. This year you are racing for a Championship Team, Sam Schmidt Motorsports. You must be very excited for the upcoming season, particularly now that you know the racetracks and Sam Schmidt's reputation and team's capability to prepare and equip you to win.

I’m really looking forward to this season with Schmidt. Last year was much tougher in many ways than I expected it to be, and I’m hoping this year things are going to swing back the other way! It also normally takes me a little time to get accustomed to new tracks, so going back to all the same places makes a huge difference to me.

This season's opener in St. Petersburg was frustrating not only for you but also for the other drivers who got tangled by Campos in Lap 1. But even with the rain delays, and the virus you were battling, you come away from St. Pete excited about your progress in practice and qualifying. What have you and SSM learned in St. Pete that may prove helpful going into Barber Motorsports Park April 9-11th?

To be honest, with St Pete being a Street course, and Barber being a road course, we will require a different set up on the car, and it will provide a different set of challenges. However what I did learn at St Pete is that I am now truly excited about the progress I have made since switching to Schmidt over the winter. Last year I found the St Pete track one of the most difficult all year, and this year, while I was just about well enough to drive, I found myself hovering inside the top ten fastest all weekend long whenever I was on track. That personal momentum and confidence is something that I can carry forwards into Barber. Right now I’m just focused on getting better, but hopefully next week I’ll be back in the team shop and we’ll start working on Barber in earnest.

Now that you are a public figure and very visible on the internet and in the media, how difficult is it to balance your public and private life? Sponsorship and fan engagement is critical to your success as a racecar driver; have you found it challenging to "protect your private bubble"?

This is a very interesting question! I think I’m very lucky in that I actually currently have a very stable and happy home life in Indianapolis. I have some great friends who I know I can always count on, and my partner and I live together. This actually makes it much easier to be open with fans and allow them a bit more access to who I really am. With everything so visible all the time on the internet now, I still try to have a few degrees of protection - for example I rarely refer to my partner by name in public yet although everyone in racing knows who he is, I’m always a little reluctant to give out my personal phone number or email address, and I still have two Facebook accounts. I have one where I am ‘Pippa the racing driver’, and I’m happy to add anyone to who wants to support me. Then I have an account where I’m just ‘Pippa the sister’, or ‘Pippa the friend’. This is the one where I put pictures of my holidays and stay in touch with my friends back home in England. I keep the privacy turned up as much as possible. It just enables me to have a little more personal space than I otherwise would!

When not behind the wheel and not working out at PitFit, what does Pippa like to do?

I like spending my free time playing or watching sports, and spending time with my friends. I’m a big “foodie” so I like going to the various restaurants here in Indy in a group and catching up with them over a plate of pasta or sushi. I love going to the movies, and am always dragging someone with me to watch something, and I love live music. I’m very lucky and spoilt living in Indianapolis as so many bands seem to pass through. Last year I got to see Nickelback, Snow Patrol and Kings of Leon. I’m hoping to be able to go to a few more concerts this year too!

Lastly, have you found a restaurant yet in Indianapolis that serves "proper" Fish & Chips ... or is that indulgence forbidden by Pit Fit’s Trainer, Jim Leo? Hahaha!!! No I haven’t found anywhere in town yet that does “proper” Fish & Chips, or a really good Sunday Roast lunch! Neither really fit into the PitFit diet, but if you find it somewhere it somewhere, I won’t tell Jim if you won’t!