Name: Alyx Coby
Age: 11
From: Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Sport: Karting
Series: Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship
When did you first know that karting was going to be your sport?
I have been around the karting world for as long as I remember. My dad, Gary, and my uncle Aaron have been racing karts for years so I practically grew up in the paddock, spending weekend after weekend travelling to racetracks all over Ireland to watch them race. I don’t think there was ever any doubt that I would end up behind the wheel of a kart when I was old enough.
I was 8 when I took part in my first race in the Cadet class of the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship.
It’s an unusual sport for a girl to take up, what do people make of it?
Karting, and motorsport in general, are widely viewed as male sports, however it is one of the few sports where boys and girls compete on an equal footing. At my first race I was the only girl in my class and there were only three girls competing that day. People who see me for the first time might think it a little bit strange, but I’ve been doing it for long enough now that I’m just another driver. Being a girl definitely means I get noticed more and people pay more attention, but that isn’t always a good thing as if I make a mistake that gets noticed more too.
When my friends at school heard I raced karts they thought it was just the rental karts you can hire out at karting tracks for 20 minutes at a time. It was hard to explain to them that it was proper racing. It was only when they saw me in the newspaper after winning some races that they realised what it was. Now they all think it is really cool.
What are the best things about taking up karting?
One of the things I enjoy most about karting is getting to spend a lot of time with my dad. He runs our race team so we spend a lot of time together, just the two of us, travelling to races, going testing, working on the kart in the workshop and even just talking about races afterwards. My family also come to every race so it is a family day out too.
I also really love the speed. It is hard to explain to anybody who has not experienced it for themselves. There’s nothing like it and it is so much fun.
Karting has made me tougher and more determined and winning my first few races gave me more confidence in myself, that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. Being around older drivers has also helped me to be more mature than a lot of girls my age.
How much time do you spend training/gym etc.
This season I am moving up to a new class, with a bigger, more powerful kart and stickier tyres. It requires a lot more effort to handle the kart, especially in the corners. After my first few long runs my arms really hurt so I have had to work on building up the strength in my arms and my overall fitness.
I hadn’t really done any proper fitness training in my first three years at Cadet level so this was something new. I joined a local Karate club and had only planned on going once or twice a week, but I really fell in love with it and now I train four nights a week and on Saturdays too. I’ve only been doing it for about three weeks and already have my yellow belt and am training for the next one.
I also try to get out as often as possible for test sessions in the kart and take part in local club races but this has been difficult over the winter as it rains a lot in Ireland! The new racing season starts in March and hopefully I will get out every week to race and get in some extra testing during the school holidays.
How do you relax outside your sport?
I like to hang out with my friends, go shopping and to the cinema. I also paint, sing in my school choir, dance and go to my karate club.
What's been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight was winning my first ever race last season, after three years racing. I came second in both qualifying heats that day and went on to win both finals. It was one of the best days of my life. It was a relief to finally see all my hard work pay off. I found out afterwards that I was the first female driver in Ireland to win a final at Cadet level so that made it even more special.
What are your hopes for 2016?
My main goal for this season will be to get to adapt to the new kart. It’s going to be a tough challenge but I’m really looking forward to it. A race win would be fantastic, but a podium or top five finish would be great too.
I also hope to take part in the IAME World Karting Finals at Le Mans in France in October. I went to watch my uncle compete there last year and it was an amazing experience. I would really love to race there myself against some of the best drivers in the world.
Where would you like to get in your racing career?
Whatever series I’m racing in I want to be successful, but the most important thing is to enjoy it and have fun along the way. A couple of championship trophies would be nice too!
Finally for any young people thinking of taking up karting as a sport what would be your words of advice?
I would advise anybody with an interest in motorsport to get involved in karting. If you are just starting out then I would suggest going along to watch a race and talking to the people there. I would also recommend finding your local karting club and joining it. The costs involved in racing with a local club are much lower than with a national championship and you can usually pick up a second hand kart at the end of the season for a good price. Do a season or two with the local club before deciding if you want to enter the national championship.
Alyx Coby – 2016 Season Preview
The Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship gets under way on March 6th at KartWorld Adventure Centre in Watergrasshill, Co. Cork.
In what is seen as a predominantly male sport, 11-year-old Alyx Coby from Newbridge has already shown that Karting is not just for the boys.
The fifth class student from Gaelscoil Chill Dara will be embarking on her first full season in the IAME X30 Junior class after three years in the Cadet class. The opening weekend of the season will also see Alyx make her 50th Championship race start.
The IAME X30 Junior class was introduced in 2015 and already boasts one of the largest entries in the Championship with as many as 20 drivers expected to be on the grid for the season opener. The class caters from drivers up to the age of 16, with Alyx being the youngest driver on this year’s grid at just 11. She will also be the only girl on the grid.
With a 125cc IAME engine these karts can reach speeds of up to 100km/h. This is a big step up from Alyx’s first three seasons in the Cadet class and she has spent the winter trying to adapt to it with test sessions and also taking part in various club races around the country.
Speaking about the new kart Alyx said: “The kart is bigger and more powerful than the Cadet one I’ve been used to since I started racing and the tyres have so much more grip. I struggled for the first few races over the winter as it takes a lot more effort to get through the corners and my arms were really sore after long runs, but I’m getting used to it now and have been doing extra training to build up my strength. I have recently taken up Karate and train four nights a week to try to improve my fitness and I’m really enjoying it. The biggest challenge with the higher speeds and heavier kart is learning the braking points all over again as they have all changed. It’s going to take a while to adapt fully to the new kart but I’m looking forward to the challenge and will have fun doing it.”
Last season was Alyx’s most successful to date. She became the first female driver to win a national final at Cadet level in Ireland and went on to win a total of three finals and set six fastest laps. At the midpoint of the season Alyx was sitting in second place in the Championship, just three points off the leader, but a growth spurt over the summer resulted in her being too tall for the kart, making it difficult to be competitive in the latter half of the season. Despite this Alyx still managed to finish in fifth place in the Championship and was one of only three drivers to win more than one race in the season.
Alyx is not the first member of the Coby family to race karts competitively. Her father, Gary, raced for many years when he was younger and her uncle Aaron still races in the IAME X30 Senior class. Alyx says that her father is her racing hero and her ambition is to be just as successful as he was. She even races using the same number 99 as he did.
The prize on offer to the top three finishers in the Championship this year, along with the highest placed new entrant, is a trip to Le Mans in France to compete in the IAME World Karting Finals in October. Alyx went to watch her uncle Aaron compete last year and hopes to be able to race there herself this year.
“The racing is all very close and the grids are huge,” she said. “It was amazing to watch and it would be a fantastic experience to take to the track against drivers from all over the world.”
The Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship consists of 18 races over 9 weekends from March until the end of September and visits counties Antrim, Cork, Galway, Louth and Meath.
