British rally driver Louise Cook turns to eBay to raise NZ race money
Posted by Mark Bond on Friday, 15 Jun 2012, 15:43 in Motorsport
A British rally champion has decided to auction off her silverware in an effort to raise enough money to allow her to enter a race in New Zealand later this month. Louise Cook, from Maidstone in Kent, is due to fly out today and needs to make enough money to be able to enter the Brother Rally New Zealand event, part of the Production World Rally Championship, on June 21. The 24-year-old, who is the reigning British Rally Championship's Ladies' Champion, needs £18,000 to be able to enter the race and has decided to auction off her trophies on eBay to help get enough cash together. Missing the stage in New Zealand would earn Louise a £16,000 fine. Speaking to the Kent Messenger newspaper, she said: "I have to make it happen. I'll get a £16,000 fine if I don't turn up and if I can’t pay the fine I'll be excluded from the championship and have my rally licence revoked." Louise has to come up with £8,000 just to be able to afford to rent a car for the race and a team of mechanics. As of Friday morning, 22 people had bid on the auction, and the top offer stood at £1,100. The auction is due to end on Monday afternoon.
