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SUPER serious or simply super sexy, 18-year-old Sabrina Shaw is being marketed as international rallying's face for the next millennium.

 Blonde and athletic, the former Welsh indoor athletics team member is a young woman in a hurry.

 Already the engaging Shaw has 15 rallies to her credit in only 12 months, including a 79th overall from a field of 177 starters in last year's British RAC Rally, a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

 She is competing over the weekend in her second WRC event, the 555 China Rally, with no expectations of grabbing the headlines in the male-dominated sport.

 From a 'rallying family', Shaw will be happy to simply finish the gruelling three-day event that features 20 gravel stages totalling over 320 kms.

 Her grandfather and later her father were both involved as competitors in rallies in Britain so Shaw sees her involvement as a logical family progression.

 'I suppose it's in the blood. I was behind a steering wheel at four and driving by myself by nine.

 'By the time I was 12 I knew I wanted to be a rally driver,' she explains.

 Shaw has no illusions that making a living from rallying is going to be easy and remains a little coy about discussing the soft focus, sexy sell of her promotional kit, which features alluring poses and snappy catch phrases like 'pulling power' and 'fast lady'.

 'Of course I want to be known more for my driving ability,' she admits.

 Without a sponsor for next year, Shaw says she will do 'what it takes' to gain a foothold in the sport.

 Goal-minded, Shaw sees herself competing in the British Rally Championship next year and part of the WRC by the time she is 20.

 Lofty ambitions by any standards but not beyond her capabilities, a confident Shaw declares.

 'I start with a personal trainer next month who will map out an exercise and diet programme for me. To be a professional rally driver I know you have to be fit, much fitter than I am now,' she says.

 Even though young in years, she only turned 18 on August 10, Shaw has the business acumen and family support to put her interests outside of rallying in the hands of a manager.

 In March this year she met with Andy Moss, of First Event Management, who sought her out after her fine effort in the British RAC Rally.

 'We clicked as soon as we met,' Shaw said - and a three-year contract soon followed.

 The slick, sophisticated and sexy promotional kit is the first joint venture of the union.

 While an exciting career may well await the fast lass with oodles of pulling power, the task at hand, the 555 China Rally, dominates her thoughts.

 She created history with her female co-driver, Xu Shouli, when they rolled over the ceremonial starting ramp on Friday as the first all-female team to compete in the event, a feat that is certain to garner her much desired publicity.

 But it won't come easily. Shaw and her co-driver will be faced by a language problem plus the added complication of using two different systems of taking notes of the various twists and turns on each of the stages.

 'Combine that with the fact that I didn't do the recce [reconnaissance] for the event, it's going to be difficult,' Shaw said.

 'Basically I will just drive the stages [without pace notes] and rely on my co-driver to tell me where there are major cautions [right angle bends and water courses],' she added.

 Shaw is driving a Peugeot Rally 106 in the Group N2 class, a similar car to the one she campaigns in Britain.

 She is being sponsored by Champion Racers , a Beijing motoring magazine of which Xu is the editor.

 'It's going to be a real challenge and my first aim is to finish.

 'After that it would be nice to finish in the top half of the field,' Shaw said.

 Whatever happens during the course of the rally, Shaw's engaging smile will be seen on television screens across China but Britain's new fast lady is hoping it will be more than 'girl torque' in the press.

 A couple of super special stages by Sabrina Shaw will hopefully have the press talking about her ability behind the wheel, not in front of a camera.

 Time will tell.

Bruce Macdonald 



Shaw has more than girl power to fulfil dream