Louise Aitken-Walker
MBE (born January 1960 in
Duns, Berwickshire)
is a British
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event
Sports ...
and
saloon car
A sedan or saloon (British English) is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo.
The first recorded use of the word "sedan" in reference to an automobile body occurred in 19 ...
racing driver. Aitken-Walker entered competition in 1979 and finished 19th in her first
Rally GB
Wales Rally GB was the most recent iteration of the United Kingdom's premier international motor rally, which ran under various names since the first event held in 1932. It was consistently a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calen ...
two years later. She contested the 1989
British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed a ...
in a Class C
Vauxhall Astra
The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) that has been sold by Vauxhall since 1980. It is currently produced at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England.
For its first two generations, the nameplate was applied to right-hand ...
finishing fifth in points, and in 1990 was the first ever Ladies World Champion, the pinnacle of a successful 14-year career. She was awarded the
Segrave Trophy
The Segrave Trophy is awarded to the British national who demonstrates "Outstanding Skill, Courage and Initiative on Land, Water and in the Air". The trophy is named in honour of Sir Henry Segrave, the first person to hold both the land and wat ...
in 1990. She retired in 1993 to have a family (son John and daughter Gina) and concentrate on her business affairs. She runs Aitken-Walker Cars, which specializes in quality used cars, with her husband Graham in the Scottish Borders.
[
In September 2008, Aitken-Walker took part in the '']Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a Scottish rally driver. He was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion, and in 1995 became the first British driver and the youngest person to win the World Rally Championship ...
Forest Stages Rally'', a round of the Scottish Rally Championship
The Scottish Rally Championship is a rallying series run throughout Scotland over the course of a year, that comprises both gravel and closed surface rallies.http://www.scottishrallychampionship.co.uk/ SRC Homepage
Points are awarded to the top ...
centred in Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
in Scotland. A historic Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
The Chrysler Sunbeam is a small supermini three-door hatchback manufactured by Chrysler Europe at the former Rootes Group factory in Linwood in Scotland, from 1977-81. The Sunbeam's development was funded by a UK Government grant with the aim o ...
was her chosen car for the event. She was one of a number of ex-world and British champions to take part in the event in memory of McRae, who died in 2007.
Aitken-Walker was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Racing record
Complete WRC results
Complete British Touring Car Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap in class - 1 point awarded all races)
See also
List of female World Rally Championship drivers
References
External links
Rally experience sessions with Aitken-Walker Family-run business with her husband, Son & Daughter Louises Daughter Gina has started her career, supported by her mum
Female rally drivers
Scottish Rally Championship
Scottish rally drivers
1960 births
Living people
Segrave Trophy recipients
British Touring Car Championship drivers
Members of the Order of the British Empire
People from Duns, Scottish Borders
World Rally Championship drivers
Scottish female racing drivers
{{Scotland-autoracing-bio-stub
Nismo drivers