Valerie Pirie
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Valerie Pirie | |
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| Born | August 12, 1939 Ashtead, Surrey |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Motorsport race driver |
Valerie Pirie (born 12 August 1939) is a British motorsport figure, rally and race driver. She also had a notable career in public relations, journalism and publishing. Pirie also served as a director of Stirling Moss Ltd and continued to work extensively in public relations and publishing.
Early Life
Pirie was born in Ashtead, Surrey, the second child of Hugh Lewis Pirie MC, a former British Army major who served in both World Wars. After serving in France with the British Expeditionary Force during World War II, he advised the Ministry of Mines. He later worked as chief engineer at the Coal Utilisation Joint Council and then at the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Author of British Coal.
Her great-grandfather, William Robinson Pirie, was Principal of the University of Aberdeen and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Rallying
Pirie began rally driving in 1963 when she drove a Ford Cortina in the Coupe des Alpes with Susan Knights as her navigator. With guidance from rally driver John Sprinzel, the pair obtained their international rally licences in just six weeks.
Later that year, she won the Ladies Cup at the International Welsh Rally with co-driver Daphne Freeman. They also competed in the RAC Rally of Great Britain.
In 1963, she joined the works Standard-Triumph rally team while continuing to compete under the Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team (SMART) banner. She participated in major events including the Alpine Rally, the RAC Rally, the Monte Carlo Rally, the Tulip Rally, and the Tour de France Automobile.
In 1966, Pirie drove again in the Monte Carlo Rally in a works Alfa Romeo, and later that year she competed in the Jolly Hotels Rally (the Rallye d’Italia) in a works Mini, with co-driver Valerie Domleo.
Racing
Pirie began circuit racing in 1961. She drove the SMART Lotus Elan at Goodwood on 25 April 1964, achieving Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) 82.47 mph. The following week, she recorded another FTD at Brands Hatch in the same car. She continued to compete in select races throughout the year, also appearing at circuits such as Snetterton, Mallory Park and Charterhall.
Team Management
Pirie managed and competed for the Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team (SMART) from 1963 to 1965. Toward the end of the 1960s, she resumed her team management duties. In the UK, the team’s cars were driven by Luis Pereiro-Bueno and Ricardo Achcar. The team later competed in Brazil, the Number One driver being Luiz Pereira Bueno. While in Brazil, she was invited by Jackie Epstein (16) of Lola Cars to take over management of the company’s official works team. Luis Bueno drove this car at Sao Paulo circuit.
Public Relations and Journalism
In 1965, Pirie founded Motoring PR Services Ltd, becoming the first female public relations officer in the City of London’s financial sector. In 1973, she became women’s editor at the South Wales Echo. From 1976, she edited various pharmaceutical trade publications, and in 2004, she became the founding editor of Irish Pharmacy News.
Writing
In 2019, Pirie authored Ciao, Stirling, a book focusing on the world of Formula One in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with a particular emphasis on the career of Stirling Moss. The book was published by Biteback Publishing.
Personal Life
Pirie married in 1976 and has one daughter. She divides her time between the United Kingdom and India.
References
External links
This article "Valerie Pirie" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.