(30 April 2010) Sportscar racer Liz Halliday will make her long awaited return to racing when she appears on track at the Monza Coppa Intereuropa and the Silverstone Classic this summer at the wheel of a rare Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Coda Tronca owned by her father, Don.
Halliday, the most successful female driver in American Le Mans Series history and the only woman to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2006 and 2007, hasn’t raced since appearing with Creation AIM at the Nurburgring 1000k LMS race, and the Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca ALMS races at the end of the 2008 season.
Instead, the California-born, British-based dual sportswoman has concentrated her efforts on a burgeoning career as an international 3-day eventer which has seen her register a succession of strong results in top-level competition across Europe.
Halliday’s return to the race track marks a temporary departure from her sportscar racing experience as she races the rare Alfa Romeo for the first time.
The Coda Tronca, which has been prepared for Monza and Silverstone by race car specialist John Danby Racing, is a “cropped tail” version of the Giulietta SZ designed as an evolution of the original 1960 Round Tail version. It is one of just 29 of its type to be produced and is thought to be the last ever made. The car was built from a Chilean-owned pre-existing Giulietta SS by Alfa specialists Zagato and was completed in 1962. It has been restored to FIA Appendix K competition specification.
“It’s the car that my dad always wanted to race but sadly never had the chance to because of ill health, so I am very much doing these races for him,” Halliday explained.
“I’ve only ever driven it once and that was just up and down a disused airfield about 10 years ago, but the guys at John Danby Racing have been working hard on the car and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel on a real track.”
“I haven’t driven a historic car since I first began racing in a Datsun 510 in the late 1990s, but I had a few wins racing that, so while the Alfa might take a little getting used to, it will be fantastic to be in a historic car again.”
Halliday is already entered into the Coppa Intereuropa at Monza on 5-6 June and the Silverstone Classic on 23-25 July. She will test the car for the first time at the Silverstone Classic media day on 5 May.
“Monza is one of my Dad’s all time favourite circuits so it seems fitting that I will make my racing debut in his car at that track. The Silverstone Classic is an event that is growing all the time and brings together some of the best historic cars around, so it will be a great opportunity to show case the car at home in England.” said Halliday.
For more information on Liz Halliday, please visit www.lizhalliday.com.
