SARA Misir may be on track to be an architect, but fate might have other things in store for the 23-year-old. The Jamaican female racer completed her historic participation in the recently concluded Formula Woman competition, joining three other women — Erika Hoffman from Canada, Jodi Sloss from Scotland, and Anushriya Gulati from India — as the official drivers for the Formula Woman GT Cup Team.

“The feeling of winning was indescribable,” Misir told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.

Misir will now race in one of two McLaren 570s GT4 cars as prepared by DTO Motorsport, the Formula Woman GT Cup race team, in the 2022 GT Cup Championship, a 26-race series on several circuits across the United Kingdom starting in April. The Formula Woman competition was designed as a motorsport entry opportunity for women over the age of sixteen in the United States and seventeen in the United Kingdom.

“Now the next steps are preparing for the first race meet on April 9. Preparation includes race coaching in the McLaren, on track; simulator coaching and cognitive tests and practice; as well as fitness training,” she said.

Her race to victory began with an email and the admiration of another local female racing legend, Lisa Lee.

“I felt she was the one,” Lee said.

Coming across the Formula Woman email, Lee forwarded it to Sara’s father, Rugie Misir, who at first felt it was a scam.

“Lee sent me the link and said Sara was a good candidate for it. I sent it to Sara and said, ‘You want to try this?’ She said yes, so she checked it out. At first I actually thought it was a scam. I said, ‘They’re going to want a lot of money and nothing is going to happen,’ because I’d never heard about them before. But the entry fee was like a hundred dollars, not a break-your-bank-type money. They sent her a package then after, she went to the first elimination. Then we realised that this could be a real opportunity,” her father explained.

Sara Misir’s selection came after the entrants were whittled down from 800 applicants to 75, subseuqently from which, after three days of eliminations at PF International and Croft Circuit in the UK, the final 10 and one wildcard entrant were chosen. The finals took place in Sweden, where four drivers and two reserve drivers were determined.

“It was nerve-wracking when I first got there and I kind of sat there by myself because I didn’t know anyone; all the girls were kind of in their groups. When I got into my group for my assessment, I started making friends, started feeling more relaxed and [having] fun, and that’s when I tend to perform at my best,” said Misir.

During the length of the competition Misir took part in karting, simulator training, fitness and mental performance programmes, and written tests.

Even with all this success, Misir is still not putting herself permanently in the driver’s seat.

“I definitely will finish my studies. Whether I do that as my job or employment, I’m not sure — it’s whatever opportunity fits better. If I could spend my whole life and make it racing, of course! As an architect, I work in a design firm in Miami now. It’s an amazing job. It’s a mix between math and art so I love it but if I can make it in racing, I’d like to make it in racing,” she said.