Girls Race Too is about inspiring the next generation by sharing the stories of the women who have helped shape our sport. Each month, our Girls Race Too Profile Spotlight celebrates their journey, achievements and the impact karting has had on their lives.
Beck Connell enjoyed immense success during her time behind the wheel.
Queanbeyan’s Beck Connell is a karting veteran who enjoyed immense success, during her time behind the wheel, and two years on from her retirement from the sport, she still credits Karting with shaping who she is today.
A ladies trophy winner, the hard-working Connell is a role model with a lasting legacy of pushing new limits in the sport, and ensuring a pathway for young women who are inspired to follow in her footsteps.
After observing her brothers karting interest at eight-years-old, Connell gave it a go and exceeded expectations.
“I was sort of getting bored on the sidelines watching my brother and really wanted to have a go,” she laughs, “so I got to go out one day, had a drive, and that was it. I was pretty hooked from there.”
Connell’s career faced financial challenges, however the varied remarks around her gender were additional barriers to push past.
“As a female in motorsport in my personal experience, you didn’t really get the initial respect from the boys until they took notice of you, or that you did something really well, and then they go “hey, She’s really good”– and all of a sudden, you’re respected in that area,” said Connell.
“I guess it made me really hungry to want to do well, not just for myself, but to get that respect as well, and to enjoy it as much as I possibly could.”
With her success came expectation and respect, which delivered in the best way possible, finishing seventh overall in her class out of sixty odd drivers, which led to her becoming one of the first winning women in Australia to win the Ladies’ Trophy title.
“It wasn’t just winning the Ladies Trophy; it was also doing exceptionally well in the broader scheme of things as well – and the Ladies Trophy highlighted that,” reflected Connell.
Despite her retirement from National Level Competition in mid-2024, Connell still finds her way back to her roots at a kart track
The Girls Race Too Trophy, formally known as the Ladies Trophy, has been pivotal in highlighting the achievements and performances of female racing drivers within the national championship, providing encouragement and recognition to those young drivers striving for excellence.
“The trophy was actually something that excited me a little bit; to give girls, and not just myself, but anyone that drive to get the recognition they deserve – because there’s a bit of controversy in why you’re singling out women, but it’s not necessarily that – it highlights women can actually do it,” said Connell.
“And a lot of the girls that have won the trophy have actually been up the front in their respective classes as well – and that’s against boys. So, I think the Ladies Trophy was something that drove me, made me even more hungry, just to get that additional recognition.”
Karting continues to play an important role in driver career trajectory and development, helping craft the individual through values, resilience tolerance, and much more.
“Karting shaped who I am today. The resilience that you need to be competitive in and successful in motorsport is immense because things mostly don’t go your way, but you’ve got to suck it up, keep going, and just be driven, hungry, and determined to get that result – because when you do, it’s so worth it,” said Connell.
“It’s a technical perspective, understanding data analysis – it’s taught me in general to have that driven competitive mindset to take on in life.
“You want to be successful in life, whether its work or study, just growing up with that mindset has shaped who I am today – and in a good way. I’m not perfect by all means, but I’m really proud of the person I am today. And it wouldn’t have happened without Karting.”
Despite her retirement from National Level Competition in mid-2024, Connell still finds her way back to her roots at a kart track, well-aware that the Australian Karting community will always be her racing family.
