KarlÄ«ne Å tÄla
Karline Stala ( born March 5, 1986 in Riga) is a Latvian automobile racing driver. It is regarded as the world's first woman to win an international single-seater racing series.
Beginnings in motorsport
Stala began her motorsport career in 2000 in the Latvian Kart Championship (ICA Junior class) and there was total Sixth. It was followed by another season in the series and then the rise in the Rotax Max Junior class of the Austrian RM and the Latvian Kart Championship, which for seven and five graduated with the overall ranks. In 2003, she ended the series on the total positions four and two, is also a 19th place in the Rotax Max Euro Challenge to book. That same year she also tested each a Formula Ford and Formula BMW racing cars. In the following season they reached the eighth place overall in the RM -1 class of the Rotax Max Euro Challenge, followed in 2005 by the eighth overall in the Finnish Legend Car Championship. In 2003 and 2004 she had moreover participated sporadically in the Baltic Toyota Yaris Cup.
Winning the Belgian Formula Renault Championship
At the beginning of 2006 changed Stala in the Belgian Formula Renault 1.6 Championship and thus in the single-seater sports. After a season without exceptional results when MRD Motor Sport Europe team they could in 2007, driving for the team Astro Mega, secure with two wins, two fastest laps and a total of 10 podium finishes at 178 points in twelve races to win the championship. With this success, she was able to win the first woman to an international single-seater series. However, Ellen Lohr won the 1987 German Formula Ford championship, which can also be regarded as an international Formula series. As a prize for the success karline Stala was allowed in November 2007, World Series by Renault 3.5 - liter car at Paul Ricard for Fortec Motorsport test ride ..
Formula 3
2008 Stala got as one of three riders a place in the German ATS Formula 3 Cup and although the Luxembourg Team Racing Experience. After moderate results despite the current car ( Dallara F307 Mercedes) she left after the fourth race weekend at the Hockenheimring, the team had for the TT Racing Team made a guest appearance in the Finnish Formula 3 at the event on the EST -ring ( a fifth place as the best single result ), and finally returned with the Swiss Racing Team for the last three race weekends in the German F3 Cup. They finished the season with no points. A sensation she could make at the Sachsenring only during race weekend, as she sent rival Giulio Glorioso in a rollover.
Professional
Stala studied International Tourism Management at the Business School " TURIBA " ( Biznesa augstskola " TURIBA ").