A Dunedin teen is set to be the youngest driver and only female to race in the Cromwell finale of an endurance series this weekend - at speeds of up to 230kmh.
And for Alyssa Clapperton (17), of Abbotsford, nothing sounds sweeter than the roar of a race-ready V8 engine.
''You can't beat it.''
Miss Clapperton will race a V8 VK Holden Commodore with her father, Ian Clapperton (48), at Highlands Motorsport Park, in Cromwell, starting with practice and qualifying tomorrow.
The series was the first time she had raced with her father, and the Cromwell race was the last of the four-race 2013 Asko Endurance Series. Father and daughter will share equal time behind the wheel during the three-hour endurance race on Saturday.
During the race, she would ''push the car hard'' to speeds of up to 230kmh.
At the Timaru leg, she set a faster lap time than her father, she said.
''He wasn't too happy about that, but I was definitely pretty stoked - that was awesome.''
Not many of the male drivers were pleased about crossing the finish line behind her, she thought.
''They don't really like it but they make a point of coming up and saying well done - they try and put on a brave smile.''
The year 13 Taieri College pupil said her exams started next week and she was trying to find time to study between races.
Her weekends were spent racing rather than partying.
She is determined to achieve her goal of a career in endurance racing.
Her ''ultimate dream'' meant going through the ups and downs of fast lap times to engine failure, she said.
''There's highs and lows, but it's all very special.''
The endurance race is one of a host of motor races scheduled for the 4.1km Cromwell circuit this weekend. The Highlands 101 weekend - which sees practice and qualifying tomorrow, and racing on Saturday and Sunday - features about 120 high-performance race cars, worth more than $50 million.
The grid for the Highlands 101 race on Sunday will be made up of the fastest 42 cars over the weekend,Organisers predict more than 10,000 people will watch the racing.
