Rally Driver Profile
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In 2000, Natalie also contested six rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship - making her Catalunya, Finland , Corsica, and Australia rally debuts and returning to Sweden and the Rally GB. Driving her Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, Natalie won the top female driver award on the Tour of Corsica, Arctic Rally, Rally of Wales, Donegal Int. Rally and Rallye Charlemagne - a round of the French Division One Championship.

She also finished 9 th overall on the Kall Kwik Rally, run through the famous North Yorkshire forests, and adopted the character of 1970s super-heroine Wonder Women to contest the made-for-television Loctite National RallySprint Championship.

In 2001 Natalie enjoyed her most successful rally season, contesting 10 rounds of FIA World Rally Championship and Austria 's biggest rallysprint. Her main focus was the 2001 FIA Teams' Cup - a six round series held within the World Championship, which saw her compete in Sweden , Portugal , Cyprus , Greece , Sanremo and Australia . Against more powerful WRCar opposition, Natalie finished in the points three times (in Cyprus , Greece and Australia ) to end the season a magnificent 5 th in the series.

There were many highlights during the 2001 season, but the pinnacle came in Cyprus when Natalie became the first female driver for five years to score FIA points on a round of the World Rally Championship.

Natalie began 2002 by driving her Stohl Rallye Team prepared Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship. After two events, in Sweden and Cyprus , an opportunity arose to move into a WRCar and understandably Natalie withdrew from the PCWRC to progress her career in a Hyundai Accent WRC.

The 300bhp car was built and run by Motor Sports Development, the same squad that runs the factory Hyundai team. Co-driven by former FIA Teams' Cup and British Rally Champion Roger Freeman, Natalie made her WRCar competition debut in Spain and also contested the Rally of Wales in a Hyundai WRC¹, before moving to a WRC² for the Acropolis Rally in Greece and the Punchestown Rally Experience event in Ireland .

Unfortunately, mechanical problems saw her retire from all four events, but a successful two day test in Wales in August of 2002, in which she covered over 250kms without a problem, resulted in an offer to contest the final three rounds of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship - in New Zealand , Australia and GB - in a Hyundai Accent WRC³.

Natalie therefore became the first non-works Hyundai driver to rally a Hyundai Accent WRC³ when she contested the 2002 Rally New Zealand . Setting stunning times comparable to the professional drivers, she finished the fast and furious four day event with two 14 th fastest times to finish in 21 st position overall.

Gearbox problems forced her out of the first day during the Telstra Rally Australia , but another test in Wales saw a confident Natalie begin the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. The traditional final round of the FIA World Rally Championship has never been too kind to its most loyal female competitor, but this was Natalie's first attempt at the event in a World Rally Car and she was determined to perform well, reach the finish and learn as much about the event as possible.

A spin on the opening Cardiff super-special saw Natalie complete SS1 in 84 th place, but by the end of SS2 - the first forestry stage - she had regained 44 positions! Two spins on the final four stages highlighted a problem with the slipping rear differential, but despite the Hyundai's tendency to slide sideways Natalie powered to 22 nd position - her career-best overall finish on the Rally GB by far.

In 2003 Natalie returned to racing for the first time in seven years, contesting the SEAT Cupra Championship in a 250bhp Leon Cupra R. Despite having made the successful transition from rally car to race car and becoming one of the main stars on Racing Rivals , the docu-soap style series following the championship, Natalie's heart remains in rallying. In 2004 she returns to the World Rally scene to contest the Junior World Rally Championship in a MG ZR S1600.

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