zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Rally Driver Auctions Off Her Own Rare Trophy To Fund Rally Sweden Entry
Rally Driver Auctions Off Her Own Rare Trophy To Fund Rally Sweden Entry-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:26

In 2012, British rally driver Louise Cook won the two-wheel-drive FIA Production Car Cup title, and became the first woman to win an FIA rally title. After sponsors backed out days before the Rally Sweden deadline, Cook put the trophy on eBay to raise the entry fees, reports . Man, that’s dedication.

Racing is great, but funding it sucks. Prestigious international rallies such as Rally Sweden, which is part of the World Rally Championship, don’t come cheap. For some competitors, just one sponsor can make or break their ability to run.

Cook told Racer that several sponsors delayed their plans, hence her precarious predicament:

I sadly found out over the past two days that major sponsors have to delay their plans and I now have only four days before my entry fees are due. I am hoping as [the trophy] is the only one in the world, if I can attract the right collector, it may save the day.

Cook’s trophy is the only one of its kind, as it was the only non-gender FIA rally trophy ever awarded to a woman. The eBay listing notes that Cook was left with a $9,800 shortage in funds, so off to eBay the trophy went. You can view that listing .

This isn’t the first time Cook has sold previous trophies in order to keep competing. In 2012, she put trophies up for sale in order to make a rally in New Zealand, per the

Naturally, the eBay listing for the trophy also notes that “Louise is seeking sponsors for the first event and the 2017 season in the WRC.” Anyone who’s willing to sell their own trophy just to keep competing certainly deserves to keep running.

Upon hearing of this predicament, Cook’s fans have also started a to buy the trophy back for her as well, as it’s really sad to see a competitor give up one of their most prized awards just to keep competing.

[Update: Fans also started acampaign with the same aim as the GoFundMe: to buy Louise’s trophy back. Pretty incredible.]

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Let Women Do Their Jobs
Let Women Do Their Jobs
On Friday’s Carb Day practice ahead of the 2020 Indy 500, there was a fairly uncomfortable moment where former driver and current commentator Paul Tracy drew attention to Danica Patrick’s shoes. He referred to Patrick’s bright, NBC-yellow heels as “sexy shoes” twice before stating that he has “always been a...
Oct 22, 2026
Alexander Rossi On The Andretti Dominance At The 2020 Indy 500
Alexander Rossi On The Andretti Dominance At The 2020 Indy 500
2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi is notoriously great at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the Californian has never finished lower than seventh. What goes on in the head of someone who’s pretty consistently successful at the biggest race in the world? In a recent interview with Jalopnik, Rossi opens...
Oct 22, 2026
How To Watch The 2020 Indy 500 (And What To Watch For)
How To Watch The 2020 Indy 500 (And What To Watch For)
Tomorrow afternoon, the 104th running of the Indy 500 will decide which driver will be crowned champion, forever to be remembered in history books as the winner during the year of the pandemic. Here’s how you can watch the magic happen—and what to watch for while you do. Coverage...
Oct 22, 2026
What It Takes To Build A Tyrrell P34 From Scratch
What It Takes To Build A Tyrrell P34 From Scratch
What happens to old race cars after their on-track tenure is up? If you think they all end up in museums or the hands of collectors, you wouldn’t technically be wrong, but you’d be making the same mistake Jonathan Holtzman made when he went out looking to get his...
Oct 22, 2026
Justin Allgaier Secures First 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Win After Disastrous Daytona Weekend
Justin Allgaier Secures First 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Win After Disastrous Daytona Weekend
Justin Allgaier had his hands full at the first of two races at Dover International Speedway. Not only did he have to hold off the incredibly dominant Austin Cindric, but he was also looking to make up for last week’s disappointing outing at the Daytona road course. While Cindric...
Oct 22, 2026
Pol Espargaro Nabs First Pole Position For KTM Ahead Of Styrian Grand Prix
Pol Espargaro Nabs First Pole Position For KTM Ahead Of Styrian Grand Prix
MotoGP is heading back to the Red Bull Ring for the second week in a row, this time for the Styrian Grand Prix. And it’s looking like a promising event for the KTM team now that rider Pol Espargaro nabbed pole position with a time of 1:23.580, just two...
Oct 22, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved