The ‘Girls Only’ team with Giti Tire and WS Racing has received a great deal of attention since their debut last year. The team is the first ever in major international racing to include all female drivers, coach, and crew. Harnessing true talent and dedication, the team made a major splash in their 24 Hours Nürburgring performance in May of 2019. After flying debris from another accident hit the Giti VW’s radiator, it blew out the engine. Not satisfied with quitting, the team and hard-working crew spent 13 hours to repair and get the car starting again. They then returned to the track and finished the remainder of the race, drawing admiration from the huge attendance in person and online.
The team extended their success as the 2019 VLN season at Nürburgring continued on. This included a highly impressive SP3T class win in the final race of the season, as the ‘Girls Only’ team bested all of their competition to win the group.
During the unforeseen global situation in the first half of the year, the team took advantage of the time to take part in top-level Sim-Racing racing competition to stay in gear. Now back on the track and better than ever in 2020, the ‘Girls Only’ team has already been putting up positive results in their races so far, in their revamped VW Golf GTI TCR vehicle.
So, who exactly are these ‘Giti’s Angels’? Here we will introduce the three VW Golf drivers – a young, highly-talented and international trio from three different countries.
Carrie Schreiner
Coming from Volkingen, Germany, Carrie Schreiner was the most successful girl in youth national German kart racing. Afterwards, she competed in Formula 4, where she demonstrated her huge potential. She achieved several Top 10 results while competing against some of the strongest young drivers in the world. The media showed strong interest in the driver, featuring her on a number of television channels, including RTL, Spiegel TV, ORF, Sky, and the SR.
Later, she also took part in US Racing, German ADAC Formula 4, and British MSA Formula 4 competition. Here next step was transitioning to a Lambourghini Huracan Super Trofeo, which she road to strong success in Asia and Middle East competition as the youngest starter and only female.
At only 21 years old, Schreiner is gaining notability around the world for her racing prowess. In addition to driving the VW vehicle in the VLN Endurance and 24 Hours races this year, she is also a driver in the Audi R8 vehicle, the top rated Giti vehicle that has already notched a win in the SP8 class this season.
On a personal level, she enjoys listening to R&B and Pop music in her free time, and her favorite food dish is caprese. She also likes riding her bike and going to the movies with her friends. With her birthday less than two weeks before the 24 Hours Nürburgring race this year, a great finish in the competition would be a perfect gift!
I think it’s really cool, that there are more and more female drivers and female line ups in many different cars and series. I expect more class wins during the season and our target is a podium at the 24 hours race at the Nürburgring.
Carrie Schreiner
Célia Martin
Célia Martin has had a passion for racing since she was a 10-year-old girl, taking trips on her father's off-road vehicle. But she kept her dreams contained, because she knew that her parents didn’t have the money, and also that is was very unusual for a girl to dream of being a race driver. But luckily for her, outside of Bordeaux (where she lived) was a race track, where she became friends with race drivers and got the chance to drive some rounds by herself.
After driving on the Nürburgring for the first time in 2014, Célia knew that she could achieve something great and become the first French woman to compete on the historic track. She led the French racing team for a Peugeot Sport team in France and after achieving many podiums, decided to stop everything and leave for Germany in 2017. In 2018, she became a pilot for Jaguar Land Rover, and became the first French woman to be a RaceTaxi pilot at the Nürburgring testing center.
Martin also assists and animates behind the scenes of F1, where she shares her knowledge for the sport and motorsports in general, as an Expert Host for VIP guests of the Paddock Club attending races around the whole world. With already eight podium finishes in her short career, Martin is integral in the success of the Girls Only team as they attempt to achieve even greater success.
I am so happy to be part of this dream team. VLN and 24 hours of Nürburgring sound good already! I will realise my dream! It is the reason why I came to this place almost 3 years ago.
Célia Martin
Laura Kraihamer
Since the Salzburg, Austria native was just 12 years old, fast vehicles have always been her territory. That was when Kraihamer first started successfully karting, but she always dreamed for the world of big motorsports. She fulfilled this at the age of 22 when she competed at the KTM X-Bow Series in 2013. “In the first year, I needed something to get in. By the second, I had already won a championship (KTM X-Bow Battle Champion Endurance 2014) and a runner-up result”, mentioned Kraihamer.
Not just content with being a top driver, Kraihamer also has a business and law degree, and a passion for always expanding her boundaries. Now as she looks to grow her career further, the 2020 VLN and 24 Hours Nürburgring races will be an opportunity to take her team and individual dreams to the next level.
Besides just motorsports racing, she runs every day (often around the mountains of Salzburg) and also enjoys riding her race bike. It’s not just for the exercise, but also is a way for her to clear her mind. In addition, she loves rollercoasters and entertainment parks, finding thrills in all types of activities. Finally - she likes singing loudy in her car to music - despite admitting to not being very skilled at it.
This is a great opportunity to advance my skills on the unique Nordschleife. The team has been welcoming me from the very beginning and is doing a great job. It's a pleasure to share the car with Carrie Schreiner and Célia Martin, who are both fast and passionate teammates. Looking forward to an exciting season.
Laura Kraihamer
-> Please see the Giti Motorsports Calendar at https://www.giti.com/RaceSchedule/ for continuous updates of Giti’s racing events around the world, including new ones added.
About Giti Tire
Giti Tire Group (headquartered in Singapore) has roots in the tire business going back to 1951 and is now one of the world’s largest tire companies. Giti Tire produces a broad range of tire products, serving major original equipment vehicle manufacturers, auto-service outlets, motorsports teams, tire dealers, and consumers in more than 130 countries worldwide. The company has eight production centers in three countries, including a newly opened tire factory in South Carolina, USA.
In addition to its wide network and motorsports presence, Giti Tire is also heavily focused on green production and community efforts, including participation in local education and environmental efforts to create a better society.
Find out more at the official Giti Tire website.
‹ Back to List