A 28-year-old disabled sim racer from Rotterdam is moving from the virtual track to the real track in a pioneering project.
Yvonne Houfelaar was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of five, which had a major impact on her racing dreams.
A long-term fan of motorsport, Yvonne was kart racing from the age of 7, despite having to wear a brace to straighten her spine. She would visit the karting track up to three times a week alongside weekend racing.
When she was 13, Yvonne had surgery on her spine, which meant she lost some of the feeling in her legs, making her less able to compete at the level she was aiming for. She continued racing for some time, securing her race licence at the age of 15, before stopping due to the limitations of her condition. Yvonne then looked for alternatives and discovered the world of esports. She has been racing online since the age of 22, including for the GTWR R8G Academy, as part of which she runs the ladies’ team.
In December 2021, she also joined eTeam BRIT, a team of all-disabled sim racers which is partnered with Team BRIT, a real-world disabled team.
Now, in a unique project, Team BRIT and eTeam BRIT experts are coming together to support Yvonne in moving from the virtual grid to the real grid.
Team BRIT, which aims to become the first ever all-disabled team to race in the Le Mans 24 hour has developed the world’s most advanced hand control technology which enables its drivers to compete against able-bodied drivers on equal terms. This technology is also used by eTeam BRIT drivers who require this kind of adaptive technology for their at-home sim rigs.
Yvonne is receiving coaching from Team BRIT Driver Coach Jamie Falvey and having secured her UK race licence, she will compete in the 750 Club Enduro championship from August, driving a Volkwagen Scirocco fitted with the Team BRIT hand controls. Her first race will be on the 21st August at Silverstone alongside new Team BRIT rookie Steve Crompton.
After a successful season in Club Enduro, she then hopes to become a rookie driver with Team BRIT and compete in the 2023 season in the Britcar Trophy Championship. She is currently looking for sponsors to support on this journey.
Yvonne explains: “I have had a huge passion for racing since I was a little girl. Having been forced to stop competing due to my condition, it has always been my dream to go back into a racing car. When Dave Player, the founder of Team BRIT got in touch with me to suggest this could happen, I just couldn’t believe it. I had to read his message twice to be sure it was real.
“I stopped racing because the technology wasn’t available to enable me to compete in the way I wanted. Team BRIT’s solution is incredible, it’s a fantastic system and a real enabler. I want to use this to become as competitive as I’ve always hoped. I want to race at an international level, I want to make it to Le Mans and I want to win. Finally, after all these years I will be racing back on the real life track.”
Information on eTeam BRIT can be found at www.eteambrit.co.uk
