Sophie Kinghorn is a Scottish racing driver from Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, who started karting at age five and now competes in Ford Fiesta championships while working as an apprentice technician at TrustFord Aberdeen—because why choose between fixing cars and racing them?

EARLY YEARS

Growing up in Rothienorman, a tiny village in Aberdeenshire, Sophie caught the racing bug early. At just five years old, she climbed into her first kart, inspired by watching her dad and brother tear around tracks. It wasn’t a casual hobby—it was an obsession from day one. While most kids were perfecting their crayon technique, she was learning racing lines and throttle control. The karting years gave her a foundation that would carry her into car racing, where the stakes—and speeds—got significantly higher.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not on track, Sophie is under the hood. She’s training as an apprentice technician at TrustFord Aberdeen, working her way toward senior and eventually master technician status. It’s not just about having a backup plan—it’s about understanding every bolt, bearing, and brake line in the machines she races. The technical knowledge she gains in the workshop translates directly to her racing, giving her an edge when things go sideways at speed. She’s living proof that the best drivers know their cars inside out, literally.

EARLY SUCCESS

After years in karting, Kinghorn made the leap to car racing and quickly found her footing in the Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Fiesta ST Cup. In 2023, she competed with Paul Curtis Racing in the Scottish Fiesta ST Cup, finishing 12th overall with 58 points—a solid start in what would become a rapid ascent. By 2024, she’d hit her stride. Racing in the SMRC Scottish Fiesta ST Challenge, she finished second overall in the championship standings, a massive leap that put her on the radar of the wider UK racing community. That same year, she was named SMRC Driver of the Year by the Scottish Marshals, an honor that recognized not just her speed but her racecraft and attitude on track.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2023: Competed in Scottish Fiesta ST Cup with Paul Curtis Racing, finishing 12th overall with 58 points[1].
• 2024: Finished second overall in SMRC Scottish Fiesta ST Challenge[2].
• 2024: Named SMRC Driver of the Year by Scottish Marshals[3].
• 2024: Featured on BBC’s The One Show, bringing national attention to her racing career[4].
• 2025: Stepped up to the BRSCC Vinyl Detail Fiesta ST150 Challenge, competing at national level circuits including Silverstone, Mallory Park, Cadwell Park, and Anglesey[5].
• 2025: Scored first podium in BRSCC Fiesta ST150 Challenge with third-place finish at Silverstone, starting from reverse grid pole[6].
• 2025: Finished fourth at Mallory Park in BRSCC competition[7].
• 2025: Finished seventh overall in BRSCC Fiesta ST150 Challenge with 454 points (470 before dropped scores)[8].
• 2025: Named Great Women in the Automotive Industry Apprentice of the Year by Autocar[9].

INSPIRATIONS

Her dad and brother were the catalysts—watching them race made her want in on the action. From there, it became about proving she belonged in a sport still dominated by men. The support from her family gave her the confidence to push through the inevitable skepticism that comes with being a young woman in motorsport. She’s not racing to make a point about gender; she’s racing because she’s fast and she loves it. But the fact that she’s breaking barriers? That’s a nice bonus.

REPUTATION

Kinghorn has built a reputation as a determined, technically savvy racer who doesn’t back down. Her ability to combine mechanical knowledge from her day job with on-track instincts makes her a formidable competitor. She’s gained recognition beyond Scotland, with appearances on The One Show and features in podcasts like Down To The Tyre, where she discussed her journey from karting to national-level Fiesta racing. Competitors know she’s there to race hard and clean—she’s earned respect in paddocks from Knockhill to Brands Hatch. The Scottish racing community has embraced her as one of their own, and her national profile continues to grow.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

With the 2025 BRSCC Fiesta ST150 Challenge season wrapped—finishing with races at Brands Hatch in October—Sophie’s focus shifts to what’s next. She’s continuing to develop her skills both on track and in the workshop, working toward master technician status while plotting her next racing moves. The goal is clear: keep climbing the ladder, keep improving, and keep proving that Scottish racing produces world-class talent. Whether that means another season in Fiestas or a step up to something faster remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain—she’s not slowing down.

REFERENCES

[1] Sophie Kinghorn – Driver Database
[2] Top-10 finishes for Steph Sore and Sophie Kinghorn, Jade Goodwin banks experience at Silverstone
[3] Wheelspin Winter/Spring 2024 – Scottish Motor Racing Club
[4] Sophie Kinghorn on racing Ford Fiestas and appearing on The One Show
[5] 2025 BRSCC Fiesta ST150 Challenge Provisional Standings after Anglesey
[6] Top-10 finishes for Steph Sore and Sophie Kinghorn – Silverstone podium
[7] BRSCC Makes Its Mark at Mallory Park on CMMC Weekend
[8] 2025 BRSCC Fiesta ST150 Challenge Final Standings
[9] Apprentice 2025 – Autocar Great Women in the Automotive Industry
Meet Sophie Kinghorn, 18, the Rothienorman racer blazing a trail in a man’s world
TrustFord Aberdeen celebrates apprentice technician Sophie Kinghorn’s Silverstone experience
Championship Standings 2024 – Scottish Motor Racing Club
Inside Sophie Kinghorn’s Dramatic Scottish Fiesta St Race
SMRC 2024 | Scottish Fiesta ST Cup | Meeting 1 | Race 1