Wife wins decision on driving gloves

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 282, 11 April 1989, Page 8 (Supplement)

Wife wins decision on driving gloves

Petite Vanessa Slee of Glenfield, Auckland is the one who wears the driving gloves in her family.

When business decisions forced the motor rally driving husband and wife to make the difficult choice of who would campaign this season's rally circuit, 26-years-old Vanessa won. Husband Chris has put his ambitions aside to allow Vanessa to Seed Levy The Herbage Seedgrowers Subsection of Federated Farmers has decided not to collect any further levies from seedgrowers this year - and will refund those levies already collected. Chairman Alex Wright said recently the decision was made after seed merchants, acting through a 'perceived obligation', wrote to all seedgrowers to remind them the levy was voluntary. The merchants also demanded that growers give written permission for the levy to be collected, Mr Wright said. The HSSS levy was paid by growers, via their seed merchants, to fund seed promotion and research.

pursue her goal of establishing her name in the male dominated world of rallying. Her chances have been given a major boost with the signing of a deal with Autex Industries, an Auckland based automotive company, as her major sponsor for the 1989 season. The campaign starts in earnest with the Northland rally which begins from Whangarei on April 1. Vanessa, who drives a Datsun 1200 Coupe began competing in the car two years ago, often driving against Chris in the same rally. "At first I was always last but by last season I was finishing well up in the field and beat Chris on one occasion," she says. Her enthusiasm and ambition was the reason Vanessa got the nod when the couple were forced to sell off one of their cars. Vanessa wants to compete in the New Zealand International Rally, but currently has her sights set on the national series first, though she does not see why a New Zealand woman cannot follow

in the steps of Frenchwoman Michelle Mouton, who drove for Audi internationally. Often Vanessa is the

only female competitor and would like more women to enter rallying as "it would motivate me more."

In the Northland Rally Vanessa will actually be up against one other female driver, Katrina Attwood of

Whangarei, who has the advantage of being on her home patch. Meanwhile husband Chris hasn't faded into

the background altogether. He is very much the driving force behind the scenes in the support crew.