Megan Gilkes

Megan Gilkes (born 2001 in Richmond Hill, Ontario) is a racing driver from Canada. She currently competes in the W Series.[1]

Megan Gilkes
Nationality Canadian
Born2001 (age 19–20)
Richmond Hill, Ontario
W Series
Years active2019
Starts5
Wins0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finishNC in 2019
Previous series
2017–18F1200 Canada

Biography

A third-generation racer, Gilkes began karting aged nine in her then-home of Barbados. Following seven years grafting her craft at the entry level, including a crash in which she broke her wrist, she was accepted into the Skip Barber Racing School and as an ambassador for Dare to be Different.[2][3] In 2017, Gilkes stepped up to single-seaters in the Canadian F1200 championship. Despite not contesting all of the rounds in either season she competed in, she finished third and second overall in consecutive seasons.[4][5]

Gilkes competes in the 2019 W Series Brands Hatch round.

In 2019, Gilkes applied for the W Series, a European-based Formula 3 championship solely for women. She was accepted into the category as one of 18 full-time drivers, however the learning curve proved steep. She retired from the first race having out-braked herself and crashed into Emma Kimiläinen, and found herself on the sidelines for the fourth round having finished 14th and 17th in the intervening races. A win in a non-championship experimental race at TT Circuit Assen would boost her reputation, but the 14th place from the second round at Zolder proved her best result – finishing the season last in the standings with no points and was dropped from the program for 2020.[6] Gilkes returned to Canada in 2020, competing in the Ontario Formula 1600 Championship.[7]

Alongside her racing, she studies Aeronautical Engineering at the Imperial College in London.[8]

Career results
Season Series Position Car Team
2017 F1200 Canada 3rd BRD–Volkswagen F1200 N/A
2018 F1200 Canada 2nd BRD–Volkswagen F1200 N/A
2019 W Series NC Tatuus–Alfa Romeo F3 T-318 Hitech Grand Prix
Formula 3 Americas 17th Ligier–Honda JS F3 Momentum Motorsports
2020 Ontario F1600 Championship 3rd* Formula Ford Brian Graham Racing

*Season in progress

SCCA National Championship Runoffs
YearTrackCarEngineClassFinishStartStatus
2017Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayBRD AFV-01VolkswagenFormula Vee2324Running

Complete W Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 DC Points
2019 HOC
Ret		 ZOL
14		 MIS
17		 NRM
 ASS
14		 BRH
18		 20th 0

References
  1. "Megan Gilkes – W Series". W Series. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  2. "Episode 797: Megan Gilkes". Cars Yeah. 4 May 2018.
  3. "She's Young, Fast and Racing in Europe – In Conversation with Megan Gilkes". Motorsport Prospects. 20 May 2019.
  4. "MEET THE TEENAGER WHO'S AIMING FOR FORMULA 1". Drivetribe. 10 February 2019.
  5. "Drivers :: Momentum Motorsports". Momentum Motorsports. 1 August 2019.
  6. "Megan Gilkes: W Series win has "boosted my confidence no end"". Formula Scout. 21 July 2019.
  7. "W Series Driver, Megan Gilkes, Joins Toyo Tires F1600 Championship". Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs – Ontario. 20 July 2020.
  8. "Richmond Hill woman, Megan Gilkes, one of only 18 in the world selected to contest all-female W Racing Series". Norris McDonald's Racing Review. 13 April 2019.
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