Tiffany Chittenden (Chislehurst, Kent) has become the third female driver to register for the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship and will make her debut for Macob Motorsport in rounds nine and 10 at Croft on 14th/15th July. Chittenden, 24, is the second female driver to enter the single-seater series in the space of a week after Jodie Hemming confirmed her entry with Sywell Leisure Sports.

The former Renault Formula A karter is the 29th driver to enter the 2006 Championship and joins Comtec Racing’s Pippa Mann and another newcomer Jodie Hemming as the three females on the grid. Her only previous experience in a Formula Renault 2.0 car came in November 2005 after a panel of Super One Karting Championship organisers selected a group of drivers to test with title-winning team Manor Motorsport.

The wet weather test was held at the North Yorkshire venue where Chittenden will make her debut and she believes this will be a benefit to her, saying: “I know how hard it’s going to be but the consolation is that I have been to the track before. The half-day I spent in the car thanks to Manor Motorsport was brilliant but it was awful in a way because I couldn’t enter the Championship immediately.

“Now I am ready to start racing but I know it will be tough, especially as I have not done any testing. It is definitely something I have wanted to do for a long time and I can’t wait to get started. The car is so different to karting and just so much quicker. I’ve driven some other cars in tests as well but nothing like the Formula Renault.”

Chittenden began this season in the Renault Formula A Karting Championship and has a best result of 11th at Larkhall last month. Her racing career continues her family’s involvement in motorsport as both her Mother and Father have raced cars.

Commenting on her decision to join Macob Motorsport, managed by Paul Leach, Chittenden said: “I have known Paul for quite a while now and feel comfortable there. They are the newest team in the Championship so we will both be learning a lot about the cars and tracks together and I’m looking forward to improving with them.”

Leach, the Team Principal at Macob Motorsport, which already runs Alex Morgan (Porthcawl) in the series, added: “Tiffany is a very good driver and hopefully having a two-car team will help both her and Alex to develop. We all know it will be difficult for her to adjust to the car but we are ready for that and will be able to help her through. I fully expect that by the end of the season, after more testing and time in the car, she can be challenging regularly in the middle of the field.”