Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Jo-Ann Madden examining the engine of a Mitsubishi Evolution MR at Auto Source, Ziadie Gardens on Thursday. Jo-Ann, 23-years-old, is a student at Coventry University, pursuing a B.Eng. in Motor Sports Engineering. When she finishes in 2010, she wants to work with either a Formula 1 or a World Rally team. Photo - by Andrew Smith/Photography Editor

It is not very often that one meets a young lady that knows more about race engines than most men her age. Jo-Ann Madden, 23, is probably one of the few black females at the Coventry University in the United Kingdom studying the very technical field of Motor Sports Engineering! She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in this endeavour. It is difficult coming up with the £7,500 tuition fee, but she has found a benefactor in PetCom, the retail gasolene distributor and a subdivision of PetroJam Limited. She has the real, achievable ambition of working with an international rally team, or wrenching for a Formula 1 outfit! Automotives was able to catch up with her before she flew out on Thursday night and was able to find out her plans

I still can't get over it! Call me sexist, but I just don't see a lot of the fairer sex in this calling. What does a lady bring to this field of endeavour?

Engineering is an art, at least on the creative side. We (women) bring a thoroughness, an attention to detail, that a lot of guys don't have, and we can be analytical, too!

How did you get started in this business?

My father (Noel Madden) and George Sherwood (Mini fanatic) are good friends and I was always around Mr. Sherwood's garage. I went to any and everything with them, from the 'unsanctioned' races at Vernamfield to the gully races in the 80s. I guess I caught the racing bug then, and I was never cured! From their, I went to JAGAS, and the rest, as they say, is history.

How did you learn about the Motor Sports Engineering Course?

My father was always on me about getting a degree. Mechanical Engineering was too broad a tropic, and automotive engineering was not focused enough. I always wanted to go racing, I guess. So, I Googled the Internet and found a site called UCAS (University and College Admission Services) which I think is the online portal to colleges in the UK, and found about eleven colleges that offered Motor Sports Engineering. Coventry University was the best choice for me.

Was UTI (Universal Technical Institute) an option?

I'm not a fan of American cars, and their curriculum is geared to their kind of motor sport. NASCAR and NHRA racing does not appeal to me. Plus they were twice as expensive.

Why did PetCom sponsor you?

Because I asked! And, PetCom is a very civic minded company

How far has your dreams taken you?

Ultimately, I want to manage then own, either a Formula 1 team or an international rally team - the sky's the limit!

This field you're in is not oestrogen friendly. Do you feel challenged, and do the guys make you feel comfortable?

The local scene is a lot more tolerant than in the UK. Locally, the guys give good lip service to my status as a technician, but they don't trust the ladies to do anything (laughs)! The foreign stage is a lot less comfortable.

Do you feel as if you have something to prove?

I prefer not to look at it from that perspective. I look at this course as something I have to do, and that I have to get it done.

Motor Sports is a very demanding industry. Is family life on the agenda after graduation?

There's no timeline on my life, but I am very career oriented right now. However, I believe in the importance of family, and in the future want to have one of my own.

Did you find the previous question sexist?

(Laughing) No not at all!

Do you love what you do? Have you any other interests?

Yeah, I love what I do! That's why I'm doing it. My hobby is my job. I do like to sing, though.

It's a long hard road you've chosen. You seem to be a person with tenacity, intelligence, talent and dare I say, marketability. Success will follow! At the end of your tour of Europe, why would you come back to Jamaica?

I believe that I have something to offer Jamaica. I hate to see the young people go abroad, get their training and don't return. I want to build Jamaica!