While Dana Freeman may look like your average 19-year-old – but she spends her weekends driving 120mph around a race track.

Literally living life in the fast lane, Dana, of Painters Forstal, followed in her brother’s footsteps when he took up go karting, but now he’s learning tricks from her.

Moving quickly from the small track to racing cars, Dana, who studied motor sport at Canterbury College and works at the city’s Peugeot dealership, is now picking up sponsorship and has competed all over the country.

Despite always going up against adult men, the former Abbey School pupil is not letting “being a girl” discourage her as she speeds into another league after competing in a new class for the first time at the renowned Brands Hatch last weekend.

Dana said: “I first became interested when my brother starting go karting about eight years ago and I always wanted to watch and help out.

“I saw him doing it and I thought ‘that’s what I want to do’. I did that for a while but then I decided I wanted to go into car racing and managed to get a special licence, and it went from there.

“I love the speed and the adrenaline and, for me, there is nothing better than the buzz of it, and it doesn’t matter if I win or come last, I still feel amazing throughout and afterwards.

“Everyone I am racing against is a man. I am the only female at the moment, but everyone is really supportive and I do not feel like I am singled out, which is great.”

Dana recently came sixth in the BRSCC Quaife Fiesta Championships in the Class D category but has now moved up to Class C, which means a lot more speed.

A key member of the Daniel’s Motorsport team, based at Chartham, she is now driving a new shape Ford Fiesta Zetech 5 and had her first race in it last weekend, sliding over the finish line in 15th out of 21, a position she is proud of for her first time in this class.

She has raced at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and even as far away as Wales – but this is just the beginning for Dana.

She said: “I’d like to get more sponsors and do more races and a lot more challenges.

“I am passionate about cars and racing and can’t wait for what the next few years hold. In the future, I would love to make it into British Touring Cars as my career.”

To find out more about Dana and to follow her success, visit danafreemanracing.co.uk