From abandoned child to one of Australia's first female race car driver

From the moment Emily Duggan got behind the wheel of a race car, she knew she had found her purpose in life.

Duggan, 28, didn't grow up in a racing family. In fact, she says she didn't grow up with much of a family at all.

"I've lived by myself since I was 16," she tells 9Honey.

"My family left me, so from that age I have been alone. But it has made me resilient."

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Duggan says she wasn't good at school and wasn't an adventurous child either, but grew up watching V8 Supercars and found herself fascinated as they made their way around the race track.

"There was something inside me that said 'if this is something I want to do, then I can do it'," she says. "I didn't have a pathway to a race car at this point. I just remember thinking that I wanted to do this and I had to jump in."

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To be a race car driver, you need money, so Duggan began working two jobs in order to save the money for her first race car. In fact, she still works two jobs and long hours to be able to afford to participate in the sport.

"The biggest difference is that I don't have family support and it is an expensive sport," she says. "A lot of other drivers are funded by their families or they live in the family home."

She says the feeling of driving a race car is like no other.

"Oh my gosh, the experience of racing door-to-door with another car, just knowing the speeds and looking at the person in front and behind, thinking of where they're going to place their car and what you are going to do at the next corner, they brake, you brake… it's the whole thing, you are so in the moment," she explains.

"It's so pure. It's all about thinking ahead to the next three corners and feeling how far you can push the car. It's like solving equations at 150 kilometres per hour."

Duggan made her racing debut in the 2014 NSW Excel Racing Development Series, scoring a race victory in her debut season and finishing seventh overall in the standings.

In 2015 Duggan remained in the Excel category, competing in both the NSW and Interstate Series. She recorded several podium finishes and placed third overall in the Interstate Series.

Duggan's breakout year was 2016, when she became the first female driver to race in the Australian V8 Touring Car Series, competing in the opening round at Sandown raceway with RSport Race Engineering and finishing 11th in the third race of the weekend.

She raced in the 2016 Challenge Bathurst event, where she drove the fastest lap in a Hyundai Excel. She had several podium finishes in the 2016 Series X3 NSW category including winning the one-hour endurance race and recording 15 top-five finishes for the season. Duggan finished fifth overall in the championship.

Duggan returned to Series X3 NSW in 2017, finishing fourth in the championship with five race wins.

She announced she would contest the Australian Toyota 86 Racing Series in 2018, and in 2019 she announced she would contest both the Australian Toyota 86 Racing Series and the Kumho Super3 Series.

Duggan says there isn't a lot of comradery in racing, particularly as one of the only women at the events.

"We're all competitive and you do get to talk to a few people but of course, being the only female, it's all the boys and then I'm the only girl," she says.

"There are a few other girls coming up and I've loved being able to show the sport what girls can do."

While the coronavirus pandemic has seen Duggan taking a forced holiday from competition, she is hoping to get back out there this year.

She also hopes to secure sponsorship so she can spend more time focusing on racing. While Duggan has had some sponsorships throughout her career, she hasn't received consistent financial support.

"The biggest expense is probably the car itself, so buying the car, then maintaining the car and then paying for it to be transported to races," she says.

Duggan doesn't have a manager but does employ a team mechanic and an engineer for events.

"Literally every waking moment I'm working to fund my racing, or training to get ready for races," she says.

"It's my passion. I think of all the hurdles and obstacles and late nights packing the car and putting it on the trailer, and I think if I didn't have so much passion, if I didn't want to do this with every bone in my body, I'd just give up.

"But if you are willing to keep pushing and breaking down obstacles, anything is possible."

As Duggan prepares for racing to resume this year, she has been assisted financially by online celebrity platform Pickstar, Australia's largest talent marketplace for sports stars and celebrities.

Through Pickstar, Duggan has been working as a speaker and has also lined up some ambassadorships.

"I've done a lot of speaking events and corporate events," she says. "And its a great way to network to hopeful find sponsorship. And I love speaking to kids about following your dreams."

Contact Jo Abi at jabi@nine.com.au.