Leggate 'striking' for jet-set lifestyle.

Whether it is Jason Plato living it up in his Monaco residence or Yvan Muller relaxing with his donkey in France, the stars of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship have little to complain about when it comes to their lifestyle away from the rigours of motor racing.

However, for Fiona Leggate there is no private jet, luxury apartment or glitzy party appearances. Instead it is bowling pins, child's play areas and paperwork that takes up the time of the newest entrant to the BTCC grid in between the racing. While it is hardly the epitome of the exciting lifestyle normally associated with motor racing, Leggate is more than content with managing the bowling alley that currently sponsors her Bio-ethanol Techspeed Vauxhall Astra Coupe.

"A jet-set lifestyle would be nice but unfortunately I have a full-time job. I manage a ten-pin bowling alley and two kids play areas, which that is a full-time Monday to Friday job, so I have to go back and do that after this," Leggate told Crash.net Radio after the latest round of the BTCC.

Although Leggate finds herself in a far from practical situation, she knows that until she earns the privilege of a paid drive, she will have to fund herself and that means holding down a job. "I think I need to start getting paid to race so I don't have to work anymore, but I don't think that is possible. There is always stack of work to do and a lot times I walk in and think oh no, but it is work, it is money so you need to get on and do it," she joked.

Leggate in her 'weekend job' though had an equally stressful time at Snetterton after a gearbox failure prevented her from even starting the final race of the day. "It was a nightmare the whole day. I have had such a disappointing weekend. There were bits of the track I really wanted to improve on, but as I had a problem changing from fifth to sixth, which I was finding hard into the Esses."

Nonetheless, Leggate is looking forward to the next round at Knockhill, a track where she has performed before. "I am looking forward to Knockhill, because I have raced there once before and I am going up there on a track day to brush up on my skills, so hopefully my gremlins won't affect me again."

With this in mind, Leggate will be looking to 'strike' into the top ten once again when the action gets back underway in two weeks time.