The first thing to know about Deniel Vermeulen is that right here, right now, she is the fastest girl in Australia in a racing kart.
The 14 year old ace from Raby has gone faster but not in her own kart, so reaching speeds of more than 115 kmh to win this year’s Pink Plate in Albury, a national level race, is close to her best effort.
That she beat girls and women competitors much older and more experienced than her was just a little bit more proof that Deniel is headed only one way in motor racing – up.
The Mt Carmel High student started racing karts just two years ago, and after talking to her it’s obvious she’s got the adrenaline bug, as her mother Cheree puts it.
“Mum and dad always liked motorbikes, and they got us onto dirt bikes, me and my younger sister,’’ Deniel says when I ask her where did the need for speed come from.
“Then I went to a birthday party at one of the hire kart places and really liked it.
“And went back again, then got Dad to buy me a kart.’’
At first, she would take the kart out for a bit of weekend fun, but eventually insisted that she wanted to race it.
“I got into competitive karting in February 2021, and I am currently racing in Tag 125 Light, which is the most competitive class in seniors,’’ she explains.
As well as winning the 2023 Pink Plate, Deniel was 2022 Dubbo club champion.
She has so far taken part in 83 official go-kart races and her results speak for themselves: 49 top three finishes and 21 wins, including a Green Plate (national title) and a Blue Plate event (state title).
Deniel says her third season, her first as a senior, represents another path to the top of racing, but she is in no hurry to make the switch from karts to cars.
Certainly, that’s her long term ambition, to race Formula 1 and be successful at it.
Just five female drivers have participated in a F1 race over the years but none gave it a real shake.
A woman will eventually win in F1, so who knows, it could be this speedster from Campbelltown.
In the meantime, Deniel is concentrating on her short term goals, such as becoming combined districts club champion and state champion as well as participate in the race nationals.
“My long term goals are to race in the W Series (women’s Formula 3) and from there to be the first female to compete and succeed in Formula 1,’’ she says.
“You need a lot of sponsorship behind you to get to the women’s F3 and beyond.’’
Deniel admits she just loves racing and the buzz she gets from it, but is also fully aware of the risks involved.
But don’t think for a moment she’s about to give up racing and go play golf.
“There are risks in everything you do,’’ she says.
