Jodie Sloss: Aston Martin academy driver is dreaming of Le Mans 24 Hour race

A remote Scottish croft, a Facebook advert, and a banged-up Ford Fiesta. This is the foundation for Jodie Sloss' Aston Martin academy dream.

Just a year-and-a-half ago, the former marketing executive and waitress stumbled across a social media post calling for the next female champion. It triggered a whirlwind journey that led to her winning the Formula Woman competition and catapulted her from the outskirts of Oban to the grid.

"It's the most unique story in motorsports," the 22-year-old told BBC Scotland.

"I'm from a little croft in the west coast of Scotland, a very rural upbringing. So, to imagine I'd be a racing driver over the last two years, it's just bizarre for me and my family."

Driving on ice and a Ford Fiesta

Sloss had not previously got behind the wheel of a race car prior to the Formula Woman competition, so did so armed with nothing but determination and an unwavering belief in her ability to wing it.

Against the odds, she beat 1,000 drivers from all over the world in an ice-driving shootout to become the first Scot to win the competition. The prize? To race a McLaren 570s in the GT Cup championship.

"Before entering the competition, I'd never sat in a race seat before. I'd never karted. I had never even been on track before," adds Sloss.

"Somehow, I got through all the levels. We went to Sweden and went ice driving; one of Colin McRae's co-drivers assessed me that day in Sweden."

But it was not a sleek sports car or a prestigious team that marked the beginning of her journey; it was a Ford Fiesta.

Needing more racing experience under her belt to gain her international licence, Sloss got behind the wheel of a vehicle more commonly known for frequenting McDonald's car parks than careering around hairpin bends in the GT Cup.

"I jumped in a Ford Fiesta for a couple of rounds, which was really fun," she said.

"From there, I was noticed by a Porsche team, and I managed to get a seat in a Porsche 991 cup car and that taught me so much as a driver.

"Coming from no experience to a few rounds in a McLaren, then a Ford Fiesta, to get into that thing was mind blowing.

"It was quite a jump from the Ford Fiesta to a cup car, but essentially, that got me into an Aston Martin today."

Oban's legacy and breaking barriers

Sloss finds herself under the wing of one of the most revered names in British motorsport.

She is one of 32 racers from around the world to be accepted into the Aston Martin Racing driver academy, each vying for a coveted spot within one of the 14 partner teams.

Only one is destined to graduate with the full backing of the iconic British manufacturer - a golden ticket to a fully funded 2025 season on the track.

"Honestly, it's game changing. I did not imagine I'd be in this position a year or two ago when I started my journey in racing. To be recognised by such a prestigious British brand, so early on in my career, it's certainly exciting."

She joined the Forsetti motorsport team and made her Aston Martin debut at the Donnington Park National last weekend, finishing on the podium in race four.

Her ultimate goal? Sixty-two cars. 186 drivers. 24 hours. The Le Mans 24 Hours is the pinnacle of endurance racing and a symbol of excellence in the motorsport world - and Sloss has her heart set on competing in it.

"It's such an incredible race and that's always been my main target. I'm hoping with the academy, I can be nurtured into that spot," she added.

Remarkably, Sloss is not the first racing driver to emerge from the small Argyll town of Oban.

Susie Wolff made history in the world of motorsport when she became the first woman to participate in a Formula One race weekend in over two decades.

Sloss, who attended to the same school as the Formula One academy director, wants to become an enduring part of that story.

"We all know Susie Wolff and what she's doing with the F1 Academy now. So, I hope to become a part of that legacy like I'm doing now and keep crushing barriers for women in sport. She's made something out of it, so I hope to do the same thing and continue doing the impossible."