For a few breathtaking seconds, it was difficult to tell whether the Rand Airport runway belonged to the road or the sky.

As the Toyota GR86, driven by 15-year-old Benoni racer Emma Rose Dowling, thundered down the strip, a Van’s RV-6 aircraft roared just above her, creating a spectacular sight that had a packed crowd at the Rand Air Show on the edge of their seats on August 30.

With the car hurtling along the runway and the aircraft, flown by pilot Elton Bondi, flying low overhead, the two machines appeared locked in a remarkable race between tarmac and sky – a spectacle that combined Dowling’s speed and the raw power of aviation.

“It was definitely a really good experience and something new for me to try,” Dowling said. “A big thank you to Toyota Motors and Motus Toyota Bedfordview for giving me this opportunity and definitely the Toyota Academy, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have this opportunity as well.”

The experience was particularly special for Dowling, who grew up attending the Rand Air Show with her grandfather, who has a passion for aviation.

“I used to come here a lot and watch this as a kid because my grandpa’s into planes,” Dowling said. “Being a race-track driver, doing something different like a sprint against a plane was definitely exciting. It was definitely a lot of adrenaline. It was really fun going that fast and having that adrenaline and wind rush through me was definitely amazing.”

The event came as Dowling continues to build an impressive motorsport résumé. She recently finished third in the OK-N Senior category at the British Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA), an achievement she described as the culmination of an emotional and challenging season.

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“Having so many ups and downs and so many emotional moments definitely paid off to getting a P3 at an international level,” she said.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Academy driver’s podium in the third race at PFI International Kart Circuit in May was particularly emotional after a weekend plagued by mechanical problems.

“Coming off the track and seeing my mom crying, so happy for me, because that weekend was just so stressful, was definitely great,” she said.

Dowling, a runner-up at last year’s Junior Rotax national champs, has also had to earn her place in a sport traditionally dominated by men. Initially intimidated as one of the few girls on the grid, she said she has gradually earned the respect of her rivals through her performances.

“As my racing career happened, I kind of became a part of them,” she said. “As everyone matured and I earned my place on track, I definitely felt like I got the respect back from all the boys that I raced against.”

Her ultimate ambition is to make motorsport a career, with single-seaters her next major target.

With more races and a final karting event in Le Mans still ahead, Dowling is already looking towards 2027 and the next step in her journey.

“Next year’s step is definitely getting into single-seaters. I need to get as much knowledge as I can, learn the car and develop as much as possible to hopefully go higher and higher in the ranks.”

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