Friday 4th January 2008

Win A Drive In The Celebrity Kart Challenge

Race stars of motorsport at Autosport International's Celebrity Kart Challenge

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If you are coming to the PistonHeads Show on Friday and fancy taking part in a spot of racing then we have the competition for you.

The PistonHeads Show is running alongside Autosport International which hosts a Celebrity Kart Challenge.

We are able to offer one PistonHeads reader a drive in the race, alongside F3 star and BP Ultimate driver Sam Bird, BTCC driver Tom Onslow-Cole (TBC), as they race for their chosen charity, Cerebra.

You will be competing in the six man BP 102 team against other stars of motorsport including Johnny Herbert and Alan McNish.

Full details of the race, which takes place on Friday January 11, can be found here.

The prize also includes two tickets to the Autosport International and Pistonheads Shows, as well as four-star overnight accommodation (on Friday January 11).

To enter, answer the following question…

'Which track recently unveiled its very own BP 102 supply?'

Email your answers to [e-mail]

The competition will close at midnight on Monday and the winner will be contacted Tuesday.

 

[Marc W]

I'm already racing in this. I did the last one at Thruxton last year too, excellent fun, even if it did make me feel a bit slow!

[antant001]

How did it go

[Marc W]

Well, the practice was delayed by repeated red flags. Our first Kart was rubbish, the replacement was rubbish. The race didn't get underway until it was already supposed to have finished, everyone was overtaking under both yellow and red flags (of which there were lots!) and our kart in the race had engine trouble half way through...but it was excellent, one of the best things I've ever done!

My team consisted of Robin Liddell, (a Scottish driver who mostly races in the US) Rick Parfitt Jr (Son of the other Rick Parfitt of Status Quo.) David Tremayne, (The Independent newspapers F1 reporter.) and Tom Tremayne (David's son and a former Formula Palmer Audi racer.)

Everytime I went out n track I seemed to be the only public driver out there, coming round a corner at one point I was surrounded by Allan McNish, Johnny Herbert, Jamie Green, David Brabham, Oliver Gavin, Danny Watts and Tom Onslow-Cole and I felt like I was in some strange computer game!

When I first took over for my stint in the race I felt like a pinball and got spun twice! I then realised the marshalls weren't enforcing any driving rules and decided to give as good as I got! Allan McNish tried to force his way past me so I didn't give way and he shot into the wall! I guess he wasn't too happy though as the next time he came up behind me he just rammed the back of my kart until I spun! I banged sidepods repeatedly with DTM driver Jamie Green and Johnny Herbert a couple of times. the best thing of all though was having a battle with BTCC driver Alan Taylor. He came past me on the corner before the straight, but his exit speed had suffered and I got him back into the next corner. He tried passing me again on the next corner but I again retook him and I held him back for a few laps then. Trouble was by then I had a few of the Pro drivers behind me and the resulting scuffle dropped me back behind all of them! I've no idea where we finished but it wasn't in the top 15, but we did run as high as fourth before our engine started stuttering (Although it probably didn't help that Robin Liddell got us a stop go for speeding in the pitlane, nearly knocking the marshall over as he came to a stop!)

I was far from the slowest Public driver though as I made it into the final 10 of the final public driver shootout. (Sadly they didn't tell us where in the top ten we finished other than the bloke that won.)

Overall it was an absolutely excellent experience that I'd happily do again and well worth the £300 entry fee. Sadly there may not be the chance to do it again as the organizer has said he won't be doing it any longer. I just hope somebody else will take over.

[AngryS3Owner]

Good effort Marc, shame if they stop doing these, I'd have done another!

[antant001]

I would not do it again, our team manager dropped a clanger I should have been last driver, but when we came to pit the marshall would not let us change he said it was to late

Edited by antant001 on Sunday 13th January 23:45