No win but a race to remember |
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| So close but no cigar I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team for such a focused and unbelievable effort at last weekends final combined Le Mans 24 hour prokart race. With just a three man team which consisted of myself Joe Flay The safe, quick and dependable Russel Crowe and the up and coming superstar Tom Huxtable. It was always going to be tiring and a long slog. Things started off as good as they can get with Tom setting Pole position for us in the hire class everything was going to plan when the kart started to vibrate and was nigh on undrivable. I thought that my eyeballs were going to pop out eventually we got the problem sorted which was due to a bolt coming loose in the left bearing hanger and the axle eventually breaking the top bearing cap the resultant pit stop cost us dearly with the team dropping to last overall some 35 laps adrift The team battled on for nineteen hours and we eventually made it up into second place only to lose it again at the final round of pit stops however Russell had worked out that if we extended our last five stints by three minutes we could run to the end while the 2nd and 3rd place teams would have to stop one more time. Great tactics Russel top man. Much praise must also go to Tom Huxtable who drove the last 3 stints for a total of 4 hours and 45 minutes and never dropping of the pace. I will never forget the look in his eyes when I asked him to do the third consecutive stint as he got out of the kart with every intention of collapsing only to be told that he had another 95 minutes to do and second place was at stake. I have driven in over 25 24 hour races but this one had everything and is surely the most memorable for the guts and determination of the team. The trophy had meant a lot to me as I had dedicated it to my friend Phillip Mathews who died suddenly recently and I had wanted to present his father with the trophy, something that I can now do. Once again thanks guys. Many thanks to Tom’s Mum and Uncle and all the rest of the Huxtable entourage for the support throughout the 24 hours the drinks and food were what helped sustain us. Thank god you brought the chairs we forgot ours. Much respect to the winning hire team Speed set kart #54 impeccable endurance driving clean consistent and not putting a wheel out of place in 24 hours. Congratulations to Howard Lucas and the MS Lucas team on the overall win a long time coming guys but well deserved. Congratulations also must go out to my old friend john Kemeys and the Gas and Go guys The Clubman winners. John I am more than pleased for you. Thanks also to the Teesdide karting guys, Bob Pope for making it happen and Bobby and the mechanics for the nigh on bomb proof karts. Joe Flay (Long time Buckmore boy) Equipe Vitesse/Nip and Tuck/Mister Igloo/Mister loft ladder. |
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