Sue Ryder Charity is the winner at Daytona Sandown Park

A record-breaking £4200 is raised for Sue Ryder Charity at endurance kart race fundraiser
TV personality Gareth Jones heads up winning team

Professional racing drivers, Max Bird and Devon Modell set blistering pace
Spectacular weather greeted a quality field of competitors last Saturday (8 April) at Daytona Sandown Park in Esher for the Sue Ryder Kart Race Challenge. Now in its third consecutive year, the event is going from strength to strength - with 2017 breaking all previous records and raising the most money yet for Sue Ryder Hospices.

The impressive grid of ten teams with four drivers each, battled it out on track in Daytona Motorsport's superb RT8 390cc Sodi race karts in a nail-biting two-hour endurance challenge to raise vital funds for the Sue Ryder Charity - an organisation that provides invaluable hospice and neurological care for people facing a frightening, life-changing diagnosis.

Last Saturday's marathon race was also given a whole new dynamic with the addition of a pro-celebrity team masterminded by Dave Ward. The team was led by former children's TV personality, Gareth Jones (known as Gaz Top). Gareth's equally notable team-mates consisted of Ginetta racing star Max Bird (and brother of Formula E's, Sam Bird) and Sportscar World Endurance racer, Devon Modell, who both set the bar high with their blistering lap-times.

After a gruelling two-hour endurance marathon which included pit-stops, driver changeovers, racing 'jokers' to gain places as well as sales of 'black flags' to outwit opponents, (in good humour and all to raise charitable funds) the race was finally won by the pro-celeb Team Speed Damien's (Gareth Jones, Max Bird, Devon Modell, Dave Ward), from Team 'TNL' (Andrew Pirie, Joshua Pirie, Dan Levy) in second place and Team 'NJP' (Thomas Christophersen, Neil Pirie, Liam Travers) in third. All the deligted winners were presented with Champagne and team trophies.

The brain-child of Andrew Pirie, the Daytona Sue Ryder Charity Kart Race was started three years ago in memory of his late mother, Sheila. Inspired by the successes of the last two year's events. Andrew was even more delighted with the sign-ups and final monies raised for 2017.

Andy Pirie, "Daytona Sandown Park's brilliant facility provided a wonderful setting, as always, for our record-breaking Sue Ryder Endurance Challenge. This year's race was even more thrilling with the addition of a pro-celeb team thanks to Dave Ward who brought some amazing professional racers along.

Andrew continues, "The 'Speed Damien's' team was named after a good friend who recently died from cancer – yet another way this friendly event recognises all those that have lost friends and loved ones to this and other awful diseases.

"The racing was great fun and we were all tring to keep up with and hopefully even beat the pro-celebs...but despite having a black flag 'joker' system to help those of us that aren's so fast...the Speed Damien’s were, as expected, naturally victorious!"

2017 Sue Ryder Charity Kart Race winners:
1st Place – Speed Damien’s – Gareth Jones, Max Bird, Dave Ward, Devon Modell
2nd Place – TNL – Andrew Pirie, Joshua Pirie, Dan Levy
3rd Place – NJP – Thomas Christophersen, Neil Pirie, Liam Travers ,


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