21/09/2026
🏆 GOLD TOP DAY… WHAT A DAY.
Firstly, we actually made it.
After the damage at Skegness, a massive amount of help from some brilliant people, including our main sponsors MGtastic, meant the kart was rebuilt, ready to race and sporting its new look. 💛🩵
We set off early with a proper little army coming along to cheer us on.
Having only managed two qualifiers, we were starting way back in 32nd. Realistically, the aim was simple: have a good race, enjoy the occasion and see if we could somehow push towards the top ten.
Then the day took a pretty horrible turn.
Coming back from scrutineering, the kart started rolling towards the van. I grabbed it to stop it and the roof came down on my hand.
I knew instantly I'd done some proper damage.
Broken bones, a nasty open wound and a trip straight to the ambulance. I was patched up and told I needed to go to hospital.
So naturally...
I got ready for the parade. 😂
I wasn't missing that.
Thanks to Chris Butcher, we cut up and stitched a glove together so it would actually fit over the bandaging.
Parade lap done.
Then came the slightly questionable thought:
"Well... I'm here now. Why not have a go?"
So we raced. 🏁
From 32nd, we passed EIGHT KARTS ON THE FIRST LAP.
At one point we'd fought our way all the way up to 11th.
Considering I was basically racing one-handed, I couldn't believe it.
Around lap 12, the usual Buxton bounce started creeping in. With the hand the way it was, I simply couldn't hold the kart properly anymore and we slipped back a couple of places.
And that's the frustrating bit...
What could we have done without the injury?
Eventually the red flag came out. The adrenaline disappeared almost instantly and suddenly I realised just how much pain I was actually in.
I couldn't hold the wheel anymore.
That was me done.
But we'd done it.
From 32nd on the grid, we'd raced our way through the field and finished the Gold Top race while carrying an open fracture and other damage to my hand.
Probably not the Gold Top story we expected to tell... but definitely one we'll remember. 😂🏆
Massive thank you to everyone who helped us get there, everyone who came to support us, everyone who helped with the kart and all our sponsors who make these days possible.
And finally, huge congratulations to Freddie. 👏🏆
Now I suppose I'd better finally do what the ambulance told me and get this hand sorted... 😂
TDR #17 💛🩵
