So after much waiting, here is the event report for the first part of the Hull v York series. Given the time since the event, some of the details have slipped from my memory so anyone with anything useful to add should add away!

The events leading upto the race were almost as incredible as the race itself. Some questioned whether or not a race would even take place, as the ice was moving in. Crisis talks were held with all the major parties and the decision was taken to start the race and end it should the conditions get too bad.
After all that there was some confusion about the number of teams to take part in the race. The Grimsby staff maintained that the race was only booked for 8 teams and that, couple with a chronic lack of drivers in the York camp, made everybody tense. It was eventually decided that Hull could run 5 teams (3 of 4 drivers, 2 of 3) with York running 3 teams, but with one team supplemented by a suprise competitor - Sam Jackson's dad!

So the lineups were: *Interactive section - I cant remember all the lineups, help me out please *

Team Raikonen
Imran Khan
Keith Herbert
Mark Foley

Team Mansell
Nick Drewett
Jon Beagles
Pip Hammond

Team Schmacher
Ben Best
Sam Jackson
Josh Overhill
Tom Race

Team Sheckter
Tom Smith
Paul Hutton
Steve Williamson
Will Russell

Hull Farina
Colin Smith-Bowen
Adam Hibberd
Tom Buxton
Roger Palmer


York's teams were without strength in depth, but their A team featured star alumni member James Harris, along with President Danny Maddox, Rachael Drew and 1st year Dan Ryan.

QUALIFYING
With the track alrady icing over, it was always going to be a tricky one - some drivers would thrive, whilst others would struggle. Early on the best times were shared out by 4 teams; York A, Hull A, B, C. The best laps were happening around 54s, approx 13s off the dry pace. Drivers were eeking tiny amounts off the 54s without ever making real progress. There were plenty of crashes though as grip was a massive issue - including Paul Hutton forgetting about an upcoming hairpin bend and driving full tilt into the barrier! Late in the session Hammond went out and set a time 2.5s clear of the entire field to put Hull B on pole, leading to much grinning and gloating.

*if anyone has the qually result please post *

RACE
Nick Drewett was sent to start the race for Team Mansell, with Keith Herbert, Ben Best, Paul Hutton and [Colin?] representing the other Hull teams. TM were running a split strategy, with Drewett doing 2 stints of 20mins, Beagles and Hammond putting in the mamoth 40min jobs.
Red Light... GREEN LIGHT OMGWTFGOOOOO!!! All 8 karts screamed toward the first corner and contact ensued! Nick was shuffled back a bit with Herbert, Best and York Dan Ryan all getting through. The early laps were a titanic struggle for the first postion between these 4 drivers as there seemed to be a different leader each lap. Best held the lead for a few laps before falling prey to Ryan and Drewett as the conditions and backmarkers started to play a part. Ryan seemed to be pulling away, setting some good laptimes but he wasn't counting on Paul Hutton! Some way into the race, the two met in the tunnel and Nick Drewett sneaked through the meleé to retake the lead. Ryan would fight back but Drewett drove a measured first stint, lapping slightly slower but making no mistakes - the perfect enduro run. Herbert struggled with the track that seems to have a love/hate relationship with him - not the other way around. After a victory on his previous visit as part of the Beard Team, he would have hoped for a top performance. However, the beardy veteran rallied back late with a sterling defensive performance as rear-gunner to the Mansell's.
Drewett pitted, allowing Ryan to take on a clear track, and Beagles joined the show for what can only be described as an 'eventful' stint. Despite setting by far the quickest times, Jon would follow the fast laps with spins, pushing Team Mansell down the order - as low as 5th at one point! Maddox was leading the race for York and it seemed victory for hull was slipping away as Team Mansell went a lap down... The race wasn't just between 2 teams though - some drivers were putting in great performances. Sam Jackson's line around the final corner demonstrated more commitment than anyone - and it was fast too. Tom Buxton was showing well and so were many others, all enjoying battles with well matched opposition. Tom Smith was begining to form a reputation for defensive driving, something that may well become his forté! Josh Overhill had already marked himself out as a future star of HUGS and was getting on with job, as was Adam Hibberd - HUGS most enthusiastic member.
Jon evenutally ended his 40min run and handed to Hammond. What happened next can only be described as SUPERFUCKINGAWESOME! Hammond sythed through everyone, not only getting the lap back, but going on to pass everyone and finish the stint a lap AHEAD of 2nd place! On his way, he set a 51.13, 1.2s faster than the best lap of anyone else... but not quite enough it seems to win the respect of Tom Race, who expected 50's at the least . During Hammond's stint, he was dismayed to see the marshall's miss the accident of Mark Foley - leaving another of HUGS' rising stars stuck in the tunnel for nearly 2 full laps.
After 40mins of Hammond domination, it was left to Nick Drewett to resaddle and cruise home to collect the most prestigious prize in HUGS racing - a 1st place trophy in the big rivalry race. The rest of the result was the subject of much debate though, as Team Raikonen (credited with 5th) claimed transponder failure had cost them 4th place. As the position did not change the overall Hull vs York Teams result, it was not a heated arguement and York B's 4th place was allowed to stand.
Sam's dad was fastest for York's C team, which was an enjoyable fact.




Sorry that this review is patchy, but the race WAS months ago. Sorry that it seems a little vain, but I did make up THREE LAPS. Sorry Keith, it had to be said

The teams were

Team Raikkonen : Keith, Mark, Imran
Team Schumacher : Ben, Sam, Tom Race, myself

Not sure about the other 2 for definite but I think:

Team Scheckter: Tom Smith, Paul, Steve (?), Will (?)
Team Farina: Adam, Colin, Tom Buxton (?), ????

Qualifying was a brilliant Hull 1-2-3, with my team 2nd and Keith's team 3rd. I'm guessing York's A and B teams were 4th and 5th

I think my team qualified second, because I was leading by turn one...

Pip - no hard feelings. I know I screwed up, way back when. But I'd like to point out that tough though it was to relinquish any hopes of beating York to Nick on the day, I played the team game and did my bit to hold up the opposition in the final stint.

Ok, it might have been Keith's team second, all I can remember is Ben did very briefly lead the race before spinning on the bridge (apparently), but it definitely was a Hull 1-2-3 in qualifying.

Pip - no hard feelings.

Sorry, it didn't look as harsh when I wrote it but reading it back did seem a tad vicious! Duly edited

No worries mate. )

wot happened in this other race u both mention?

oh, and roger palmer was the 4th member of Team Farina

I ran into the back of a York driver who couldn't hold the kart in a straight line and ended up pitching myself into a barrier, nose-first. Then a fellow team-mate and ex-President of this wonderful society T-boned me at speed. A 45-second lead had been reduced to very little by the time I got going, and in quite some pain I lost the lead just laps later after a banzai move into turn one forced me to get on the brakes or have another accident. A very dark day in my karting career. (

Said ex-president was not me! lol Keith was already quite shaken but before he could recover, Matt Lovell came around the high-speed bend and straight into Keith's side. Bad times.