SPARKS Karting Challenge
22nd November 1998

The annual Johnny Herbert SPARKS Karting Challenge at The Raceway in London goes from strength to strength. Every year, the amount raised for the children's charity, SPort Aiding medical Research for Kids, goes up and up. This year, around £34,000 was raised by a mixture of team entry fees, an auction and a raffle. A fantastic total, nearly £8,000 up on last year! Congratulations to all involved, particularly those thanked below by Bob Herbert.

This year, the event attracted more race drivers than "celebrities". Johnny flew in that morning from Helsinki (fresh from taking out most of the field in Mika Salo's charity karting event!) to head an impressive list, including David Brabham, Allan McNish, Mark Webber, Jason Plato, Gary Ayles, Guy Smith, Jamie Spence, Justin Bell and, hot tip for the future, Karting Champion Tom Ferrier. Eddie the Eagle flew in, Ray Clemence saved the day, Louise Goodman talked to Johnny in the pits, and Konrad Bartelski... videoed it all! Chris Eubank was rumoured to be making an appearance but was all talk...

Regulars from previous events, including Herbie's Heroes, Bramdean's Best, and the Ulster Kart Club, were joined by teams from Red Bull, Stewart GP, Jordan GP (sponsored by Damon Hill), Renault UK and Virgin Radio. An incredible total of 22 teams made the starting grid. Herbie's Heroes, of course, were on pole, after Johnny had broken the lap record in a powerful custom kart.

As the drivers were gathering on the grid for the start, Allan McNish pinched Johnny's gloves and tried to rattle him by throwing them into the crowd. It didn't work. In the early laps, Johnny stretched out a lead over Konrad Bartelski's team, the winners from Saturday's final of the Red Bull National Karting Challenge (imaginatively named the "Red Bull Saturday Winners").

In a strong third place was the very same Allan McNish, the man who had broken The Raceway's lap record with a 39.05s at last year's event. Johnny had already put that right by breaking the record in qualifying with a 38.64s; he then proceeded to lower it further to 38.55s, exactly 0.5s quicker than Allan's old record, early in the four hour endurance race. Particularly impressive was Johnny's series of sub 39s laps during an early stint at the wheel, and a record equalling lap just before the chequered flag fell after four hours.

With Johnny on such superb form, Herbie's Heroes were unbeatable. They led for most of the race, and were only headed for a few laps early on, when a driver change allowed Mark Webber's team, Bramdean's Best, to snatch the lead. Bramdean's eventually finished second, four laps down. In third place, a further lap down, were the Red Bull Saturday Winners, strongly challenged by Ulster's F1 Wannabes. Louise Goodman's Virgin Radio team languished off the leader board in 21st for most of the event - until Louise generously bribed the race stewards with a cheque for SPARKS. The laps she bought enabled her team to appear on the screen with the leaders for the first time, and to finish 20th.

The fun wasn't over when the chequered flag fell. Firstly, the auction started on this page was concluded - full details of the generous final bids are listed below.  After snatching a quick exclusive interview with Johnny earlier on, lucky webmaster David Cunliffe put in the highest bid for the ride in a two seater kart driven by the man himself - read all about it in "the ride of a lifetime"...

Johnny handed a large cheque for a large amount - nearly £34,000 - to Captain Hugh Peers and the SPARKS mascot, watched by Roy Craig, who again organised an enjoyable and successful day for all concerned.

The day's events closed with a fantastic stunt bike display by Jason Finn. After a few impressive wheelies, during the last of which Jason's bike was completely vertical, and some scary no hands stuff, a nervous 8 people, with Johnny last in the row, lay down and awaited their fate. Jason was going to jump over them - without a run up ramp! Johnny broke the tension by adjusting his underwear and ensuring that nothing vital would be crushed. Then, before you knew it, Jason was up and over the lot of them. Compared to that, the ride in a two-seater kart was a piece of cake...

Three more photos from Raw Action, courtesy of Bob Herbert:

(click on the thumbnails)

Final bids made and accepted for the items in the auction were:

* The overalls were sold at the Sotheby's auction on 23rd September for £1,800.00.

Message from Bob Herbert:

We would like to thank the following for their help and donations to this year's Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge in aid of SPARKS (SPort Aiding medical Research for Kids):

This page last updated 5th December 1998