24/09/2026
Race report: Saying Goodbye to Lakeside Karting 🫡😞
We had a private invite from the legend that is Mr Mark Martin to come and take part in the 'Iron Man 60' race event specially put together as a send off for this iconic track which depressingly will now make way for an 'Apple Database' 👀
So yesterday was the very last day that a green light would shine and a checkered flag would wave over this track and how could we turn down an invite to be a part of such an occasion, we couldn't.
Along with us would be a certain Mr Dante Dhillon, only the best karter in the UK (argue it out in the comments please 😁) and that alone was enough to see us making the almost 3 hours trip to get there.
But also along for the occasion was Bobby McGirr, a proven elite level junior champion who it was also a huge honour to get to share some track time with and pitt ourselves against.
But it didn't stop there because also along for the occasion was Luke Battersby, for those unaware he owns and runs 'EKS' (Elite Karting Series) who we have openly stated for some time now we want to race with for next season.
So for all round content creation, meeting legends and connecting opportunities this was a massive occasion we could not refuse and what an absolutely brilliant day it went on to become....I quote myself as we were leaving: "that has to be our best day of racing so far", and that's not in reference to winning a race etc, that's in reference to what an enjoyable and opportunity filled experience it was and we have to thank Mark Martin for organising it and the brilliant staff at Lakeside for hosting us on what was surely an emotional day for all of them.
Ok then, so how did the racing go..... (and please read the "Bonus FREE Race" chapter at the end, puts it all in perspective) 😎
QUALIFYING
Oscar would learn very quickly that again lady luck was back to haunt him, he had a kart that meant he wasn't going to be truly competetive, but he stuck with it, this is all part of our strategy for 2027, get a duff kart and stay in it and learn!
Oscar would qualify P7 of 14, a solid result considering this is his first time at this track and the kart was dismal.
HEATS 1, 2 & 3
The days results would be decided by points given for finishing positions in each heat, so 20 points for P1, 19 for P2 and so on.
As mentioned Oscar wasn't able to be competetive at the top end, Dante and Bobby passed him and drove off leaving him in their dust with ease as would Luke Battersby and so Oscar's battle would be mid pack and he would end up in some brilliant bumper to bumper scraps, some he won, some he lost, but all of them he absolutely loved 😃 He sent it and got sent on (is that a term ha ha) and drove the life out of that kart as I watched down on it, filming away ofcourse, as it all unfolded.
The battles were fierce and intense edge of your seat stuff, but every driver out there was fair and so the event passed off with zero incidents, a perfect days racing.
HEAT 1 (based on qualifying)
P7 to P5
Oscar moved up to P5 through the first few corners before falling backwards over the next couple of laps to P8 and on the tail of Mark (he only has 50 years of karting experience 🫣). After a few laps Oscar found his rythm and would then tighten up before making the move to pass Mark into P7. Over several laps he would pull away and find himself for the 2nd half of the race with clear track infront and behind him. It would be a case of multiple laps just hot lapping before passing 2 drivers who had spun out late on and coming home in a strong P5
HEAT 2 (randomised grid)
P2 to P8
A great starting position but it meant the pressure was on! Going into hairpin 1 just seconds into the race Oscar took a shunt from Dante, Dante offered the position back but Oscar wasn't quite close enough and got caught up in the chasing pack. Dante had no choice but to drive off while Oscar headed up a train of 7 or 8 karts over the line and into lap 2.
Next up was Bobby who snuck his nose into a gap and was gone before you knew it, Oscar was down to P4 and under huge pressure. In that chasing pack was kart #3 (again read the 'Bonus Free Race' report to hear about kart 3 as that's the one Oscar was given) being driven by Ellie Rose, a local driver, and she and Oscar would get into a great battle for the remainder of this race swapping positions a few times, a great watch and some great moves by each driver with Oscar's lack of pace out of the final turn being capitalised upon and then Oscar gaining back that position with some very quickly executed moves before Ellie could pull away.
A brilliant race albeit his lowest finishing position so far with Ellie pipping him to the finish line.
HEAT 3 (reversed grid)
P13 to P8
Oscar was straight into last place as the race begun as he looked for a way through a packed track ahead and on hairpin 1 he made up around 4 positions, 1 of them being Ellie who was now on Oscar's tail and so there battle from heat 2 would re-commence. Both drivers again swapping positions as they moved through the grid, it was great to watch. Soon after Oscar would find himself in clean air (Ellie had escaped him) and he begun chasing down a group of 3 karts a couple of seconds ahead. He would pass 1 of them before a solid defensive display from Warren T held Oscar off and he came home in P8. Anotjer great race in the bag.
Overall Oscar finished the event in P7/14 and he loved every minute of it 😁
BONUS FREE RACE (Oscar Vs Dante!!!!!)
I did promise this race report will be worth it 😁
A 30 minute session was up for grabs as 1 of the drivers booked on couldn't stay and so it was offered to Oscar, we were thinking of leaving for a Teamsport venue, that was quickly wiped off the cards 😆
No action for the first 15 minutes, 15 minutes where I wasn't watching or filming as I was in chat with Luke about Oscar signing up for EKS next season.
Then I begun filming, also Dante was live streaming on Youtube while out on track, and Oscar's helmet camera was also capturing the moment, what came next was a period of racing we'll never forget.
Oscar was half the track away from Dante and now in kart #3, so he slowed until Dante and and a driver he was in battle with 'A Miles' passed, then he begun trying to chase them down knowing this kart which Ellie had previously had was superior to his first kart.
It looked too late, the gap that had opened up as Dante passed seemed too much to close but Oscar didn't quit and pushed his kart to the edge, made a couple of small errors, trying to close the gap.
With only a handful of laps left I realised it was happening, Oscar was closing in and quickly too as the 2 ahead battled and other slower drivers got in the way.
Oscar was now on Dante's bumper and Dante signalled Oscar to push him down the straight to re-close a small gap on the driver he was already battling with. Oscar abliged and the gap dissapeared over a full lap, Dante tapped the back of his kart to say 'follow me through' and they both sailed past the other driver through a corner.
Now it was Oscar's turn to put the pressure on Dante, and for 3 full laps he did exactly that, he pushed Dante down the straight and kept it intense! By now Oscar knew he had the pace out of the final turn, the turn where his previous kart had left him exposed in the main racing event, he now just had to ensure he was close enough to Dante out of that turn that he could pull the move off and he did with precission as Dante looked across and then up to the sky realising Oscar had him.
In shock as I filmed on I repeated "I cannot believe what I have just seen", it was a huge moment seing Oscar passing Dante.
The truth is Dante had been given a shocking kart and he knew it before he got into it, so ofcourse we're not claiming Oscar is suddenly P1 in the UK 😂 But here's a twist we can let our thoughts run wild over....Dante set the 2nd fastest lap of the race, so was his kart really that bad afterall 🤔🤭
Oscar set the 5th fastest, kart 3 wasn't a rocket, but it was half a second a lap faster than the kart we had for the Ironman event.
The video will be along one day, I promise, but for now our attention turns to Warden Law where we're heading off to early tomorrow morning for the finale of the Club100 northern championships where Oscar will be looking to make it a 100% season long record of making the A finals on each track he's returning to for a 2nd visit.
We'll also be hitting Teamsport Stockton while up there, rude not too 😊
But for now thankyou to Mark Martin, Luke Battersby, Dante Dhillon and everone on and off track who made yesterday our favourite day of racing in our new 3 years of loving this sport 😊
