This year I attended the Johnny Herbert karting event for a 2nd year running, however it was being at Docklands Raceway, and so was harder to get to, with the added Metro lines having engineering works on them, I decided to drive to Katie and Lourence's in Kent, stay the night, and then Lourence drove us to London, on the way picking up Alison...

We got there at about 9am, hardly many people had turned up yet as it was sleet/snowing..
We got our tickets £5, and sat in the reception area watching people do laps on the Raceway F1 car simulator, As we sat there famous faces were popping in, and the man himself Johnny Herbert came in, and was laughing and joking with everyone, and then was interviewed for Sky Sports..

We eventually went inside the circuit, which was now busy, and before we knew it, they started doing the team photo shoots, and the Zip Young gun boys... and we joined the official photographers... and then everyone headed to the 'banking' bit of the circuit for the karting breifing, in which we stood round and photographed people... as quiet as possible, and then Katie drops her camera lens hood.. we fell into laughter..

After the briefing the Qualifying got underway... we took photos up on the bridge, and on the corner... saw a lot of overtaking, karts facing the wrong way, and a lot of bumping karts..

After the Qualifying, they had the Zip Young Gun boys doing 3 laps in their yellow karts, they are the next Lewis Hamilton's.. the four lads were: Trevyn-Jay Nelson, Freddie Lee, Jacob Stilp adn Ben Barnicoat, They were really good, but Ben Barnicoat won the fastest lap, and so after recieving his trophy and the other boys being praised by Johnny Herbert, The karts were re-filled, lined up on the grid, and Ben Barnicoat lead the formation lap, to the start of the 3 hour endurance race.

We kept photographing the karts and then about 2pm, we headed to the Raceway cafe to get some lunch (hot dog with salad and chips), where we stood chatting to ITV's F1 pit lane driver report Louise Goodman, she told us she had lots of things lined up, and is staying with Honda Racing TV.

Myself and Alison went and sat at the desk in the reception area, where I could get a break from the sound of the karts and eat my lunch, and we could also see people in the F1 similator..
After a hour we headed back to the circuit to carry on photographing, until the end...
Lourence also took a photo just before the end of us girls with Louise Goodman.

Team Gentinna won, and as a driver from that team drove a lap round the track with the chequared flag, the podium was wheeled out.
we went out on track with all the drivers and took round the podium... where the charity auction was done, and the trophies awarded, even Riccardo Patrese got an award (ex-F1 driver).

Once the trophies were done, everyone started to leave, but we decided to ask Johnny for a group photo...which we did and then kissed on each cheek (except Lourence) and Johnny said it was nice to see 'us' shortys again.. which I laughed at, and I gave him a hug, which Alison then said Oh let me take a photo of you two..

After that we left for homeward bound, reeling from a brilliant day, took Alison back home, and us back to Kent...
I'm looking forward to next year.....

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