A TEAM of young Isle of Man racers have taken part in the ultimate kart racing challenge - the Le Mans 24-hour pro karting event.

The racing was on the Alain Prost Circuit at Le Mans and the Manx team competed as the ‘3 Legs Racing’ team. They finished 9th out of 15 in their class and 32nd out of 40 overall.

The team was formed following a collaboration between The Children’s Centre and Team Dazzle - an Isle of Man-based team of pro-kart racing team - and the aim of the racing challenge was to bring together a group of young people from across the Island who needed a catalyst to bring about real change in their lives.

All of the nine team members were novice kart racers at the start of this year, and some had never raced karts before joining the team. 

The team - all aged 16 to 21 - was Joe Callister, Adam Clarke, Will Griffin, Nathaniel Harper, Michael Hodgeson, Sam Lewin, Chris Mealin, Warren Spencer and Danny Sutton. They took part in six months of training and race preparation under the guidance of Team Dazzle experts.

All of the squad described racing at Le Mans as “a fantastic experience” and said that they had learned a great deal about working as a team. Carl Faragher, Acting Head of Outreach Services at The Children’s Centre, said, “The team were happy and surprised to be awarded the ‘Spirit of Karting’  trophy  that was presented to each member.

“For me this says it all. The award was for the way the group conducted themselves on and off the track, how they interacted with other teams during the European Pro Kart Endurance Championship (EPEC) series, and for the team work they displayed. It has been an amazing project to be part of and has had such a positive impact on the lives of the individuals involved.”

In preparation for Le Mans the team was supported by several Island organisations. Donations have been received from Collins Stewart Wealth Management, Arland Ussher Charitable Trust, and Robert Hamilton Charitable Trust.

The team was also supported by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company who provided reduced price ferry crossings, and Kingswood Honda who provided race suits. 

Thanks were expressed by the team to ‘Team Dazzle’, the team’s sponsors, and the Isle of Man Karting Association which allowed the team to use the Jurby track for practice sessions.