International BOCART race in England

In cooperation with our English importer Autoculture, Briggs & Stratton (American motor manufacturer), Calorgas, Countax (England's biggest manufacturer of garden tractors), Red Bull energy drink, the BBC and other major companies, we held a big charity race on 16 November just outside London.

The purpose of the race was to collect as much money as possible for disadvantaged English children. The goal was to collect at least DKK 100,000.
The race was a resounding success. Over DKK 150,000 was collected, and the sum continues to grow. The cheque was presented on a big TV show in a live BBC transmission Friday night. The race itself lasted 12 hours and was held on a specially prepared track normally used for rented mountain bikes. The race started at 9.00 Thursday morning and ran until 9.00 Thursday night.

The mood was fantastic right from the morning. People were arriving as early as 8.00 a.m. to examine the track and try it out. The temperature was around freezing, but the sun shone from a cloudless sky, so a better setting could hardly have been desired. People gathered around the finishing area around 8.45 a.m. and everybody was given their final instructions. There were six teams with six drivers per team, with drivers rotating after a minimum of 24 laps and 12 refuellings. Each time a team made a pitstop, a card was presented for either a change of driver or a refuelling, so planning of the day was important for all participating teams. At 9.00 a.m. the race was started by the BBC TV weather girl, and the first laps were rather crowded until all BOCARTS had spread out around the track.

The BBC had set up cameras on the track, and several photographers from the British press battled to take pictures for various articles. Gradually as the day moved on, a picture quickly emerged of who was among the favourites to win the "BOCART WORLD CHALLENGE". Countax and BOCART were side by side, and fought most of the day. The lead changed from side to side, but the Countax team, which consisted of a group of racing drivers, proved to be too great a challenge for BOCART, and BOCART slowly fell behind. The yellow flag was waved a few times (driving continues, but at reduced speed) while the track was moved and repaired in order to avoid an altogether too enormous mud bath.

It was quite calm in the pit, and there were no problems repairing the minor damage which occurred during the race. The only repairs were replacements of some connecting rods, and there was no need for all the tools which had been brought. All BOCARTS were the standard type. The only difference between an ordinary BOCART and those taking part in the race was that they ran on gas. There were a few worries in the pit in the morning because the carburettors were freezing in the cold weather, so a quick decision was taken, and all BOCARTS were converted to petrol over a two-hour period

At no time were there fewer than six BOCARTS on the track, and their durability proved to be exceptionally high.

Two BOCARTS rolled over during the 12 hours of the race. One accident occurred at a bend, where one BOCART slipped out and was rammed from the side, overturning it. The other accident also occurred at a bend, where one speeding BOCART hit a pothole and bounced. Unfortunately the BOCART turned around and landed sideways, so that it rolled over. It looked highly dramatic, but the race continued after it was righted again.

When it started to get dark in the afternoon, the track was illuminated by floodlamps.

All participants were becoming exhausted, and everybody was happy when the race finished at 9.00 p.m. Countax won with 678 laps, beating BOCART by six laps.

After the cups were awarded and the champagne had been emptied, all spectators and participants were treated to another big experience - a giant fireworks display which was a fantastic ending to a long and exciting day. Right after Friday night, everybody went to the BBC's studios, where we took part in a direct transmission, and where, together with many others, we handed over our contribution to the BBC's "Children in Need". The preparations for next year's race are already in full swing, and we're hoping for an even bigger success.

Flere forhandlere af andre udenlandske modeller af Fun-karts både amerikanske og engelske, roste BOCART for holdbarheden og designet, og meldte straks ud at de ville sælge BOCART i stedet. Dagene efter løbet kimede telefonerne hos vores engelske importør, han har allerede nu fået flere nye forhandlere af BOCARTS.

I løbet af en måneds tid vil vi modtage en CD fra BBC med en sammenklipning af dagen, og interesserede kan henvende sig så fremsender vi gerne et eksemplar.

Fredag aften gik turen så ud til BBC´s studier, hvor vi deltog på et direkte tv show og hvor vi sammen med mange andre overrakte vores bidrag til BBC´s ”Children in need” Forberedelserne til næste års løb er allerede i fuld gang, og vi håber på en endnu større succes.