THE Theatre of Dreams - Manchester United's Old Trafford football stadium - provided the backdrop for the north west's finest fleet karting teams as they battled it out to become regional champions in the Kwik-Fit 2002 National Karting Challenge held in association with Fleet News.

Daytona Manchester's purpose-built indoor circuit provided a feast of competitive driving with a series of heats resulting in the top 10 points-scoring drivers qualifying for the grand final. The team with the most driver points during the evening would then qualify for the grand final in Milton Keynes on June 9. The early pace was set by First National Vehicle Contracts A team, closely followed by ARVAL PHH Manchester, while the B teams from both Lex Vehicle Leasing and GE Capital Fleet Services were in contention for most of the evening before tailing away late in the day.

In the final GE Capital Fleet Services A team could not pull back the points they needed and it was Shell Auto Finance which came through to beat Lex Vehicle Leasing's A team and First National Vehicle Contracts B side by the narrowest of margins.

Tonight the penultimate round of qualifying is due to take place with the north east heat in Bradford.