A quartet of fleet industry motor sport fanatics are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for charity by competing in a European 24-hour kart race.

The team led by Mike Smith, joint managing director of Fleet Assist, includes industry colleagues Duncan Metcalfe, international remarketing manager at  Alphabet, Alan Green, remarketing manager at LeasePlan UK, and Fleet Assist senior service booking co-ordinator Alex Marwick.

The 24-hour event held over the weekend of July 11-12 will takes place at the Alain Prost Circuit next to the Porsche Curves at the famous Le Mans race circuit in France.

This year Smith and his team will be raising money to fund a new minibus for the Nene Valley, Northamptonshire, branch of PHAB, a national charity dedicated to the integration of people with physical disabilities in the community, with the aim of promoting and encouraging people of all abilities to come together on equal terms.

Smith, who in his spare time swaps his role for for driving a PHAB minibus, will be competing in a 24-hour kart race for the fifth time.

Competing against a host of professional teams, the race promises to be no ‘walk in the park’ as it is the European round of the Teeside Karting Championship, which traditionally attracts some of the best kart drivers in the UK.

Smith, who holds an international rally licence and has a lengthy motor sport career behind him, said: “During the race we will each complete three two-hour stints behind the wheel and when you are nearer to 60-years-old than you are to 50, six hours in a kart capable of speeds up to 70 mph is physically very demanding. Last year we covered more than 1,000 miles at race speed in the 24 hours: the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats and back to Glasgow, in a kart!”

However, he added: “It is all in an extremely worthwhile cause. The PHAB branch where I help as a volunteer driver operates two minibuses, which are a lifeline for members and transport people, many of whom are wheelchair bound, from their homes to weekly meetings as well as to national events, residential breaks and other activities.

“One of the minibuses is no longer roadworthy and the condition of the other means it is close to turning its wheels for the final time thus restricting the length of journeys made.

“The branch does not have enough funds available to replace the defunct minibus which means we can no longer collect some people. Therefore, the aim of the kart team is to raise enough money to fund a new minibus, which will help to make a big difference to the lives of many disabled people who without the vehicles would have a very limited life.”

Donations can be made via the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/Mike-Smith76

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