British Pedal Car Championships - 100–mile Endurance Race 2017

Ah, the British Pedal Car Championship—a seven-round affair that takes pedal-powered madness across England, starting in late March and dragging on all the way to late September. Think of it as Formula 1, but with a lot more leg work and considerably less glamour. The races vary in format, from quick 45-minute sprints to the gruelling 24-hour marathon at Shenington, Oxfordshire. But this particular meeting? Oh, it was the annual 100-mile endurance slog, set on a go-kart track just 525 metres long. Delightful.

For the uninitiated, a Pedal Car is an HPV – Human Powered Vehicle – which sounds far more futuristic than it really is. Most HPVs have two or three wheels, but pedal cars can have up to four. These aren’t just off-the-shelf jobs either. No, most are designed and built by the teams themselves. Because why not throw a bit of DIY engineering into the mix when you're already pedalling for miles in the rain?

Thirteen teams of four lined up for this sixth round of the series, all ready to take on the 100-mile challenge. But, oh dear, the weather had other plans. Just as the race was about to kick off at 11am, the heavens opened. And, naturally, the rain kept pouring for the bulk of the race, turning the track into a slippery, pedal-powered nightmare.

On the grid, last year’s champions, Apollo Racing’s car number 2, held pole position, flanked by team Royce Three in car 42 and Royce Two in car 3. But, as if anyone could have doubted them, it was Apollo Racing in car number 2 that took control of the race. They dominated from the start, although their drivers, bless them, occasionally got a bit too keen on overtaking slower cars, leading to some rather comical spins on the wet track.

In the end, though, it was Apollo Racing who triumphed once again, taking the win and bagging 25 crucial points towards the British Championships. Victory in the rain never tasted so sweet—unless, of course, you’re one of the teams still spinning off in the background.