Burghfield box karts race down the hill

MORE than 4,000 people lined the streets of Hermits Hill for the annual Burghfield Box Kart Bash on Sunday.

The popular event saw a total of 29 home-made karts hurtle 850m down Reading Road in a race against time.

This year’s wacky line-up included several novelty karts, namely an X-Wing fighter, The Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo and Daddy Pig’s car.  

Mortimer Sausage Co won the coveted ‘King of the Hill’ title, finishing the course in the fastest time of one minute and 10 seconds.

The Rebel Force was judged to be the Best Novelty Kart, while The Best Engineered Kart went to Team Maximum.

Run by the Burghfield Santas, the event raised thousands of pounds for Thames Valley Air Ambulance and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

During the break between runs, the Guide Dogs for the Blind provided guide dog displays and showed off adorable puppies to onlookers.  

The Thames Valley branch of the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club also provided nine vintage tractors to tow karts back to the top of the road.

Sunday’s kart-crazy party also saw the newly-introduced ‘splash zone’, which proved a hit with the kids.

Alongside the racing, organisers erected a huge screen in the park to ensure nobody missed England’s 6-1 drubbing of Panama in the World Cup.

Many more enjoyed the day via the live Facebook stream from cameras all down the course, which was all provided by local volunteers.

One of the organisers, Glyn Townsend, said: “We are so proud of our amazing community in Burghfield.

“We had more than 150 volunteers, including local Scouts, Air Cadets and the Women’s Institute, who all pulled together to raise a huge amount for good causes. 

“With a glass deposit scheme to reduce waste, the Box Kart Bash is really setting the standard for community events.”

Last year’s event raised more than £24,000 for local charities and the organisers are hoping to beat that total.

The Burghfield Santas are a community fundraising group for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance – and last year raised £50,000 through events, including Burghfest, the popular beer festival.