The Race Against Cancer is an international charity motorsport event held in Europe, conceived by Rick Osborn and Matt Roberts. Held for the first time in November 2007 in Hertfordshire, England, the concept behind the event is to bring a collection of star racing drivers and motorcyclists together to race purpose built racing karts, raising money for Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...

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Despite being a competitive event, the drivers enjoy the relaxed international atmosphere and the opportunity to race drivers and riders from other formulae than their own. The event is also well known for its discerning corporate backers, including the likes of Alpinestars

Alpinestars

Alpinestars is a manufacturer of technical, high performance protective gear for motorcycle and auto racing , as well as action sports such as Mountain Biking and Surfing....

, Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins is a British loudspeaker company that produces mid-range through reference quality hi-fi and home theater speakers. The company name is often abbreviated to just B&W.Joe Atkins is current owner and chairman...

, Google

Google

Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

 and Shell

Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...

. It is rumoured the second TRAC event is to return in 2010.

2007 - First TRAC event

The inaugural event was held at Rye House

Rye House Kart Circuit

Rye House Kart Circuit is a kart circuit, in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England, and is adjacent to the Rye House StadiumThe circuit is one of the oldest in the country, and has been driven by many of the big names in motorsport, including Jenson Button, Anthony Davidson, and Lewis Hamilton.It hosts...

, situated in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. It featured a variety of motorsport stars including reigning Euro F3 champion Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean is a racing driver, who holds dual nationality from France and Switzerland, but competes under a French racing licence. He was the 2007 Formula Three Euroseries drivers' champion and the inaugural GP2 Asia Series champion and drove in Formula One in 2009...

, WTCC race winner Alain Menu

Alain Menu

Alain Menu is a Swiss racing driver. He was one of the most successful touring car drivers of the 1990s, winning the prestigious British Touring Car Championship twice . He currently races for Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship.- BTCC :He is the son of a farmer...

, GP2 winner Javier Villa

Javier Villa

Javier Villa García is a Spanish racing driver living in Arriondas, Asturias, Spain. He was the most experienced driver in the history of the GP2 Series...

 and MotoGP 250 winner Mika Kallio

Mika Kallio

Mika Kallio is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He debuted in the 125cc World Championship with the Finnish rookie team Ajo Motorsport in 2001 and was awarded the "Rookie of the Year" in 2002...

. The karts used were 100cc 2-stroke racing karts, capable of speeds in excess of 70 mi/h. Multiple motorbike and Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 world champion John Surtees

John Surtees

John Surtees, OBE is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He was 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956 and 1958–60, Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels...

 championed the inaugural event, calling for it to become a regular fixture on the motorsport calendar.

Results

Superpole Qualifying:

1st - Javier Villa

Javier Villa

Javier Villa García is a Spanish racing driver living in Arriondas, Asturias, Spain. He was the most experienced driver in the history of the GP2 Series...

2nd - Riki Christodoulou

Riki Christodoulou

Riki James Christodoulou is a British racing driver and is the cousin of Adam Christodoulou, the winner of the 2008 Formula Renault UK Championship.-Karting:...

 

3rd - Matt Hamilton

Heat #1:

1st - Javier Villa

Javier Villa

Javier Villa García is a Spanish racing driver living in Arriondas, Asturias, Spain. He was the most experienced driver in the history of the GP2 Series...

2nd - Ben Hanley

Ben Hanley

Ben Hanley is a British racing driver who competed in the first part of the 2008 GP2 Series season. He is also a member of the Renault F1 team's young driver program.- Career :...

3rd - Sam Bird

Sam Bird

Sam Bird is a British racing driver; he was educated at Millfield School in Somerset.-Formula BMW:Bird made his name in single seater racing in the Formula BMW category, coming fourteenth overall in his debut season and second in the rookie cup...

Heat #2:

1st - Alain Menu

Alain Menu

Alain Menu is a Swiss racing driver. He was one of the most successful touring car drivers of the 1990s, winning the prestigious British Touring Car Championship twice . He currently races for Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship.- BTCC :He is the son of a farmer...

2nd - Sam Bird

Sam Bird

Sam Bird is a British racing driver; he was educated at Millfield School in Somerset.-Formula BMW:Bird made his name in single seater racing in the Formula BMW category, coming fourteenth overall in his debut season and second in the rookie cup...

3rd - Riki Christodoulou

Riki Christodoulou

Riki James Christodoulou is a British racing driver and is the cousin of Adam Christodoulou, the winner of the 2008 Formula Renault UK Championship.-Karting:...

Grand Final:

1st - Javier Villa

Javier Villa

Javier Villa García is a Spanish racing driver living in Arriondas, Asturias, Spain. He was the most experienced driver in the history of the GP2 Series...

2nd - Sam Bird

Sam Bird

Sam Bird is a British racing driver; he was educated at Millfield School in Somerset.-Formula BMW:Bird made his name in single seater racing in the Formula BMW category, coming fourteenth overall in his debut season and second in the rookie cup...

3rd - Riki Christodoulou

Riki Christodoulou

Riki James Christodoulou is a British racing driver and is the cousin of Adam Christodoulou, the winner of the 2008 Formula Renault UK Championship.-Karting:...

4th - Thor-Christian Ebbesvik

5th - Tim Sugden

Tim Sugden

Tim Sugden is a British racing driver. He is both driver and manager for his own racing team, Tim Sugden Motorsport.-Early career:...

6th - Jon Lancaster

Jon Lancaster

Jon Lancaster is an English racing driver.-Formula Renault 2.0:Having competed in karting between 1999 and 2006, Lancaster moved up to single-seater formulae racing, by competing in two Formula Ford races in the Stars of Silverstone series, winning one before moving into the Formula Renault 2.0 UK...

7th - Jonathan Kennard

Jonathan Kennard

Jonathan Kennard is an English racing driver. He has won 2 series titles, Formula Palmer Audi in 2004 and the FPA Winter Trophy the previous year in 2003. He has also completed several tests for the WilliamsF1 team.He is race winner in both the National class and Championship class of British...

8th - Paul Rees

9th - Chaz Davies

Chaz Davies

Chaz Davies , is a Welsh motorcycle racer. He is the 2011 World Supersport champion.-Early years:...

10th - Rob Huff

Rob Huff

Robert "Rob" Peter Huff is a British racing driver. He currently competes in the World Touring Car Championship for the Chevrolet team, driving the Chevrolet Cruze.-Early years:...

Fastest Lap - Riki Christodoulou

Riki Christodoulou

Riki James Christodoulou is a British racing driver and is the cousin of Adam Christodoulou, the winner of the 2008 Formula Renault UK Championship.-Karting:...

 - 43.35s

Additional positions of interest: 11th Alain Menu

Alain Menu

Alain Menu is a Swiss racing driver. He was one of the most successful touring car drivers of the 1990s, winning the prestigious British Touring Car Championship twice . He currently races for Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship.- BTCC :He is the son of a farmer...

, 12th Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean is a racing driver, who holds dual nationality from France and Switzerland, but competes under a French racing licence. He was the 2007 Formula Three Euroseries drivers' champion and the inaugural GP2 Asia Series champion and drove in Formula One in 2009...

, 18th Chris Harris

Chris Harris (speedway rider)

Christopher Calvin "Chris" Harris in Truro, Cornwall, nicknamed Bomber, is a Great Britain international speedway rider for the Belle Vue Aces in the United Kingdom.- Early career :...

 and 20th Bradley Smith

Bradley Smith (motorcyclist)

Bradley Smith is an English motorcycle racer, currently competing in the Moto2 Grand Prix World Championship. He was a regular frontrunner in the 125cc class, recording three wins, twenty podium finishes as well as nine pole positions in his five seasons in the class...

.

James Jakes

James Jakes

- T-Cars :Jakes started his racing career in 2002 competing in 5 rounds of the T-Car Championship. In 2003 James continued in T-cars, finishing 2nd in the championship.- Formula Renault :...

, Mika Kallio

Mika Kallio

Mika Kallio is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He debuted in the 125cc World Championship with the Finnish rookie team Ajo Motorsport in 2001 and was awarded the "Rookie of the Year" in 2002...

, Tom Onslow-Cole

Tom Onslow-Cole

-Career:Onslow-Cole began his career in karting at the age of eight. He was the 2006 Renault Clio Cup champion, winning the title by 113 points from his nearest rival. This allowed him to graduate to the BTCC for the 2007 season...

 and Ben Hanley

Ben Hanley

Ben Hanley is a British racing driver who competed in the first part of the 2008 GP2 Series season. He is also a member of the Renault F1 team's young driver program.- Career :...

 all suffered accidents forcing them out of the race.

TRAC 2010

A date has not been confirmed for the 2010 event, however rumours suggest the event will return with over 30 star drivers on British soil in late 2010.

Media

The race received much acclaimed media press coverage and was featured in Top Gear Magazine, Autosport, EVO, GPUpdate, Motorsport News, Karting Magazine, Pistonheads and more. The race was also televised and aired in June 2008, the show produced by Blueflair Productions was presented by Emma Rigby

Emma Rigby

Emma Catherine Rigby , is an English actress, best known for her role in Hollyoaks as Hannah Ashworth.-Career:In February 2010 Emma Completed, with International Fashion Photographer Rory Lewis.-Television:...

 and featured interviews with Damon Hill

Damon Hill

Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...

, Alain Menu

Alain Menu

Alain Menu is a Swiss racing driver. He was one of the most successful touring car drivers of the 1990s, winning the prestigious British Touring Car Championship twice . He currently races for Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship.- BTCC :He is the son of a farmer...

 and Rob Huff

Rob Huff

Robert "Rob" Peter Huff is a British racing driver. He currently competes in the World Touring Car Championship for the Chevrolet team, driving the Chevrolet Cruze.-Early years:...

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Official sites

• cancerresearch.org.uk — The official site of Cancer Research UK.