Carolynn Hoy has confessed to a mixture of happiness, relief, satisfaction and disbelief at reaching the end of the marathon 20-day, 700-mile BRDC Stars of Tomorrow Big Bike Ride that visited five circuits – and crossed three different countries.
In company with ‘the long-suffering' Peter Jones, Stars' director arrived at her destination of Larkhall in Scotland on 22 October, having set off from Llandow in south Wales almost three weeks earlier. Along the way the pair – accompanied on the latter half of the trek by Debbie and Cliff Sellers – received a warm welcome and hospitality from the Wrathalls, Gilmores, Christodoulous, Moores and JKH's John Hoyle amongst many others, as well as Prodrive, Sainsbury's, Bruntingthorpe airbase and all five of the British tracks used by the series in 2007.
“I was surprised to get to the end!” Hoy admitted. “I didn't think I was going to be able to make it – if someone had told me back at Shenington or
Silverstone that I would get all the way to Larkhall I don't think I would ever have believed them!
“It didn't get any easier, but I was able to do more as we went on. I realised Peter is very clever – he just gently pushes and pushes and pushes so it doesn't actually seem like you're going faster or up more hills when in reality you are.
“In a perverse way I did enjoy it. It was a terrific challenge with great company, and Peter, Debbie, Cliff and everyone else who joined us were all great fun. We met up with so many people along the way and everyone was so supportive.
“Poor Debbie did fall off at one point, though, and rather than help her Peter insisted on getting his camera out to photograph the wound. She wasn't too impressed by that…”
All money pledged and collected en route will go towards Stars' Karting for the Disabled initiative, a programme led by Karting Endeavour, an enthusiastic group of drivers who do not wish for their disability to get in the way of enjoying motorsport.
“We had so many phone calls along the way to wish us luck,” Hoy added. “The phone just never stopped ringing!
“I think we've raised about £15,000 so far which is absolutely fantastic – we are well on the way to our target of £50,000 during next year. It was definitely worthwhile.”
