Teams from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex have come together on the track for an exciting day of go-kart racing and fundraising for the inaugural Daytona Go-Kart Race, raising an incredible £10K for KSS.
Fifteen teams, each with up to five participants, competed in a two-hour endurance event on Friday 20 June at Daytona Sandown Park. From novice drivers to seasoned karting enthusiasts, the afternoon was packed with adrenaline-fuelled racing, team building, and a powerful sense of community, which is helping KSS to save lives.
The race was won by Team Recklaw. A silent auction featuring exclusive prizes, live race commentary from a motorsport commentator, and a surprise flyover by a KSS air ambulance helicopter added unforgettable moments to the day.
It was wonderful to have the support of young racing driver Thomas Merritt, who is working in collaboration with KSS to increase awareness of the charity’s lifesaving work. Thomas, who is currently the leader of the 2025 BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship, raced as part of the KSS Crew Team.
Guests enjoyed chatting to KSS crew members, including pilots, doctors and paramedics, to get an insight into a day in the life of the crew. KSS Volunteer Nigel Baxter spoke about the benefits of volunteering and the impact that volunteers have.
We were also delighted to be supported by stunt Director of Mission Impossible Wade Eastwood, who talked about how grateful he was to air ambulances, and Brad Pitt’s stunt double in Formula 1 Luciano Bacheta.
Our Corporate Partnerships Manager, Rebecca Ussher, said: “This event was an incredible day of great racing, team spirit and generosity. It was fantastic to have KSS crew taking part, acknowledging support for our lifesaving charity. It was great to showcase our Corporate Partnership with Daytona and deliver this event, working together for our communities. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part and made this event such a success. Every lap raced is helping us deliver critical care when every
second counts. We’re so excited this is becoming an annual event and we’re already looking forward to next year.”
Charles Graham, CEO of Daytona Motorsport, added: “I’m so happy we were able to make this happen and raise over £10K for KSS, a cause close to my heart. I’m such an admirer of the Team over at KSS and really pleased we’re able to help them. It was amazing to have a flypast from one of the charity’s helicopters. Thank you to everyone at KSS, to my team and to all our Daytona friends for their time and generosity. See you next year!”
KSS is here for the millions of people living in communities across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The charity responds to an average of nine emergency calls each day, providing advanced pre-hospital emergency medical treatment and care which gives the most suddenly seriously injured and unwell people the best chance of survival – keeping more families together. It costs £56K a day to run this lifesaving service, funded mainly by the generosity of its supporters.
To find out how your business can help support our work, get in touch with our Corporate Relations Team on 01634 471 900.
