Damon Hill Karting Challenge Returns for 2026
The Damon Hill Karting Challenge presents a special kind of race day, blending wheel-to-wheel competition with a genuine message and purpose.
Returning for its 13th year, this much-loved event once again brings together a passionate motorsport community in support of the remarkable halow charity.
Set for Wednesday 17 June 2026, the challenge takes place at Daytona outdoor karting venue at Sandown Park in Esher, offering an afternoon and evening of high-thrills racing, relaxed hospitality and meaningful fundraising.
An event with real racing spirit
Daytona Sandown’s 900-metre outdoor circuit delivers a proper racing challenge, with eight technical corners and multiple straights inviting bold late-braking heroics when fighting for a position.
With just 34 teams available, each made up of up to five drivers, the format strikes a balance between accessibility and competition.
After taking part in practice for some reconnaissance laps, teams will line up for a Le Mans-style, 2.5-hour endurance race. It’s a style of competition that rewards consistency and brings teamwork to the foreground.
And yes, the grid has some serious pedigree. Participants will have the rare chance to race alongside 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill himself, alongside a mix of other professional drivers, celebrities and passionate amateurs.
More than a race
Between stints on track, the atmosphere becomes less competitive and more convivial. The race day marquee provides a space to refuel and reconnect, with food and drink available throughout the afternoon.
With the engines falling silent as the evening begins, celebration becomes the focus. A prize-giving ceremony recognises the on-track achievements, before attention turns to a charity auction, raising vital funds for halow’s work supporting young adults with learning disabilities.
Supporting halow
Founded over two decades ago, halow provides tailored support designed to empower young adults with learning disabilities to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
As patron and co-founder, Damon Hill’s involvement ensures the event remains rooted in its mission. Every lap completed and every bid placed contributes directly to sustaining and expanding this vital work.
A day that delivers more than lap times
Everyone who enters the Damon Hill Karting Challenge will be hoping to stand on the podium come the end of the race, but the event is about more than that. It’s about shared moments and contributing to something that extends far beyond the circuit.
For teams, businesses and individuals alike, it offers a chance to step into a race environment that feels authentic, welcoming and purposeful in equal measure.
And somewhere between the first green flag and the auction hammer, you’ll realise that this is what motorsport looks like when it gives something back.