Round 3 – Fulbeck – 210Challenge

Newsletter
Gearbox Festival, Fulbeck Round 3, Supa 60’s Round 2 and ‘The bake Off’.

The 210 Challenge brought a raw edge to the Fulbeck Gearbox Festival, filling the paddock with the sound, smell and character of historic Villiers-powered gearbox karts. Across the meeting, the class delivered close racing, mechanical drama and a clear reminder of classic karting’s enduring appeal.
On track, three 12-lap heats and a final saw the pace build throughout the day.

Away from the circuit, Saturday’s bake-off was another highlight, with Michael Owen taking the honours as the event raised an impressive £500 for the Lincolnshire Air Ambulance.

Harry Morris produced a standout moment by breaking Lionel Sifleet’s 44.11-second lap record, lowering the benchmark to 43.54. With further investigation Not only did smash the current lap record but he smashed the record of 43.98 previously held in 2018 by Lee Plain before the kerbing was altered.

Stuart Henry displayed his ambassadorial duties giving an unfaltering interview for the Paddock Show to be shown on live streaming.

Heat 1
Heat 1 saw Stone lead away before reigning champion Sifleet moved ahead as the race settled. Morris then closed on Stone, making the fight for 2nd the main battle. Sifleet edged clear while Morris passed Stone for 2nd and later set fastest lap. Bury also climbed strongly from 10th to 4th, though the podium gap was too much to close. In the midfield, traffic shaped the lower top-six battle before Henry came through to take 5th. Sifleet took a controlled win ahead of Morris and Stone, with Bury 4th Henry 5th and Fowler 6th

Heat 2
Morris controlled Heat 2 from the front, settling quickly into a strong rhythm and opening a useful gap as the field sorted itself out behind him. His advantage grew to more than five seconds in the closing stages, leaving him free to manage the pace and avoid unnecessary risks. Behind him, Sifleet recovered from the early pressure of Bury and established himself in 2nd place, with Bury keeping him honest but unable to mount a late challenge.

Further back, Stone produced one of the stronger late moves of the race, finding a way past Henry as the laps ticked down and then holding the place to the finish. Henry stayed close enough to keep the pressure on, while Smith, Sloane and Skull kept their karts running cleanly to make the flag. At the front, Morris never looked seriously threatened once the race settled down, completing a composed lights-toflag-style drive to take the chequered flag and top honours in this heat. Sifleet came home second ahead of Bury, with Stone next across the line followed by Henry with Smith completing the top 6.

Heat 3
Sifleet claimed victory in the 3rd heat, but only after a dramatic twist denied Morris what had looked like a dominant win. Morris nailed the start, reacted perfectly to the lights and swept into the lead, with D. Bury slotting into 2nd and Sifleet immediately giving chase. Sifleet wasted little time moving past Bury and set off after the leader, but Morris continued to stretch the gap before disaster struck. The number 41 kart suddenly pulled off turning a comfortable lead into a bitter retirement and handing Sifleet the race lead. From there, Sifleet kept his cool to bring the kart home, while Bury held firm for 2nd and Henry completed a measured drive to 3rd. Smith 4th , Sloane 5th and T. Bury 6th

Final
The 210 Challenge brought the 2026 Gearbox Festival to a thrilling close, with a final shaped by speed, survival and the unmistakable spectacle of the Villiers-powered gearbox karts. Sifleet lined up on pole alongside Bury, with Morris and Henry on row two, but it was Morris who produced the decisive launch, storming through from the second row to seize the lead into Turn One. Once ahead, Morris wasted no time stamping his authority on the race, building a gap as the field settled into pursuit. Sifleet, who had looked strong throughout the day, was hampered by a leaking tyre valve that left his kart unsettled and robbed him of pace, eventually forcing his retirement on lap 8. With one of the main contenders out, the fight behind the leader quickly intensified. Bury and Henry initially disputed the podium places before Stone joined the fight. Henry found a way past Bury on lap 6, with Stone following through on lap 10 to set up a tense run to the flag. The closing laps produced a heart-in-mouth moment for Henry while negotiating a backmarker, but although he recovered well, Stone was suddenly right with him and hassled him all the way to the finish. Out front, Morris had enough in hand to ease his pace in the closing stages while still completing a commanding victory, finishing nearly 19 seconds clear of Henry in 2nd. Stone completed the podium in 3rd ahead of Bury, while Smith and Sloane capped impressive days by completing all four races, with Smith consistently just ahead on the road. They finished 5th and 6th respectively, followed by Fowler in 7th, Hutton in 8th, Cox in 9th and Tony Bury completing the top ten.

Congratulations Harry Morris
2026 210 Gearbox Festival Champion.