It was go, go, go at the first ever Gazette Go Karting Le Mans.

Staff from Gazette HQ were invited down to see the newly refurbished Absolute Karting site, in Chineham.

The national firm recently invested £25,000 in the Basingstoke centre, which can now boast 270cc karts – among the fastest in the UK – a new wooded track for better grip, games facilities, freshely ground coffee, pizza making station and lounge area to relax after the race.

The idea behind the refurb is to create a better all-round experience for customers according to manager Mat Read.

He told The Gazette: “Before the waiting area was a bit dingy, now we believe we have created somewhere people will want to make a day of it.

“Rather than coming, racing then going, they can get on the track, have something to eat, play on the arcade games. It is all about the total experience.”

As well as offering their standard races, as part on the new look centre every Monday it will host an iron man style endurance race, where people will be on track for 90 minutes.

Mat added: “We weren’t sure if there would be an audience for it but the first couple have sold out already.

“We are also making a more competitive edge to our fastest laps giving away prizes.”

On the track the Gazette team was split into four teams of two racing for an hour straight swapping drivers in the style of the famous Le Mans 24 race.

After a few bangs and crashes, all eight racers managed to cross the chequered flag.

With time running out it was the editorial duo of head of news Dan Whiteway and reporter Harry Pamely who took the top podium spot by half a second, pipping head of advertising Amy Waissen and field sales executive Sasha Jones to the gold medal position.

To find out more about what Absolute Karting has to offer visit absolutely-karting.co.uk.