Member Article

Darchem Engineering boss wins national motorsports crown

Racing track glory has come again to Graham Payne, the managing director of Stockton-On-Tees based Darchem Engineering, after he re-gained the title of National British Kart Champion, an accolade he first won 22 years ago – and beat rivals more than 30 years his junior.

Graham, 53, from Wolsingham now competes in karting when he is not at the helm of Darchem Engineering, a major UK subsidiary of the Esterline Corporation.

Since starting on the karting and motor racing circuits in his twenties, Graham has competed against some of the greats of the racing track including Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. As well as exceling at single –seater motor racing on the Formula Ford circuit, he clinched his first National British Kart Champion accolade in 1990 from the Motor Sports Association (MSA), the UK’s motor sports governing body.

The accolade of National British Kart champion is awarded to the driver who has scored the highest number of points across eight official rounds in karting competitions staged around the UK over the course of a year.

Graham Payne said: “I am absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious title for the second time, particularly after a 22-year gap! It’s a wonderful surprise and a great honour, and hopefully inspiration to anyone over 40 who thinks they’ve left it too late to take part in competitive sports.”

He added: “I would have loved to have competed on the Formula One motor racing circuit, but F1 is an expensive addiction and once my Formula Ford sponsorship ran out in the early 80s, I made the decision to return to my original passion of competitive karting.

“In 1990, I was delighted to win the MSA British Kart Championship for the first time. To win it a second time around and at my age is absolutely wonderful!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Recognition PR Business Team .