Daventry karting event to be held in memory of racing fanatic

A go-karting charity event is to be held near Daventry in memory of Paul Lee-Davis, a karting fanatic who died from a rare form of leukaemia.
Paul Lee-Davis NNL-180323-121918005Paul Lee-Davis NNL-180323-121918005
Paul Lee-Davis NNL-180323-121918005

Paul’s friend Dan Underhill is running the event for the seventh year in a row.

Dan and Paul both used to race together at Club100, where the event is being held.

Paul died of T-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia (T-PLL) in 2011.

Paul at the race track. NNL-180323-121908005Paul at the race track. NNL-180323-121908005
Paul at the race track. NNL-180323-121908005

He was a familiar face at Club100, and was known to many as a larger-than-life, hilarious and fun-loving friend.

Dan and Paul’s other racing friends honour his memory each year by coming together to do what Paul loved most and raise money to help fund research into his extremely rare and aggressive cancer.

The event will be held at Club100 in Whilton Mill on Sunday, March 31.

Entry is free to watch the event and there will be a food wagon and auction with some fantastic prizes such as two VIP tickets to the west end show Fastlove.

Race day. NNL-180323-122038005Race day. NNL-180323-122038005
Race day. NNL-180323-122038005

Dan Underhill, who is organising the go-karting event to raise funds for The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “Paul was such a fantastic friend.

“We raced together for many years.

“The response we receive every year is amazing, I’m so grateful for everyone that supports the race day.

“So many of the racers on the day knew Paul and remember him fondly.

Paul at the race track. NNL-180323-121908005Paul at the race track. NNL-180323-121908005
Paul at the race track. NNL-180323-121908005

“It’s so nice to come together like this and support the ICR in researching this rare cancer.”

Janet Lee, Paul’s mother, said: “I didn’t know anyone who didn’t like Paul. He was so funny.

“He loved nothing more than being with his mates, just being silly and having a laugh.

“He was honest to a fault and looked after his friends.

Race day. NNL-180323-122038005Race day. NNL-180323-122038005
Race day. NNL-180323-122038005

“After his fiancée Stacy, it’s fair to say karting was the love of Paul’s life.

“It is great to be part of this event and celebrate Paul’s life with his friends, doing what he loved most.”

Charlotte Orrell-Jones, head of events at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “We’re enormously grateful for the support from Dan and Paul’s family who have generously run this incredible event over the last seven years.

“It is amazing to see such a fantastic response to the day and the money they donate makes a huge difference in researching this extremely rare disease.”

The go karting event raises funds for research into T-PLL at The Institute of Cancer Research, London. Researchers are working to improve the outcomes for patients like Paul in the future.

Over the past six years the event has raised an amazing £26,000 for The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).

The racers buy tickets to take part, with proceeds going to the ICR.

Tickets to race have already sold out so the organisers expect this year’s event to be just as successful as the last.

When Paul was 37 years old he began getting pain in his legs.

After a few months of tests he was diagnosed with T-PLL.

After 18 months of treatment across Wolverhampton and Birmingham, including a bone marrow transplant, Paul died.

T-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia is extremely rare and only accounts for two per cent of all small lymphocytic leukaemias in adults.

T-PLL is an aggressive form of leukaemia with an average survival time, after diagnosis, of just seven and a half months.

The ICR has been carrying out world-leading research into the causes of cancer, and how it might be treated or prevented, for more than 100 years.

Today, it is a world leader at discovering new targeted drugs for personalised cancer treatment, identifying cancer-related genes and developing new high-precision forms of radiotherapy.

To support the Paul Lee-Davis 2018 Charity Event and donate to the ICR, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pld2018.