Not everything in business is competitive. But sometimes a bit of friendly competition is fun – and can even be enlightening.

That’s how it was at the end of July when FMS engineers and support staff decamped from our Malvern HQ to the Hereford Raceway karting track for a spirited afternoon of nose-to-tail rivalry.

For a change, our engineering teams were wrestling with a different type of technology, trying to squeeze the maximum performance out of the twin Honda GX160 engines in the Raceway’s new ‘Super-Fast Karts’ to get the edge on other drivers. The Standard GP race comprised five practice laps, three 7-lap race heats and a glorious 12-lap final.

After much sweaty jostling around the hotly-contested circuit, podium finishes went to Steve Moss with Bronze, Emily Noon with Silver and Alasdair Davis, who seized first place to win Gold. Each received a trophy to celebrate their motoring magnificence. But there’s more… as well as the three race winners, Bayley Rea set the fastest lap of the afternoon, bagging himself a bottle of fizz for his sterling high-speed effort.

Apart from the enjoyment of hurtling around a new 600-metre tarmac track, the karting extravaganza engendered a touch of team building and served as a small token of appreciation from the company for the hard work everyone has put in this year.