Greg's special 50th

GUERNSEY kart driver Greg Robert is dreaming of the perfect 50th birthday present - a top-15 finish in the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship. The chartered accountant will be racing against the cream of Europe at speeds between 150 and 160mph at the full Grand Prix circuit at Magny-Cours in France next weekend.

The following week he reaches his half-century.

'The top 15 is probably out of my reach and if I did achieve that, it would be awesome.

It's probably an unrealistic dream,' he admitted.

'It happens to coincide with 50 years and to come out with some championship points would really put the icing on the cake.'

Having entered just one round of the championship for the past three years, which has maintained his international licence status, he intends competing in all three rounds for the first time.

He has always intended fulfilling a full European season but work and family commitments have prevented him before.

Next stop will be Assen in Holland in August, then Sachsenring in the east of Germany in September.

Each championship round consists of two qualifying sessions to determine grid positions and two races in which the top 15 drivers in each score points.

Up to 60 karts, including his Anderson 250cc Rotax with six-speed gearbox engine, are expected at the start line in France - making the first few corners of the 4.41-mile track more than a bit crowded.

'It's fast and furious and it's a rolling start. In some ways I would like to be watching - the adrenalin rush must be amazing,' said Robert.

'It's very scary being in the middle of it. I normally qualify mid-pack and it's very busy. The middle of the pack are scurrying for positions on the first hairpin.'

'When you are doing the speeds of these things, mistakes do happen. You do get contact but it's not deliberate. People take different approaches into each corner. But you do have a lot of trust in the other drivers around you. Everyone wants to reach the finish,' he said.

Each race is 12 laps.

'You are racing 35-miles plus - with such a small fuel tank you can't go much further. I'm looking forward to it greatly, more so than the last two years.'

In 2004 he came 30th at Magny-Cours, 22nd in Hockenheim in 2005 and 24th there last year.

'I am hopeful of top 25 finishes and a top 20 would be a real bonus as I am racing against some of the cream of Europe who race much more regularly than I do and pump a lot more cash into their machinery too.

'It takes a lot of effort to get that high up the field - I'm hoping I have the fitness for it and I'm mentally right.'

'It's not far off the pinnacle of what I could do. The racers I'm against race every few weeks around Europe,' he said.

Competing does not come cheap and involves a lot of travelling.

'We are talking big numbers,' he confirmed.

Three sets of tyres are needed for each meeting and control fuel. It costs thousands of pounds to participate, not including the kart cost.

Practice and qualifying will be held on Friday, qualifying and race one next day and race two on Sunday.