Photo finish final - From the Benalla Ensign

For the eighth consecutive year, the Combined Districts Kart Club’s Lithgow City Raceway turned pink on the last weekend of January when the iconic venue played host to the All Ladies National Event to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Competitors from many parts of Australia, including Western Australia (travelling more than 5000 km), the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria were all prepared to take on the NSW girls.

It was Benalla’s Ellexandra Best’s seventh year attending the event, previously as a midget, rookie and now junior competitor hoping to improve on her past results and bring home the pink plate that narrowly missed her grasp last year.

Competing in the Junior National Heavy class along with 11 others, Best started off well qualifying second in the class.

Best finished fourth in heats one and two and second in heat three, however was caught up in an ontrack incident that resulted in a 10 second penalty and a drop in positions to eighth.

Not to be deterred by the heat, Best worked hard in the pre-final to finish third.

It was another breathtaking final for 2014 and in true form Best worked hard in the early laps to put herself in with a chance to bring home the pink plate.

It came down to the last corner between three competitors, before a touch-up of karts left the battle between South Australian karter Holly Marquis and Best.

The two were neck and neck to the checked flag and side by side they crossed the finish line. With a difference of 0.0008 Marquis was awarded the pink plate honours with Best finishing in second.

This year’s event raised $35 590 to support the cause, which is extremely important to all the karters who participated. It has now raised more than $150 000 for National Breast Cancer Foundation.