Front Street yesterday.

White took the checkered flag in the prestigious Shifter A Class just as it was beginning to look as if the event might have to be brought to an impromptu end.

The day's racing was littered with accidents and the event had to be held up twice while drivers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Both incidents came in the Komer 80cc class. Tarah Cassidy was knocked unconscious for a time after hitting the bales in the trophy race and when it restarted Clayton Harshaw also struck the hay.

Cassidy returned after a check-up but race regulations prevented her from getting behind the wheel again, while Harshaw is believed to have remained at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The hold-ups added more than an hour and a half to the proceedings and the light was beginning to fade as the final competitors took to the track in Shifter A.

When the flag dropped, White led the field towards the Birdcage and although he never relinquished the lead he was pushed hard by John Carreiro Jr. to the delight of the thousands of spectators lining the course.

While they diced for the premier placing, Jason (Skuzzie) Smith fought hard to make it a three-way challenge. That was until he got out of sorts at the end of the fourth lap and hit the bales -- the incident dropping him way down the field and out of contention. White and Carreiro continued their duel and with one lap to go the latter looked like he might be in a position to challenge for the lead.

But White made his kart wide and was able to hold off his rival and take the flag.

"It was an excellent race,'' he said afterwards. "I had a lot of pressure from behind by Johnny but I ended up in the victory circle so that always makes it a good race.'' White said the gloomy conditions had made for an interesting contest. "I have a tinted visor and at times it was fogging up plus it was already dark,'' he said. "It makes it harder because you can't see as far into the distance so you have to concentrate closer.'' Asked if he had been confident of victory, White said: "I always race expecting to win but with good drivers like Jason North and Johnny Carreiro I put my money on the table and see what happens at the end of the day.'' White said he would mark the win with a well-earned drink with his pitcrew.

"I'm going down the East End. I don't know where at, maybe we'll be going all around but the celebration is on!'' he said.

Aaron DeShields swept to victory in the Open Class after his main rival, Michael DeSilva crashed out while leading.

"I didn't expect that at all. I got lucky,'' he said. "Something happened to the first placed car and he dropped out and I just inherited it. I was like `If I'm going to get passed, I'm going to get passed, but I'm going to do the best I can to stay out in front'.'' Justin Morley took the Yamaha Medium honours with a flag-to-flag victory ahead of Alex Roque and Michael DeCosta.

"This is the best finish I have had throughout my two seasons,'' said Morley.

"I haven't actually raced at all this season. It so happened it was my first race and things looked pretty good.'' After the red flag brought a temporary stop to the Yamaha Light Class, North crossed the line ahead of Jason Correia and Tania Madeiros.

Another accident meant a restart in Shifter B but Roger Cox managed to stay clear of the mayhem and take the win ahead of Alvin McIntosh and Rodney Simmons.

Stewart Ball drove a perfect race to take the Yamaha Can Class -- Rian Lindo taking second while Brandon Frank settled for third.

In the depleted Komer Class, Adam Correia took the honours with Ryan DeSilva second and 10-year-old Natasha Camara third.

Photos by Nigel Richardson Mean machines: Jason `Skuzzie' North (91), Scott Barnes (9), Michael DeSilva (54) and Patrick Ingham (84) head down Front Street during the Yamaha Light Class at the Bermuda Karting Club Grand Prix.

Crash course: Young karter Adam Correia strikes the hay bales during the 80cc Komer Class race.