“Now listen up, all of you,” Charlie said, as we gathered round her in a huddle like a team of American football players. “Josh has got quite a few tricks up his sleeve that you need to know about.”

We all nodded solemnly. It was nearly time for the races to start, and we were already kitted up with our race suits open at the front so that everyone could see our T-shirts. We all had a silver streak in our hair too – we looked fab!

We were really hyped up about the races, but we knew that Charlie would give us some really good advice, so we were trying to listen hard. She’d just brought Silver Flash into the arena, and the look on Josh’s face when he’d realised that Frankie was going to be driving Charlie’s kart made us all laugh our heads off.

“OK, Josh can be a bit of a bully on the track,” Charlie began, and I rolled my eyes. That was no surprise. “He’ll do everything he can to get past you if you’re in front of him. When you’re coming up to a corner, he’ll try to cut in on you, even if there’s no room for him to overtake. What he wants you to do is back off and let him slip through. So you don’t.”

“What if we crash, though?” Lyndz asked.

“You won’t,” Charlie said confidently. “Josh will pull back at the very last minute, but only if he thinks you won’t give way.”

“What else?” I asked.

“He likes to try and confuse you about which side he’s going to overtake you on a corner,” Charlie went on. “So he’ll keep moving over to the outside of one of the bends on every lap. Then when you suss out what he’s doing and you move to the outside of the bend to block him, he’ll overtake you on the inside.”

“Sneaky!” Frankie remarked.

Charlie gave us loads more useful advice. She was still talking when the start of the races was announced over the loudspeaker. This was it. Now we were on our own.

“Good luck,” Charlie said, slapping me on the back. “I’ll be cheering for you all!”

“Thanks, Coach!” I grinned.

There were eight teams taking part, and we’d all be driving in two races each. Everyone would get points, depending on where they finished. I was going in the first race for us, along with Robin from Josh’s team and six other competitors. I couldn’t help feeling a bit sick as everyone went over to their karts. I didn’t usually get nervous, but I really wanted to do well this time.

“Welcome to the Silver Streak karting centre for our very first day of team racing!” The commentator’s voice boomed out over the loudspeaker. “And before we start, can I just say good luck to one of our teams who go by the name, the Sleepover Club?”

I almost jumped out of my skin. I wasn’t expecting that at all! The crowd started cheering and clapping, and so I waved at them and took a bow. I don’t know why the commentator had singled us out like that – maybe he thought we were bound to win?

“A little bird tells me that these brave girls have made a bet with boys’ team, the Kings of the Track,” the commentator went on. “And if the girls lose, they’ve got to be Josh Stevens’s cheerleaders!”

Everyone burst out laughing, and I nearly turned purple with embarrassment. I glanced over at the others, who were all red in the face and trying to hide behind each other. That little toad Stevens must be spreading it all around the track! That meant we couldn’t go back on the bet if we lost…Unless we never came to the track again. But anyway, Alana Banana Palmer would be bound to tell the M&Ms. It’d be all over Cuddington Primary in minutes.

I gritted my teeth. There was nothing else for it – we had to win!

I dunno what came over me when the race started, but I went for it. I scorched out of the starting grid like I had a rocket up my bottom – none of the other eight karts had a chance! Fifteen laps later I crossed the finishing line miles ahead of Robin, who was second. What a start!

’Course, we were all celebrating like mad when I came off the track, but we didn’t have a lot of time because the race marshalls wanted to get on to the next race. Next up was Fliss, and she was racing against Alex, along with, amongst others, Alana Banana.

Guess what?

Fliss came first too!!!

She had a really difficult race because she and Alex were neck and neck most of the time, but she just about managed to get across the line ahead of him. Class! And guess who came last?

No, you don’t get a prize for saying Alana Banana did. She’s so dozy, I don’t think she even realised it was a race!

“Look, we’re winning!” Frankie said gleefully, as the team’s scores flashed up on to the display board. We were, too! We were ahead of Josh’s team by two points.

“It’s me next,” Rosie wailed, looking scared to death. “And Josh is in my race!”

“Look, don’t panic,” Lyndz said. “You don’t have to beat him, just do your best.”

“Yeah, remember what Charlie said,” I reminded her. “All the points count.”

Rosie did do her best, but she was never going to catch Snooty Stevens. She did OK, though – she came third. But Josh came in first, which meant that the boys were catching up with us.

I nudged Frankie when the scores came up again on the display board. “Look, we’re level,” I said anxiously. “We really need to get a few wins in now, and pull ahead.”

“It’s Lyndz next,” Frankie said, “and she’s up against Nathan.”

“Don’t worry,” Lyndz said calmly, putting on her helmet. “His horse isn’t as fast as mine!”

We all watched with our hearts in our mouths as the fourth race began. Lyndz did really well, but she didn’t win. She did come second though – and luckily for us, Nathan finished behind her in third place. Phew! That meant our score was higher than the boys again.

“I’m so nervous!” Fliss complained, pacing to and fro as we waited for the fifth race to start. “It’s driving me mad!” She brightened up a bit. “Hey, driving me mad – get it?”

We all groaned.

“Come on, Frankie,” I muttered, as we watched her climb into Silver Flash, ready to start the race. “You can do it!”

Silver Flash stood out against all the other boring karts in the race – it really looked fantastic. Frankie was going against Ben this time. If we could just win it, our lead over the boys would be even bigger.

We all waited in silence for the marshall’s flag to drop. Then, when it did, we started screaming our heads off.

“Go, Frankie!”

“Go, Silver Flash!”

“Come on, Sleepover Club!”

Not that Frankie actually needed us to yell for her – she was doing all right on her own! Silver Flash shot into the lead from the start, and nobody could catch her. She completed the fifteen laps as if she was on the track on her own, and cruised over the finishing line in first place while everyone else still had half of the last lap to complete. The best thing was, Ben only finished in fourth place. The first five races were over, and we were four points ahead of the boys!

We were all getting really excited and doing lots of woo-hooing at this point. Charlie kept trying to calm us down.

“There’s still five races to go,” she kept saying. “Anything can happen.”

And you’ve guessed it. It did.

I think it was me who put everyone off. I was zooming round the track in my second race, when I misjudged a corner badly. I spun right off the track and hit the barrier, and half of the other karts, including Alex, swept past me.

I was really mad with myself. I managed to get my kart going again, and I guess I did pretty well to come in fourth after all that. Luckily Alex didn’t win, but he did come second, which cut our lead down to two points.

After that, everything seemed to go a bit pear-shaped. Lyndz could only manage third place in her second race, while Robin was second, and Fliss just about managed to hang on for second place in the next race ahead of Nathan. Then Rosie went against Ben and came fourth, while Ben was second. That meant trouble.

“We’re level again,” I groaned, as the display board flashed up the latest figures. “I don’t believe it!”

And there was only one race left.

Frankie versus Josh. And whoever finished in front of the other, their team would win the prize.

“It’s all down to you, Frankie,” Rosie said solemnly.

“And Silver Flash,” Frankie replied. She looked a bit sick, and I didn’t blame her.

We all watched in silence as the eight karts lined up for the very last race. All the members of the other teams and the spectators were wittering on, saying how exciting it was that it was so close for the final race. But we didn’t think it was exciting at all. We were all wetting ourselves!

We soon cheered up when the race started. Frankie swooped off the starting grid, and took the lead immediately in Silver Flash!

“Yes!” Rosie yelled. “Keep going, Frankie!”

“You can do it, Frankie!” Lyndz shouted.

“Oh, I can’t watch!” Fliss moaned, and covered her eyes. But half a second later she was glued to the track again.

I was glad Frankie was in the lead, of course, but as the race settled down, I began to feel a bit worried. Josh wasn’t challenging Frankie for first place. He seemed quite happy to stay behind her in second, and just keep watching and waiting for the right moment to overtake. But when was he going to do it?

Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen laps. There were only two laps left, and Frankie was still just about in the lead. We were all hoarse from cheering too much, and Josh was still in second place.

And THEN it happened.

Alana Banana was right at the back of everyone else. In fact, she was so slow that Frankie was about to lap her, but Alana was blocking her way. The marshall started signalling to Alana to pull over. Guess what? She’s such a dozy idiot, she just waved back at him!

Anyway, it took about a minute or two before Alana Banana realised what was happening, and then she pulled over – right into Frankie’s path! Frankie had to brake to avoid her, and guess who shot through the gap like an arrow and took the lead?

Josh flippin’ Stevens, that’s who!