NorCal-based operation providing positive and powerful performance on and off the track
SAN RAMON, CA – Now five months into the karting season, the ’08 campaign has been a non-stop journey for the Aluminos staff and drivers. Beginning with the SKUSA WinterNational Championship Series, the Aluminos trailer has traveled many miles to and from events, all in hopes of bringing the best experience possible to all the team’s drivers. Whether it’s the next rising star or the Monday morning businessman who’s looking to get the need for speed fix, Aluminos provides equally for all.

During the winter months, Aluminos hosted Canadian driver Scott Rossi under its team tent. The 15-year old was making the transition from the Junior to Senior ranks over the winter and Team Aluminos prepped an S1 machine for two of the three WinterNational events. In his opening weekend, Rossi and Aluminos stood on top of the podium twice, finishing the program second in the overall standings. Before making his first national start, Rossi returned twice for a few more refresher courses with Team Aluminos.

“We had nothing but positive experiences with Rob (Soares) and his crew at Aluminos,” stated Rossi. “The team is a hard working one and certainly led by Rob, who has a real hard working demeanor. They are helpful and provided everything we required to give positive results.”

On the opposite side of the spectrum are drivers like Kurt Brunner, a guy who works 9-5 and loves to get out and fill his need for speed. With his busy schedule, Brunner doesn’t have time to keep the kart in peak performance, and that’s where the Aluminos staff comes in. Keeping it stress free for the driver to concentrate on just driving, the Aluminos crew wrenches to keep the kart the best it can be and running at all time. To help with the driving, Aluminos owner Rob Soares brings in his experience along with other top notch karters like Tom Dyer and Lorenzo Mandarino, all there for each driver no matter their experience or results.

“Although I am relatively slow and still learning, they treat me equally with everyone else in the team and they afford the same time and opportunities to all,” states Brunner. “Under their patient tutelage, they have helped me gain valuable experience and knowledge as to driving techniques and have shown me how to be more consistent while increasing my speed. Additionally, they share their knowledge freely, which has aided me immensely in learning more about chassis and engine dynamics. Everyone is very cheerful and incredibly helpful, and they work well together as a team, complimenting and supplementing each others skills.”

Also part of the Aluminos program is teaching the father/son pairings that enter the sport of karting. Richard and Harley Owen along with Michael and Kyle Hathcox are just two families that are now part of the karting community, working with Team Aluminos. Along with driver coaching for the new, young driver, Aluminos is there helping the father to better understand how to adjust the kart/engine each weekend.

“We began racing under Aluminos in the TaG class and have since moved up to the stock shifter with the transition made smooth with the help of the Aluminos personal,” stated Richard Owen, father of driver Harley Owen. “Everything from driver coaching for Harley, to chassis and engine tuning for him and myself, Aluminos has helped us immensely in the short time we have been in the S3 division. Our friends the Hathcox have experienced the same benefits as well.”

Team Aluminos continued to improve on reaching their personal goals at the recent ProKart Challenge South event at the Willow Springs Kart Track in Rosamond, CA. Along with Owen and Hathcox, Brad Dunford ran the S3 class, leading the way in eighth with Owen running 11th. Hathcox had a rare DNF and is already raring to get back on-track to right the wrong. In G2, Brunner continues to improve his skills and gets quicker on-track each session, while fellow Aluminos driver Blair Chang recorded a third place finish in a heated battle. New to the squad, Nicola Galloni competed in the TaG Senior class, finishing fourth in the competitive category.

Next on the agenda for Aluminos will be round three of the ProKart Challenge North at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center in Sonoma, CA on June 13-14, followed by round four of the ProKart Challenge South at the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, CA on June 27-28. Anyone interested in learning more about this professional team are asked to contact Aluminos owner Rob Soares at 925.786.7865 or visit them online at www.aluminos.com . You can also e-mail Rob via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it