The emerging Team Aluminos kart racing team (www.aluminos.com) traveled to the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, CA for the final round of the SKUSA WinterNational Championship Series. Five drivers participated in the S1 and S3 categories, flying the Aluminos colors on the weekend, scoring a podium finish in each category. The team’s S3 competitors were also a part of the inaugural Stock Moto Winter Shootout promoted by Superkarts! USA.
Brad Dunford was one of three Aluminos entries in S3 and was strong all weekend in the Stock Moto Winter Shootout. After a slow start in qualifying on Saturday, Dunford used the two heat races to advance his position for the main event, where he would finish fourth. On Sunday, Dunford ran towards the front all day, finishing third in the final, recording his first podium finish in SKUSA competition. Harley Owen and new Aluminos teammate Kyle Hathcox each made the transition from TaG to S3 during the weekend, both continuing to improve during each session that they were on -rack. Hathcox recorded main event finishes of fifth and fourth, while Owen was classified in sixth and fifth, both remarkable rookie performances.
Canadian Scott Rossi once again traveled in to run with the team in S1. Qualifying third on Saturday morning, Rossi recorded finishes of second and first in the heat races, positioning himself for a victory in the final until a flat tire took him out of contention. Sunday’s schedule began with Rossi topping the timing charts in qualifying and earning a win in the opening heat race. In the second moto, Rossi stalled his engine when the lights went out to start the race, dropping him at the tail of the field. Charging from the back in the final, Rossi battled for the victory with eventual winner Jacob Neal, coming home just 0.188-seconds short at the stripe. Aluminos’ newest S1 driver Marc Elliott was adjusting to his new team and dealing with a stomach virus, running seventh on Saturday. Elliott felt much better on Sunday and improved to fourth in the final tally.
Continuing to establish its position in the sport, Aluminos Inc. is a manufacturing and distribution company specializing in kart racing specific products, based out of San Ramon, CA. The nucleus of the company began as an asset purchase of a portion of Ron White’s Mirage Motorsports by Aluminos’ Rob Soares. A fixture in the US karting scene for the last five years, the former owner of GP kart importer KLS Racing has returned to the competition side of the sport, creating the Aluminos Trackside Support and Arrive & Drive programs while working with GP Karts and KLS Racing. Soares has put together a veteran support team, which includes veteran national frontrunner Tom Dyer, noted engine builder and tuner Vince Mandarino and mechanic George Tavares. As a well-respected driver and coach, Dyer also works with the team's drivers on-track as well as in the trailer in deciphering the information they collect from their top-notch data acquisition equipment.
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