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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.

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 sales@aluminos.com

 E mail the editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk for details

TEAM ALUMINOS SCORES TWO PODIUM FINISHES AT INFINEON 

ProKart Challenge North opener in Sonoma sees Aluminos staff behind the wheel 

The Team Aluminos kart racing team opened up their assault on the ProKart Challenge North program this past weekend as the first round of the new NorCal series was held at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center in Sonoma, CA. Aluminos owner Rob Soares (pictured), team engine builder George Tavares, and team driver Marc Elliott had a relaxed and fun weekend after what has been a busy three months for the San Ramon, California-based team to start the 2008 season. It may have been relaxed, but the results were very promising for the freshman squad. 

Soares, no stranger to the driver’s seat, competed in the TaG Masters division after having watched his drivers go at it during the SKUSA WinterNational Series in Southern California through the first three months of the year. Though the turnout was low in the category, Soares had no easy time of it. After qualifying second, he scored second and first place results in the heat races to set up his charge in the main event. In the final on Saturday afternoon, Soares had am enjoyable battle with his fellow class rival and another driver from the TaG Masters Light division, which was running on-track at the same time. When the checkered flag fell, Soares would come in second in class, but fourth overall, edging the other competitor at the line. 

In S4, Tavares slowly got back into the groove behind the wheel. After qualifying fifth, he recorded a fifth and a fourth in the heat races, prepping for what would be a great fight in the final. Advancing to as high as second place, Tavares was edged at the line by just half-second, having to settle for the third spot on the podium. 

Elliott flew the Aluminos colors in the ultra-tough S3 division. In only his third Stock Moto start, the Colorado pilot was running up front behind the defending SKUSA SuperNationals champion Tom Dyer all weekend. A second and third in the heat races gave Elliott a good starting spot for the 15-lap main event and despite running second early in the event, he fell off toward the end of the race and eventually finished a solid fourth. 

Team Aluminos will now gear up for the second round of the ProKart Challenge South program, set for April 26 at the Buttonwillow Kart Track in Buttonwillow, CA.

ALUMINOS SCORES TWO PODIUM FINISHES AT CALSPEED 

ProKart Challenge SoCal opener in Fontana sees NorCal-based team find success 

The Team Aluminos kart racing squad opened up their assault on the ProKart Challenge SoCal program with the first round held at the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, CA this past weekend. Eight drivers battled in three categories for the San Ramon, California based operation with Canadian Scott Rossi and Colorado pilot Marc Elliot (pictured) earning podium finishes aboard their Aluminos-prepared GP karts. 

After running the SKUSA WinterNational Championship Series with Team Aluminos, Rossi made the late decision to attend the event and, after a flight delay, the Canadian arrived late on Friday evening, missing the entire day of practice. With very little sleep and fighting an illness all day, Rossi performed like veteran rather than the rookie senior driver that he is. Competing against a former two-time national champion in Alex Speed, Rossi held his own, running second to Speed in qualifying and both heat races. The long day took its toll on the young driver, as the illness over came him in the final, dropping him to the third position on the podium. 

In the S3 class, four drivers were flying the Team Aluminos colors, each showing good speed while competing for the podium spots. Early on, Brad Dunford led the squad with a third in qualifying, followed by Stock Moto newcomers Kyle Hathcox (fourth) and Harley Owen (sixth). Colorado’s Marc Elliot - making the transfer from the S1 class – was seventh fastest. Hathcox was the highest finisher in the two heat races, running third, but it would be Elliot who would put Team Aluminos on the podium in the main event. 

Elliot got the jump on Hathcox at the drop of the green and would advance to third on lap four and would go unchallenged for the 20-lap race. Dunford would get shuffled back in the opening laps, but rebounded to follow Owen across the line for an Aluminos 3-4-5-6 finish in S3. 

Blair Chang represented Team Aluminos in G1 after moving up from the G2 category. Getting in quicker laps towards the end of the weekend, Chang’s main event was cut short after 12 laps as he too was feeling under the weather. In Chang’s his former division, rookie Kurt Brunner and Bryan Benso - returning to karting for the first time since SuperNats in 2006 - competed in a growing field. Benso improved each session out, advancing up to fifth in the main event, while Brunner continued to gain valuable racing experience with a 10th place finish. 

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. 

ALUMINOS WRAPS UP SKUSA WINTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN 

Two podium finishes in series finale in Fontana 

Brad Dunford scored his first SKUSA podium with a great third place run in the S3 class as the WinterNationals finale (pic: shelbygibbs.com)

The emerging Team Aluminos kart racing team  travelled to the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, Californaia 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. 

ALUMINOS BAGS FIRST SKUSA WINTERNATIONAL VICTORIES 

Race wins and podium finishes highlight wild weekend in San Diego

Team Aluminos kart racing team (www.aluminos.com) were at Qualcomm Stadium this past weekend to compete in the second round of the Superkarts! USA WinterNational Championship Series, running on a wide and fast temporary circuit laid out on the facility’s expansive parking lot. Coming off a solid series debut at the opener in early January, the team again proved that they are set to become a powerhouse on the circuit, posting a pair of wins and a handful of podium finishes during a weekend that saw sunny skies on Saturday and challenging rain and cold on Sunday.  The team performed well under the watchful eyes of GP Racing’s Beppe Cavaciuti and his son Gian, who flew in from Italy to support the team, which utilizes their chassis line. 

Aluminos welcomed rookie senior driver Scott Rossi under the tent for this weekend, and the Canadian delivered the squad with a pair of S1 wins, outrunning the competition on Saturday before hitting the track as the only brave pilot in the class in Sunday’s downpour.  Rossi proved his driving abilities and the quality of the GP package when he laid down amazing laps that left the paddock chasing him around the soaked track. 

G1 sophomore Blair Chang turned in a great performance on Saturday, stepping up to score another podium finish with an impressive runner-up finish on Saturday. In the Stock Honda classes, Brad Dunford showed good speed in both the wet and the dry, posting a top-five result on Saturday before running to fourth in the rain on Sunday. In S4, Phil Dunford returned to competition after a four-year absence to join his son Brad on-track and the veteran drove to the podium on Saturday, taking third in class. 

In the strong TaG Senior division, Harley Owen spring-boarded off his fourth place finish at the series opener in January by again running in the top-five.  Another strong outing looked in the cards for the young Arizona pilot, that is, until the bolts backed out of his rear sprocket, sending the chain awry and putting Owen on the sidelines with eight laps to go.  On Sunday, Owen slipped him his rain suit to get some much needed rain experience, as this outing was his first opportunity to run in the wet. 

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 drivers on-track as well as in the trailer in deciphering the information they collect from their top-notch data acquisition equipment.