Aluminos Triumphs in Lancaster
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- Created on Tuesday, 06 October 2015 15:45
- 06 Oct
The Aluminos squad celebrates the two victories at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix (Photo: Aluminos)
Matt Hamilton piloted his Aluminos kart to the S1 Pro Stock Moto victory (Photo: DromoPhotos.com)
Hamilton was making his first start at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, coming all the way from New Zealand to join the Aluminos squad for the street race. Hamilton was among the quick drivers in the warm-up sessions, and found his way to the top of the order in qualifying, posting a 40.337-second lap. It was just one tenth of a second off the track record, giving the Kiwi the pole position for the opening heat race. Hamilton lost the lead on the opening lap of the race, and while posting the fast lap, remained in the second position at the checkered. The next day was Heat #2 to begin the day, with Hamilton slipping back to the third position. Losing the second spot on the opening circuit, Matt remained in the same position for the 10 laps to start inside row two for the main event. The speed was there all weekend in Hamilton and the Aluminos chassis. They remained in the third spot to start the 20-lap main event, and the kart began to find its pace near the halfway mark. Hamilton moved to second on lap seven, and ran down the leader with fast laps of the race. On lap 15, Matt retained the lead and began to fight off the former leader lap after lap. On the final circuit, Hamilton spaced he and the rest of the lead group to cross the checkered flag one-second out front for the victory.“Matt did an amazing job this weekend,” commented Rob Soares, owner of Aluminos. “Not knowing the facility and not familiar with street racing, he adapted very quickly. The entire team had his Aluminos chassis working flawlessly and George Tavares made sure the Stock Moto power out of the corners and at the end of the straights was unbeatable. It was an entire team effort to earn this victory.”
Aluminos driver Will Preston bested the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto field in Lancaster (Photo: DromoPhotos.com)
At the same time, Aluminos driver Will Preston was fighting for a victory in S2 Semi-Pro division. Preston struggled in qualifying, placing 13th overall and fourth in class, about four tenths off the class leader. Finding speed between sessions, Will advanced up to eighth overall, up one position in class. Overnight, Preston and the Aluminos squad went to work to find the optimal setup for the second heat race. The hard work paid off as Preston was among the quickest drivers in the 10-lap race, advancing his way to fourth overall, one spot behind Aluminos teammate Hamilton, and first in class. The main event was a perfect session for Will. He remained within the S1 fight the entire 20 laps and led the way in the S2 category, scoring his first Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix victory. It was his second straight in California ProKart Challenge competition, making it three top-two finishes to close out the series.“The hard work by Will is finally paying off,” continued Soares. “He has been striving to be at the front of the S2 field for the last few seasons, and is now enjoying the success of his efforts. Will wasn’t the quickest out of the gate, but he and the rest of the Aluminos team worked together and got him on the right path. Leaving Lancaster with the victory in S1 and S2 is amazing.”
Jim Kidd nearly piloted his Aluminos chassis to another victory in the S4 Super Master division. A winner back in June at Sonoma, Kidd won both heat races in Lancaster, looking to add another main event victory. Contact however on the opening lap damaged his machine, and was unable to continue. He and his Aluminos kart will be a contender for the top spot at the upcoming SuperNationals.
Aluminos owner Rob Soares added another victory aboard the new ‘4-Stroke’ chassis at the KPX Karting Championship Briggs LO206 Heavy category in Sonoma (Photo: Aluminos)
The Aluminos chassis has shown results in the shifterkart categories, along with the TaG divisions at the national, regional, and club level. Now, Aluminos is expanding its reach with the new ‘4-Stroke’ chassis. The 30mm frame is designed for the low horsepower categories, including the increasing Briggs & Stratton LO 206 market. The chassis provides multiple adjustments in the front and rear of the chassis to fine-tune the ride, and comes in 40mm or 50mm axle sizes. Prior to the Lancaster event, Aluminos owner Rob Soares won the 206 Heavy division aboard the ‘4-Stroke’ kart, while Hamilton drove to fifth against the 29-driver 206 Senior field in his first time aboard a Briggs-powered kart.Aluminos is set to close out the season with support for its drivers at the final two Sanzura Games Karting Championship program at Simraceway Performance Karting Center, set for October 10-11 and October 31-November 1. The operation is also gearing up for another assault on the biggest karting event in the world, the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals, set for November 18-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.