That looks like so much fun! Makes me want to go karting at Andretti's here in Atlanta.

 

And the results:
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Team Russell Dunlop Karting Take 2009 Machismo 500 Victory!
Team IKN All-Stars Dominate Sport Class for Win.


The second running of the Machismo 500 took place over the weekend (November 21-22) at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in conjunction with the renowned Superkarts USA! SuperNationals. The event featured 19 teams on the grid representing 3 continents, 10 American states and a different variety of professional racing series including the IndyCar, American Le Mans, and Formula Drift.

The 2009 edition of the Machismo 500 officially got underway at 7 p.m. local time on Saturday night, with all 19 teams taking part in the premier endurance kart race rolling on-course for a half-hour qualifying session. Setting the grid for 500-lap race under the lights, the vast majority of the teams used the session to not only go after a fast time, but also practice driver changes and play with fuel strategies to start the race. When the checkered flag waved, Team RDD Motorsports, which featured IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos, along with Andre Serra, Jaoa Goncalves, and Kayla Graham had turned a lap 53.109 to capture both the overall and Pro class pole position while in the Sport Class, the IKN All-Stars team of Mike Bednar, Jean Hoy, Justin Kelly, and Mike Smith turned a fast lap of 58.023 to earn the Sport class pole position.

After a brief break the karts were placed on grid for the traditional Le Mans style start and all teams and were invited onto the grid for team photos and pre-race festivities. With all pleasantries out of the way, the green flag dropped at 9pm with all drivers sprinting to their awaiting karts to start the race. With all 19 karts heading into the first corner, it didn't take long for several teams to put themselves in a bit of a hole as several Pro Class teams found themselves at the rear of the field after some contact in the opening seconds. RDD Motorsport's chances at win suffered a blow on the opening lap when their kart impacted one of the techpro barriers lining the course, breaking two toe-links. The Brazilians were not the lone team forced to overcome a challenge during their opening stint however, as the Lifeyo.com team, which included recently crowned U.S. Indoor Karting National Champion Jon Kimbrell, along with fellow indoor karting standouts Mike Kai and Billy Tallichet, and sports car driver Craig Stanton getting behind the wheel, had an early pit lane miscue after suffering from a choke that had vibrated halfway closed. Despite the early issues, all teams would find themselves quickly back in the thick of things come the middle of the night.

The Sport Class was no less exciting as several teams battled for the lead in the early stages of the race. Class polesitters, and odds on favorites to many, Team IKN All-Stars found themselves running most of the first stint nose to tail with Team Maui Karters out of Hawaii and Team Flyin Elvis's from Southern California. Not far behind, a second pack of Sport Class teams ran together including Team Todo Mexico, Senior Moments, and Team Peligroso out of Phoenix, AZ. Realizing pitstop strategy would likely play a key role in the final outcome, the IKN All-Stars team was one of a few teams that elected to run short stints in the opening half of the 500-lap affair, getting many of the 20+ mandatory stops out of the way. While this resulted in certain teams running deeper down the order in first few hours, the benefits became apparent as the race progressed.

As the lead Pro class kart passed the 300-lap mark, consistency also began to make its mark. Those teams that executed clean driver changes and fuel stops, as well as ran lap after lap within a few 10ths of each other, began building a gap on their counterparts. Teams Russell Dunlop Karting, SBF, ProSport Endurance Champions Team Young&Restless, and Team RDD Motorsports were all still in the hunt for a win. RDD made their push in the early very early hours of the morning with IRL Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos taking the wheel setting a blistering pace. The Brazilian would run thru nearly a full tank of full on his extra long stint but would suffer a pit lane speed violation as he came off track to hand over the reigns. As Matos' stint came to an end, Team Young&Restless would counter with a Pro of their own as Formula Drift and Rally Racing champion Tanner Foust took to the track. The SuperCars Exposed host would push his squad near the front putting them in contention for the win.

Entering the final hour of the lengthy overnight endurance race, the overall and Pro class win was still up for grabs. Team SBF would place Florida indoor karting regular Eddie Pardo in the seat for the final stint. By far their lightest driver, Pardo would put down the quickest laps of the race win the closing laps overtaking team Young&Restless during their final pit stop for second. With eKartingNews.com Newsdesk Manager David Cole having joined Jim Russell Jr. and Chuck Gafrarar for one 30-minute run, Russell Dunlop Karting's strategy began to come clear. The team had completed the majority of their required pit stops early and they sat comfortably with a full lap advantage of the rest of the field come the final laps. With ALMS driver Nathan Swartzbaugh not only turning laps, but handling team strategy Team SBF would score the second place on the podium with Team Young and Restless just seconds back finishing third overall. It would be a sweet victory for Team Russell Dunlop Karting after last years event found them on the second step of the same podium.

Among the Sport class, things were not as dramatic. The IKN All-Stars team scored a convincing win. Posting the fastest lap of the class, the talented foursome took the checkered flag with Hawaiian karting veterans Team Maui Karters just edging out Rotax veterans team Flyin Elvis' for second. Clearly elated with their win, the IKN All Star group who had not previously competed with one another prior to this event, enjoyed the champagne shower courtesy of their fastest member, Mike Bednar.

With the 2009 edition in the books, plans are already underway for the 2010 installment of the event which looks to put a maximum 30 kart effort onto the grid in the third annual edition. For information on the event please contact Brad Packard at 951.241.3872 or check out www.machismo500.com.

2009 Machismo 500 Results:

Pro Class
1. Russell Dunlop Karting ( Russell Jr. / Gafrarar / Cole )
2. Team SBF ( Tallichet / Arrieta / Swartzabaugh / Pardo / Smith )
3. Young & Restless ( Schreiber / Myers / Klenk / Foust )
4. RDD Motorsports ( Serra / Matos / Graham / Goncalves )
5. Solo Mexico ( Ramirez / Saro / A. Cabiedes / Ortiz / Echeverria )
6. Sonoma Valley Racing ( Zanotto / Ortenburger / Bushman )
7. Gexpro ( Logan / Pa. Grey / Ph. Grey )
8. Lifeyo.com ( Kai / Stanton / Deans / Tallichet / Asseo / Kimbrell )
9. K1 Race Gear ( Penn / O. Rodrigues / A. Rodrigues / Maddison )
10. Viva Mexico ( E. Hoppenstedt / Paniagua / Nabor / Menchaca / F. Hoppenstedt / Elias )
11. Motor4Toys.com ( Pichovich / Johnson / Blair / Missino / Corbett / Massedi )

Sport Class
1. IKN All-Stars ( Smith / Bednar / Hoy / Kelly )
2. Maui Karters ( Hultquist / Valente / Calabrese / Diem )
3. Flyin' Elvis's ( Harden / Lonero / Thomas / Clark )
4. Senior Moments ( Florez / Robertson / Nakajima / Carlisle )
5. Todo Mexico ( H. Cabiedes / Vecchi / Cortes / Garcia / Gonzalez )
6. Team Peligroso ( Lattanzi / Davilla / Sears / Murphy )
7. Team Wine-O's ( D. Doffo / M. Doffo / O. Emanuelson / D. Emanuelson )
8. Roaring Lion Energy (Johnston / Van Den Huevel / Heiron / Swanson / Wright )