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| October 10, 2010 News |
| Howard and McLaughlin Score Victory for MKP at RoboPong 200 presented by Bridgestone |
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When battling for 200 laps, roughly four hours of non-stop competition with no room for any error, it is expected that one to will emerge unscathed en route to victory. This year’s edition of the annual RoboPong 200 presented by Bridgestone came down to the very end with one team surviving the grueling journey around the 1-mile New Castle Motorsports Park. When the final checkered flag waved, it was the Motorama Kart Parts squad of IndyCar’s Jay Howard and team driver Bill McLaughlin Jr. who took home the coveted victory and the $5,000 check for the win.
The seventh annual event welcomed the warmest weather for the event in its history with record high temperatures shining down onto the New Castle, Indiana facility. The track staff put in a full effort to make sure the event went on without a hitch and the racers abided with no major incidents during the 200-lap event. The anticipation following the national anthem and all 42-karts on the grid ready to start their engines was felt with the goose-bumps on the competitors and the many fans that filled the fence line. After a few warm-up laps, the field took the green flab to begin the long and fast-paced fight.
 | Bill McLaughlin Jr. and Jay Howard scored the 2010 RoboPong 200 victory
(Photo: DavidLeePhoto.com) |
The pole position team of Batt-Simpson (Evan Batt/Jimmy Simpson) led the way with the entire field getting through with no issues, a much-welcomed changed from last year’s run. Very quickly however, Howard put their MKP entry to the front and was into the lead on lap three. The six karts formed a pack with last year’s winning team Vision Racing (Nathan O’Rourke/Ed Carpenter) challenging early on. Batt fell quickly down the order, ending up eighth after five laps as the front group ran a torrid pace early on. Once IndyCar’s Dan Wheldon (CometKartSales.com) settled in after 10 laps, he set his sights on Howard and went into the lead by lap 13.
At the same time, Wheldon’s brother - Elliott - and his teammate Formula 2 driver Jason Moore (EJ Racing/Adrenaline Fix Karting) was the early team on the charge, moving from 26th to 13th. They eventually ran as high as tenth before a lap kart forced them into a spin prior to their first pit stop and mechanical issues put them on the sidelines for some time - eventually finishing 31st.
The Indy 500 winner and former co-winner of the RoboPong event put down a quick pace early on. Howard kept a short distance behind while BJ Anderson of the Anderson/Lewis squad drove a great first stint up into third with the leaders in sight. Wheldon was the first to make a stop on lap 50. After his service, Anderson came in on lap 53 to hand over their Arrow entry to former winner Billy Lewis. At the same time, the #311 Free Spirit entry (Robby Seward/Jacob Knueven) pitted with as did Batt from the sixth spot. The following lap, Howard ducked to the pit lane as did O’Rourke. The longest stint went to Conor Daly as he piloted the Team Robinade entry to 58 laps before handing over the wheel to IndyCar’s Graham Rahal. All the stops were clean with no issues and the run down showed MKP ahead of Vision Racing, CometKartSales.com, Free Spirit Racing and Team Robinade.
On lap 61, Carpenter spun and stalled the engine. With no onboard starter, he was forced to hand over the second spot and take a ride on the kart retrieval machine to get refired in the pits and falling to 22nd. With Simpson behind the wheel of their #421 Zanardi, he began making up the positions lost in the first stint and was the only driver inside the top-10 advancing forward. Meanwhile, the front two continued to put down some quick laps and put team by team down a lap. After 92 laps, only five karts were on the lead lap. The lead was roughly 11-seconds with Howard out front of Dismore until a spin by the third generation karter cost him about 10 seconds. At the halfway mark, MKP held the lead with CometKartSales.com back holding second ahead of Batt-Simpson Racing, Lewis/Anderson-CKS Racing, and Free Spirit Racing.
 | The MKP entry became the first to win the event powered by a Rotax
(Photo: DavidLeePhoto.com) |
Lap 102 began the second round of pit stops with Dismore and Free Spirit in at the same time. Wheldon jumped back in without changing tires while Free Spirit bolted on four new Bridgestones. Two circuits later, the leader McLaughlin came in for what would be a lengthy stop after four new tires and a brake pad change, forcing them to lose a lap. This gave the lead briefly to Simpson until he came in for four tires on lap 109 with Anderson doing the same from second one lap earlier. Simpson went back onto the track until lap 110 when they experience a misfire, the same lap they retired with brake failure one year ago while leading. After some repair time, they rejoined the race bordering the top-10. Team Robinade once again remained on track the longest, stretching it out to lap 113 before coming in for their fuel stop without changing tires. Shuffling through, Wheldon came away with the lead over Anderson, Free Spirit, and Daly with Howard the first kart a lap down.
Troubles struck the leading team on lap 125 when they were forced to pit with a rear bumper falling off. After their repair, they came out 16th spot and gave the lead to Anderson, putting just three karts on the lead lap. By lap 130, Anderson’s lead was just over a minute as he had second and third in his sights to put down a lap. At the same time, the Free Spirit team began experiencing brake issues with slowed their pace and eventually put them down a lap to the leader. Daly would then succumb to Anderson on lap 135 to put the entire field behind by over a lap. Howard, however, was one of the quickest drivers on the track and began working his way forward for position after running fourth. Once by Free Spirit and Robinade by lap 141, he put himself back on the lead lap on at the 145 mark.
The final round of scheduled stops began at the 151 lap mark with Free Spirit coming in for their final refuel and continued on despite a deteriorating brake system. Anderson continued on until lap 160 when he made their stop. Lewis jumped back behind the wheel with another new set of tires, their second tire change of the race. Two laps later, Howard pulled off onto pit lane for their final service of the day with fuel only. Daly continued on with the lead until lap 170 when he came in for fuel only and the team electing not to put Rahal in the seat and not to change tires - the only team to do so for the entire race in the hunt. That handed the lead back to Lewis-Anderson with a 34-second advantage over MKP and Team Robinade just 14-seconds back of them.
 | Conor Daly and Graham Rahal drove their Team Robinade entry to the second place finish
(Photo: DavidLeePhoto.com) |
The margins stayed static despite heavy traffic with roughly 30 karts still on track turning laps. The win looked to be in the hands for Lewis and Anderson until five laps to go when officials spotted Lewis’ bumper dragging. After receiving the meatball flag, Lewis continued on two more laps in what would be his final time by the start/finish lime. Before he could address the meatball flag, Lewis spun with a broken rear frame bar that caused the bumper to drag. The spin and inability to complete the race cost him a chance at a second event win.
With the lead handed over to McLaughlin, he cruised the final two laps to take the checkered flag for the victory. The win would be the first for both drivers, team MKP, and for a Rotax-powered entry. Daly crossed the line 10-seconds back for a Birel 1-2 finish, completing a stellar drive for the 2010 Star Mazda Champion who’s only complaint following the three-stint drive was too much front grip. Overcoming their brake issues, the young duo of Seward and Knueven held on to the final step of the podium and second-straight top-five finish for the pair aboard an Arrow.
Certainly showing why they are at the top of their game during the day-jobs, IndyCar’s Will Power and ALMS champion Simon Pagenaud put in a solid performance with the Team IRS/Davey Hamilton Racing entry. Piloting a Kart Mini machine, the professional drivers came from 25th on the grid to avoid any issues both on and off the track, clean pit services and smart race prowess to end up fourth, one lap down. Another young pairing in the top-five was the AB Racing team of Andy Dunne and Brennan Harrington. After having their rear bumper pushed up onto the tire early on, they were forced to move to a four-stop strategy. Staying out of trouble the remainder of the race, they drove the Birel/Rotax package to the fifth spot.
 | Free Spirit Racing - Robby Seward and Jacob Knueven - placed third for their second-straight top-five effort
(Photo: DavidLeePhoto.com) |
Unable to complete the final three circuits, Lewis/Anderson placed sixth in their Arrow while Batt-Simpson battled back to end up seventh, both three laps down. Consistency is key to the 200-lap endurance race and the team ‘Pork & Beans’ overcame a spin on lap two, sitting 38th at the time to end up three laps off the leaders in eighth spot. Arrow International - partnering Luca Forgeios and Victor Pedrosa - had a possible podium finish taken away because of a rear bumper issue as well. Running inside the top-five near the final pit sequence, a fourth stop for the bumper cost them valuable time and valuable positions. Completing out the top-10 was defending race winner Vision Racing. Carpenter’s spin just laps into his first stint and another with three laps to go cost them a chance at the victory and a higher spot in the final tally as they certainly showed the pace to compete for the win. Wheldon made extra stops to fix their bumper in the closing laps, ending up 11th in the final tally
The winner team took home $5,000 for their prize with the rest of the top five earning more than $1,000 each. Sixth through tenth also went home with extra cash, awarded $1,000 each. In the end, 27 karts took the checkered flag with many either accomplishing their goals or deciphering how to reach them in 2011. For complete coverage including full results, visit the Official Event Page. |
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