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| October 23, 2011 News |
| Newgarden/Dismore Score Victory at RoboPong 200 Presented by Bridgestone and NOS |
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For complete coverage, click over to the EKN Event Page.
 | 2011 RoboPong 200 winners Mark Dismore and Josef Newgarden
(Photo: davidleephoto.com) |
Another historic 200 laps went into the books at the popular New Castle Motorsports Park on Sunday with the eighth running of the RoboPong 200 presented by Bridgestone and NOS. Thirty-eight teams took to the 1-mile circuit in central Indiana for a chance to earn the $6,000 paycheck. After the three hour, 45-minute battle, it was 2011 Firestone IndyLights champion Josef Newgarden and former IndyCar driver Mark Dismore who took the checkered flag to earn the honor of having their names on the new Dan Wheldon Cup.
The race start was pushed up to 10:00 am to allow time for those wishing to attend the memorial service in downtown Indy for Wheldon. A competitor of the event since 2005 and family friend to the Dismore’s, everyone competed this weekend in his memory. At the time of the green flag, the weather was windy and the mercury had fallen. As the race went on, the clouds moved away and the sun returned in full force, warming things up a little.
Team Top Kart with Mason Chelootz at the wheel led the field to the green flag. All the karts got through the opening corners clean until the back part of the track, where a few drivers went off course. The KartSport GoPro White squad slotted into second with NOS Energy Drink, RKS Since 1959 and KartSport GoPro Black making up the early top-five. The CometKartSales.com entry with Newgarden at the wheel was the kart on the move during the first stint. After getting pushed back to seventh in the opening lap, he crept his way forward through the lead pack. By lap 25, he was into the lead and brought Nick Neri, from the RKS team, with him to the point. The two pulled away from the rest of their competition, with Chelootz giving chase in third. By lap 33, Neri took over the point and led until making their first stop on lap 56. Trouble with one of the two rear tire changes cost them time in the pits, dropping them down to 10th when they came back out onto the racing surface.
Once the pit stops were completed, the Top Kart/Leopard package of Team Top Kart was back into the lead with former SKUSA SuperNationals winner Wesley Boswell behind the wheel. They elected not to change any tires with Dismore, only making a right rear change, holding second. The rest of the top five was filled out with teams not making a tire change: Simpson/Batt Racing, Checkered Motorsports/Adrenaline Fix Karting, and AB Racing. The two KartSport GoPro teams were sixth and seventh having changed all four tires.
 | Sam Beasley - teamed with Brandon Jones - helped guide their KartSport GoPro White entry to second with fast lap honors
(Photo: davidleephoto.com) |
With Dismore on track for his stint, the 55 year-old karting legend took the young kids to school. Taking the lead on lap 62, he stretched out to a sizable lead over Boswell and Simpson. Behind them, the duo of Jacob Donald and Brandon Jones in the Arrow/Rotax rides closed the gap on the leaders while moving up to fourth and fifth. Jim Russell Jr. in the RKS kart up had driven up to seventh behind the NOS entry.
Just as another round of pit stops were about to take place, the Team Top Kart entry suffered a snapped chain right near the pit area. They pulled in and replaced the chain to get back out, but lost three laps in the process. The second stop was a deal breaker for some and trouble for others. All the front runners took on four new Bridgestone tires with the Simpson/Batt team completing the change in near-record time. They came out of the pit stops as the leader with Evan Batt at the helm. Current #1 in the EKN Driver Rankings Sam Beasley came out second with his fellow KartSport GoPro teammate in third, with Newgarden back to fourth, all within 20 seconds of each other. AB Racing - Brennan Harrington and Andy Dunne - was fifth with Knueven/Seward now sixth. The order remained unchanged until lap 132 when the two Arrow karts caught the Zanardi of Batt, pushing him back to third. Newgarden followed a few laps later and began chasing down the top two. He moved into second when Jones got loose at the inner 180 corner.
 | Eric Jones partnered with Junior driver Jacob Donald for third place
(Photo: davidleephoto.com) |
The final round of pit stops began around lap 153 for the top-five with AB Racing in first. Trouble changing the left front cost them time in the pit lane. Batt was next to pull off and they completed another strong stop with four tires. Newgarden and Beasley were next. Four tires was the call for Beasley and Brandon Jones while Newgarden was told to stay in the ride and only a right-rear change was completed with the fuel stop. The NOS entry made their final stop on lap 159 for just fuel and driver change, putting Seward back on track, however, as he pulled out, the spark plug fouled and he was forced to get brought back in on the wagon, ending their chance at the win. Eric Jones was last to make his stop, coming in on lap 162 for another four-tire stop, handing the ride over to Jacob Donald to complete the race.
When it was all shuffled out, Newgarden had a comfortable lead over Jones and Donald, the only three teams on the lead lap. Simpson was forced to pit on lap 166 while battling for the podium with a broken coil wire, ending their bid for the victory. The gaps remained static for the final 30 circuits as Newgarden muscled his way to the checkered flag.
Staying out of trouble and nursing a sore body, Newgarden and Dismore scored their first victory at the RoboPong 200. The win was very special for both, as they each have shown the speed in previous editions but bad luck took them out of contention. For Newgarden, it was a dream come true to compete with the elder Dismore and earn the win. For Dismore, he had announced privately that it was his last start for the event. Giving it all he had, it ended as he hoped to close out what has been a difficult week.
 | Andy Dunne and Brennan Harrington scored a second-straight top-five finish with fourth this year
(Photo: davidleephoto.com) |
Twenty-six seconds back was the KartSport GoPro White entry with its counterpart in third, 13 seconds behind. AB Racing scored its second straight top-five finish, as they were one-lap down at the checkered flag. Simpson/Batt recovered strong to complete the top-five, working by Checkered Motorsports/Adrenaline Fix Karting (Robert Bujdoso/Kyle Knecht) near the end. Bujdoso and Knecht stayed out of trouble and kept it clean in the pits with their PCR/Leopard entry, but a lack of speed at the end kept them out of the top-five. Goodyear Autosport (Michael Goodyear/Sam Cate) overcame a off on the first lap to battle back to finish seventh on their Birel/Rotax package. The NOS Energy Drink team were able to fight back and ended up eighth after replacing their spark plug. P.O.C. (Stephen Davis/Tim Bannon/Michael Lewis) drove to ninth with RKS fighting back to tenth after continued troubles to the final end.
A number of prizes were awarded to the teams thanks to Bridgestone, Grand Products and Comet Kart Sales. Of the 38 karts that took the green flag, 28 were running at the end with the top-14 within 10 laps of the leaders.
While the numbers may not be as in previous years, the drama that unfolded this year and every event is like no other. Skill, knowledge, speed, consistency and a lot of luck is the goal of every team entered. Only one can take the checkered flag, with this year’s going to Newgarden and Dismore. Next year, many of the same drivers and other rookies will take on the challenge that is the RoboPong 200. |
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