By Dick Jordan
A team of six drivers led by USAC veteran Bobby Santos III of Franklin, Mass. emerged as champions of Saturday’s 14th “Fun at Fastimes” three-hour go-karting enduro in Indianapolis, Ind. The event generated funds for the USAC Benevolent Foundation to help defray expenses incurred by the Irish Saunders family, whose son Eric suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle crash last year.
Santos’ team finished a total of 332 laps on the two-level indoor karting course to beat a team of six drivers captained by USAC driver Chase Barber by one lap. Santos’ team also claimed the fastest lap of the race on lap 116 when driver Brad Kraus of Noblesville, Ind. posted a lap at 23.282 seconds.
Members of the Santos team, in addition to Kraus, included USAC driver Billy Wease of Noblesville, Ind., Nick Richards and Nick Warner of Anderson, Ind. and Shayne Shipley of Muncie, Ind. Barber’s second-place team included Kirk Barber, Troy DeCaire, Chuck Gurney Jr., Hunter Schuerenberg and Jon Laski. USAC driver Tyler Cottongim anchored the third-place team which also included Taylor and Tyler Courtney, Joe Liguori, Jimmy Simpson, Miranda Throckmorton, Lynsey Tilton and Dillon Welch.
Irish and Eric Saunders were on hand to wish all teams well and visit with friends throughout the event.
The Tony Stewart Foundation, Three Wide Life, the Shane Hmiel family, the Steve Pruett family, Parker Williams and Meghan Kolb were contributing sponsors who made the event a complete success. Funds from the Stewart Foundation will benefit both the Saunders family and Hmiel. Each participant received a team photo and members of the top-three finishing teams received competition medals. Hoosier Racing Tires also provided 68 door prizes which were distributed to the participants.
Fun was the order of the day and participants were reminded that the 15th Annual running of the event is already scheduled for next year.