Engines Ready to Rev for Annual Seaside LeMans

CCB MEDIA PHOTO

MASHPEE – Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines.

Racers will take to the track Saturday for the annual Seaside LeMans race at Mashpee Commons.

The annual charity race pits teams of drivers from local business sponsors against each other in a European-style Formula 1 race using go-karts that can hit speeds of 55 mph.

“We’ll have 18 karts of local sponsors racing around Mashpee Commons with lots of spectators,” said Kelsey Ellis, the race director.

The race draws thousands of spectators each year and attendees can watch from the infield of trackside.

“One thing that is important to remember is that it is free to attend,” said Beth Patkoske, the director of communications with Davenport Companies. “It’s a great family event if you want to come out and watch the racers. There’s kids activities – vendors.”

The race has raised over $5 million for over 40 Cape Cod non-profit organizations and charities since the event debuted in 2001.

“We raised over $600,000 last year with sponsorships and matching gifts,” Ellis said. “That’s the goal again this year.”

Beneficiaries of this year’s race are Cape Cod Healthcare, Sail Cape Cod, Gosnold on Cape Cod, CapeCodCAN! and Homeless Not Hopeless.

A quarter-mile long racetrack is constructed in the Mashpee Commons parking lot with more than 2,250 feet of plastic shrinkwrap, plastic barriers and 750 bales of hay.

Festivities begin at 9 a.m. with the shorter, 45-minute Cape Cod Healthcare race.

The green flag drops for the four-hour, main event endurance race at noon.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter