EAST BRIDGEWATER – It was pedal to the metal this week as the 2016 Seaside LeMans participants hit the practice course ahead of the annual charity race.
Drivers honed their skills behind the wheel on the F1 Outdoor Track in East Bridgewater to prepare for the September 10 race at Mashpee Commons. Participants familiarized themselves with the high-speed go-karts, practicing on straightaways and around tight corners.
The Seaside LeMans pits up to 20 teams of drivers against each other in a European-style Formula 1 go-kart race. The teams are made up of drivers from local business sponsors.
The go-karts can reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour.
“It’s intense, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s important. ” said Paul Rumul, the President of the Davenport Companies, the organizer of the event. “It’s important for the community. Everybody here knows why they’re here, they’re here for the right reason to help out all the beneficiaries of the Seaside LeMans.”
Since its inception in 2001, the Seaside LeMans has raised over $5 million for 43 Cape Cod non-profits and charities.
“We raised over $600,000 last year with sponsorships and matching gifts,” said Seaside LeMans Event Director Kelsey Ellis. “That’s the goal again this year.”
The 2016 beneficiaries are Cape Cod Healthcare, Homeless Not Hopeless, Sail Cape Cod, Gosnold on Cape Cod, and CapeCodCAN!
Race day activities began at 9 a.m. with the Cape Cod Healthcare race, a shorter, 45-minute event. The main event, a 4-hour endurance race, begins at noon.
Crews construct a quarter-mile long track in the Mashpee Commons parking lot with more than 2.250 feet of plastic shrinkwrap, a series of plastic barriers, and 750 bales of hay.
The event draws thousands of spectators each year.
There is no cost of admission for spectators. Attendees can watch the race from the infield or trackside.
By MATT McCARTHY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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