Brazilian F1 stars hot favorites in the prestigious endurance karting race

Rubens Barrichello

Felipe Massa

Brazilian F1 stars Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa are once more the hot favorites for this year’s edition of the Granja Viana 500 Mile. The race will be held today (Saturday) at Kartodromo Internacional Granja Viana in Cotia near São Paulo and is scheduled to last 644 laps or a maximum of 11 hours.

Barrichello holds a record of eight wins in Granja Viana and will lead a kind of “dream team” along with his old friends Tony Kanaan (Indy Racing League), Felipe Giaffone (Brazilian Formula Truck) and Renato Russo, a Brazilian Stock Car Light veteran recognized as a kart legend in the country.

Felipe will line up alongside Renault F1 third driver Lucas di Grassi and Brazilian Stock Car Lights frontrunners Júlio Campos and Felipe Lapenna. Massa and Campos raced together in their victory in the inaugural edition of the event back in 1997. The Ferrari ace would win again in 2002, this time joining Barrichello’s squad.

Vítor Meira, Ricardo Zonta, Christian Fittipaldi, Mário Haberfeld, Sérgio Jimenez, Marcos Gomes, Thiago Camilo, Osvaldo Negri, Raphael Matos, Bruno Junqueira and special guests from the USA Memo Gidley and Wayne Taylor are other experienced drivers that call the attention in the over 200 names entry list.

Vitor Meira and Christian Fittipaldi in action at Granja Viana 500 Mile

South-african model Brittany Vorster will share the number 19 kart with local young guns Raphael Raucci, Bruno Leon, Bruno Grigatti and Carlos Murari prior to her expected début in the Sudam F3 series in 2010.

Massa led the final free practice this Friday morning with a time of 57.892, beating Barrichello by a narrow margin of one tenth. Top Qualifying race will define the grid positions on Saturday morning.

All the action will be available at the Internet through the address www.videomotor.com.br and www.cronomap.com.br (live timing).

Race starts SATURDAY at 12h30 (3h30 p.m ECT).

source: MF2