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Friday, 10 November 2023 08:09 |
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Austin Garrison set fast time in the X30 Senior category (Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca)
The Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 26 is officially underway outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Following a full day of practice, track layout adjustment, and a wild ending to the on-track action on Thursday, qualifying has set the tone for the remainder of the event – dramatic. The morning group sessions went relatively normal for the four classes setting their grids for the heat races. The afternoon groups hit the track as the sun was setting behind the Nevada mountains and ended with a wild and unique situation that had not been seen before in SuperNationals history.
Pro Shifter presented by PSL Karting was the final class on the order, split up into four groups. The first three were not as dramatic as the final group, hosting 18 of the quickest drivers in the category. On lap two, an incident involving FIA European Champion Danilo Albanese (IM / Kart Republic) brought out a full course caution and eventually the checkered flag. Drivers were put into the scale line, with nearly all drivers unable to complete a lap ‘at’ or ‘near’ regular pace. SKUSA officials debriefed and nearly 45 minutes to an hour later, the drivers from that final session were brought back out onto the circuit for a makeup session in which all drivers clocked in five laps. Prior to that session, Luis Speck (Racelab / TB Kart) was holding the provisional fast time from the Q2 group. Once the final session was completed, it was a GFC Karting 1-2 with Jacob Gulick taking the top honors posting a 42.150 lap. Former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Kyle Wick was second, edging out Speck by 16 thousandths. Canadian Remo Ruscitti (IM USA / Italkart) was fourth with SuperNationals 24 winner Matteo Vigano (PSL / Charles Leclerc) rounding out the fast five. The first half of Q1 including SKUSA Pro Tour champion Marijn Kremers (PSL / Birel ART) – who ended up going from provisionally second to sixth. Read full story on eKartingNews.com |
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Monday, 06 November 2023 11:04 |
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Barron, Elliott, Gidley and Speed. They are the four fathers of shifterkart racing here in the United States and the first names etched in history for the headline category at the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals. For a 26th time, shifterkart racing will light up Las Vegas and one lucky driver will be able to push all in with a $10,000 payday for victory on SuperSunday.
A total of four drivers knows the feeling of winning the headline shifterkart category at the SKUSA SuperNationals – including defending race winner Pedro Hiltbrand (PSL Karting / Birel ART). The Spainard made his Pro Shifter debut at the SuperNationals a memorable one, winning the anniversary event a year ago outside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Last year he came in 11th at the FIA Karting KZ World Championship. This time, a DNF in Germany against the best in the world. Read full story on eKartingNews.com |
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Monday, 06 November 2023 11:00 |
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Twenty years ago was the debut of the TaG Senior category during the seventh edition of the SuperNationals. During that span, 19 drivers have won in the 19 different SuperSunday main events, all with unique and memorable stories – representing eight different countries. While this may be the smallest field for the class at the SuperNationals since 2005, one driver will come out of the event as a SuperNationals winner. Just one of the 63 drivers set to do battle has ever claimed a SuperNationals victory in the category, with four others looking for a second career triumph at the largest karting event in the world.
Defending race winner Evan Giltaire is not returning to defend his crown, leaving the pathway for another driver to claim the hardware on SuperSunday. The one former class winner is five-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ryan Norberg (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic). Norberg claimed his only SuperNationals triumph at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2021 to further etch his name as one of the most decorated karters in USA history. He was among the drivers in contention last year, coming up short and having his position taken away following tech inspection. While this year’s effort to claim a sixth SKUSA title came up short despite five podium finishes, he was able to claim a third straight USPKS championship. The one thing that has stood out, zero victories in 2023. Read full story on eKartingNew.com |
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Friday, 03 November 2023 13:56 |
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In the United States, 100cc karting has been the backbone of 2-Cycle racing for decades. The introduction of the IAME KA100 engine platform provided a surge that has helped boost numbers at the local, regional, and national level. The KA100 Senior category sold out in 2021 but has backed down to welcoming 76 drivers competing at SuperNationals 26. Among them are two former winners of the class, however, defending race winner Tomass Stolcermanis from Latvia is not returning.
The winners before Stolcermanis were Pauly Massimino and Brandon Lemke, both vying to become repeat winners in the KA100 Senior division. Massimino (Brandon Jarsocrak Racing / Kosmic) has three starts in the class, winning back in 2019 in a wild ending. He finished sixth and seventh in his other two starts, racing only X30 Senior last year and ran only selected events in the class throughout the 2023 season. Lemke (Franklin Motorsports / Merlin) – a former SKUSA Pro Tour champion and USPKS title winner – has multiple starts at the SuperNationals, dating back to 2012. He contested KA100 Senior in Vegas twice, earning the provisional victory in 2019 after an amazing drive before it was taken away for a pushback bumper penalty while securing the victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2021. Lemke had an up and down 2023 season in USPKS competition, finishing the season ninth in the standings. Read full story on eKartingNews.com |
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Thursday, 02 November 2023 14:03 |
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14 races…14 different winners. TaG competition for the Junior level began back in 2008 and has been among the most dramatic categories each year. The list of former winners over the last 14 SuperNationals includes names that have continued up the motorsports ranks – including three current Formula One drivers – George Russell (2011), Lance Stroll (2012) and Logan Sargeant (2014).
The defending race winner Ernesto Rivera has been on fire since his triumph last year, going on to win multiple races along with the SKUSA Pro Tour title and other championships on the season. The driver from Mexico has elected to move up to the Senior ranks, and thus opening the door for a 15th different winner to join the prestigious list.
In fact, only one of the top-10 drivers from last year’s main event are returning for SuperNationals 26. 2021 SuperNationals Mini Swift winner Enzo Vidmontiene (MottazSport / Kart Republic) put in a great rookie performance a year ago to finish ninth. While he did not contest the category on the SKUSA Pro Tour, he finished third in the USPKS final standings for 2023. Read full story on eKartingNews.com |
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