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Sunday, 28 July 2024 00:00 |
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SummerNationals sweep earns Ryan Norberg a sixth SKUSA Pro Tour title (Photo: EKN)
The 2024 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SummerNationals ended on Sunday with the final day of action at the New Castle Motorsports Park. Rain threaten the New Castle, Indiana area all day, with only a brief sprinkle of rain coming down during one of the main events. It was not enough to force rain tires and it never returned, allowing for the other races to be completed without interruption. The on track action was exciting all day as the final laps decided this year’s champions in the eight categories.
Coming into the weekend, Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) trailed in the Speed Concepts Racing Pro X30 championship, sitting fifth and needing to sweep the weekend for a chance at a sixth SKUSA Pro Tour championship. After earning fast time in Super Pole and winning both heat races on Saturday. Starting on the pole position, Norberg led the opening lap before Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55) took over the lead. Norberg reclaimed the top spot on lap five and was able to gap Garrison a few kart lengths as the two pulled away from the rest of the field. In the closing laps, Garrison inched closer and was able to reach Norberg’s bumper by the final lap. Norberg kept him at bay, reaching the line first to claim his second victory of the season. The victory was enough to secure the sixth championship since 2016. Fast Friday driver Jonathon Portz (RPG / Kosmic) was able to fight off Harley Keeble (Inter MS / Kart Republic) for the third step on the podium. Championship contender Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) – who started second, was shuffled off at the opening corner and fell to 15th. He drove his way back up to the fifth position, needing to finish second to claim the title. Jones ended up 18.5 points short in the final standings. Championship leader heading into the Diego Ramos (PSL / Birel ART) recovered from a DNF in the heat race, climbing 10 spots to seventh in the Final to finish the championship in third place.
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Saturday, 27 July 2024 00:00 |
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James Overbeck claimed his first SKUSA Pro Tour triumph in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN)
An amazing day at the New Castle Motorsports Park was the stage for the opening day of racing at the 2024 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SummerNationals. Clear skies, temperatures in the 80s, a nice breeze, and 230 entries competing in the eight categories for what was the penultimate day of the season championship. The Semi-Pro divisions battled for their fifth round of action on the year while the two SKUSA Pro Show classes contested qualifying and two heat races. The big winner of the day was Brandon Jarsocrak Racing driver James Overbeck taking his first career victory in the KA100 Senior class.
The day began in the Sodi Racing USA KA100 Senior division with Caleb Gafrarar (CDR / Kart Republic) opening up the day with fast time in qualifying, coming into the weekend as a last minute entry after testing on Thursday. He edged out Henry Wheeler (PSL / Birel ART) by 37 thousandths with a 1:10.673 lap time. Gafrarar led for much of the eight lap Prefinal until Wheeler worked past on the final circuit for the win. They led the field to the green flag for the 16-lap main event. Gafrarar was shuffled back as Jake Drew (FW / GFC) and James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart) worked up to Wheeler and became the lead group. Overbeck, who started seventh, took the lead on lap six as Wheeler and Drew trailed until two laps remaining. Wheeler pulled the trigger to take over the lead, bringing Drew with him. After taking the white flag, Drew made a move inside Wheeler at the end of the long pond straight into the I-70 corner. He pushed wide on the entry, allowing both Wheeler and Overbeck past. After the Monza, Overbeck was able to pull off the over-under move on Wheeler, taking over the lead. He held on through the final corners, reaching the line first to claim his first career SKUSA victory. Wheeler settled for second with Fernando Luque (Supertune / Tony Kart) working past Drew for the third spot on the podium. Drew received the pushback bumper penalty, dropping him to eighth, moving privateer Eli Warren (Redspeed) to fourth and Keagan Kaminski (FW / GFC) to fifth.
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Monday, 22 July 2024 08:10 |
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In under 115 days, the world of karting will once again converge on Las Vegas for the 27th edition of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals – set for November 13-17 outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The third visit to the facility in SuperNationals history greets karters from around the world to a new parking lot area, providing ample space for parking, paddock, and of course the temporary circuit where over 500 competitors will battle.
Now into the facility layout planning stages of Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 27, the organization is asking the karting community to develop this year’s track.
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Thursday, 11 July 2024 12:40 |
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Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino will serve as host hotel for the SKUSA SuperNationals 27
The journey to Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 27 is well underway as planning continues at full speed following the recent opening of registration. Over 200 entries have already been submitted since registration began only nine days ago for the November 13-17 event, which is set for a return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Four categories are over or near the 40 entry mark – including Mini Swift, Micro Swift, KA100 Junior and KA100 Senior – meaning that initial caps may be put in place for certain classes.
One of the major milestones in the planning for the SKUSA SuperNationals 27 is securing the host hotel. For a fifth time, the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino will welcome SKUSA and the karting community as the host hotel for the event.
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Monday, 17 June 2024 00:00 |
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Matheus Morgatto claimed his second straight in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN)
The 2024 edition of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals wrapped up on Sunday at the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati. A hot and sunny day at the Batavia, Ohio facility with Round Four action for the ‘Semi-Pro’ divisions was contested along with the main events for the SKUSA Pro Show divisions. The tight confines of the MCC KartPlex showed today with multiple red flag incidents to delay the action on the day. In the end it was PSL Karting’s Matheus Morgatto coming through for a second straight Pro Shifter triumph while British driver Kai Hunter invaded the USA for the first time to steal the Pro X30 victory.
Morgatto (PSL / Birel ART) was improving as the weekend continued, making his first start in the PSL Karting Pro Shifter class at MCC. The former FIA Karting World Champion was starting third behind top qualifier and two-time heat race winner AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA) and Kyle Wick (GFC Karting) on the front row. Wick grabbed the holeshot from Myers to begin the 25-lap race, however, Myers reclaimed the top spot before the lap was over. Morgatto pushed Wick back to third on lap two and began pressuring Myers for the lead. The move was made on lap seven, as the top two drivers inched away from the rest of the field. They would run 1-2 the entire distance with Myers waiting until the final lap to put on the pressure. Through the final section of the track, he was on his bumper, literally, going into the left hand carousel. Morgatto was defensive, holding the spot through the final two corners and winning the race to the line for a second straight SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Wick was pressured by a charging Billy Musgrave (Factory Kart) until the spark plug boot popped off with four laps remaining. This allowed Gavin Bayliff (Trinity / Kart Republic) to advance up to fourth from the 11th spot. He however would not be cleared through tech, promoting Ian Quinn (PSL / Birel ART) up to fourth behind Wick with Tahlon Yockel (Sodi Racing USA) classified fifth.
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