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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, 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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Sunday, 16 June 2024 00:00 |
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Finnegan Bayliff earned his second KA100 Senior victory on the season (Photo: EKN)
The opening day of racing for the 2024 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals went into the books on Saturday at the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati. The Batavia, Ohio facility has gone all out in welcoming the organization for the first time, welcoming over 200 entries in the eight categories. The Semi-Pro divisions completed the third round of the 2024 championship program while the Pro categories completed qualifying and two heat races to set up for their main event on Sunday. The highlight on the day was second victory in three rounds thus far for Trinity Karting Group driver Finnegan Bayliff in the KA100 Senior division.
Ohio driver James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart) led the way in the Sodi Racing USA KA100 Senior qualifying session, posting a 58.217-lap to edge out Steven Miller (Nash / EOS). They were among a busy front pack in the Prefinal that ended up with Miller escaping with the win. It was the same group at the front of the field in the 20-lap Final. Round One winner Finnegan Bayliff (Trinity / Kart Republic) was able to secure the top spot by lap 14, leading the remainder of the race to earn his second SKUSA Pro Tour race in the last three starts. Overbeck won the battle for second with Keagan Kaminski (FW / GFC) overcoming a wrecked chassis in Friday practice to end up on the podium in third. Miller and Connor Ferris (TFR / Kart Republic) – coming up from 17th – completed the top-five.
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Thursday, 13 June 2024 07:56 |
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Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati
The 2024 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour resumes this weekend as the 15th season of the organization’s premier championship program heads to the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati. The Batavia, Ohio facility will host SKUSA for the first time ever with the 2024 version of the SpringNationals will be contested on June 14-16.
The WinterNationals in March at the Orlando Kart Center in Florida ushered in a new era for the SKUSA Pro Tour. The new ‘Pro Show’ made its debut with the Pro Shifter and Pro X30 division featuring a new format. It will continue at MCC with both categories running the full practice day on Friday with the ‘Semi-Pro’ categories. They will then run a warm-up, qualifying, and two heat races instead of a Prefinal on Saturday. This was done in an effort to provide the drivers with more track time, but also to help space out the schedule for the ‘Semi-Pro’ classes. Sunday will be a warm-up and Final event for the Pro Show. The ‘Semi-Pro’ divisions will be contesting Round Three on Saturday and Round Four on Sunday – including warm-up, qualifying, Prefinal and Final formats.
eKartingNews.com is proud to celebrate the 15th season of the SKUSA Pro Tour, providing trackside coverage for each and every event since the inaugural weekend in April 2010. In addition to the daily reports on the site, follow updates and results on the EKN Social Media channels. Be sure to listen on the live audio call from Saturday and Sunday at www.ekartingnews.com/live or www.ekartingnews.com/radio or on the EKN Radio Network app. Read full story in eKartingNews.com |
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