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Sunday, 02 April 2023 08:47 |
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Turney claimed victory just days after winning at the FIA Karting European Championship in Spain (Photo: OTP.ca)
The opening round of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour rocked the Orlando Kart Center on Saturday, as the organization’s national series kicked off with the annual WinterNationals. The intensity was high all day long and the long main events made tire management part of the strategy for the Pro classes. The tighter nature of the 13-turn OKC layout added to the excitement as it delivered close competition and aggressive driving. The weather was ideal all day with sunny skies and temperatures in the high-80s. In the Pro Shifter class, a spectacular battle between Danny Formal (RPG / Kosmic) and Billy Musgrave (Factory Kart) was a race-long affair, as Formal had to draw on all his experience to hold off the Californian for 24 laps. In the end, Formal earned the big win for RPG and OTK. Kart Republic factory driver Joe Turney emerged from an epic fight with five-time SKUSA champ Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) for the win in X30 Senior, while Aden Levy (Team Tarp / Kart Republic) scored the KA100 Senior after on-track winner Fernando Luque (Tony Kart) was issued a pushback bumper penalty.
The X30 Senior battle was electric up front, with Norberg leading early after driving around the pole-starting Turney in the opening run through turns one and two. Turney slipped back by quickly to assume the lead but Norberg settled in comfortably to chase the leader. After hounding Turney, Norberg would go back by with a nice inside move in turn eight on lap 10, but the Brit returned the favor in turn 10 on the very next lap. Sodi Racing driver Harley Keeble (Piquet Sports / Sodi Kart) had fought his way to third during the opening circuit and slowly reeled in the lead duo, closely as they battled. Just a lap later, Norberg tried to pass Turney on the inside of turn five after he defended in turn four and the resultant contact allowed Keeble to get a run and drive around the outside of Turney in turn six to take the lead. Turney went right back by in turn 12 later in the lap and this overtake slowed the leaders and brought Hayden Jones (Trinity Karting Group / Kart Republic) and Brandon Carr (RPM / Tony Kart) into the scrap.
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Saturday, 01 April 2023 06:57 |
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Ryan Norberg begins his quest for a sixth SKUSA Pro Tour title in X30 Senior (Photo: EKN)
The 2023 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour is set to begin this weekend with the organization’s first trip to the Orlando Kart Center on March 31-April 2. The Orlando, Florida facility has been the unofficial home for many national teams and competitors over the last month, with the 2023 SKUSA WinterNationals as the final event of a busy winter season. The 14th season of the SKUSA Pro Tour hosts the first two rounds of the championship program in Orlando, with a warm weekend expected for the over 200 entries set to battle in the nine categories.
The Orlando Kart Center was developed in 2009, situated a few miles from the Orlando International Airport. It has hosted several major events, with the 2023 SKUSA WinterNationals the first event for the Superkarts! USA organization ever at the facility. The circuit measures out to 8/10-mile and will be contested in the clockwise direction. Read full story on eKartingNews.com |
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Thursday, 26 January 2023 11:17 |
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Orlando Kart Center will host the 2023 SKUSA Pro Tour WinterNationals
After being announced in August of 2022, the schedule for this year’s Superkarts! USA Pro Tour has been altered significantly over the last two weeks due to circumstances outside of the organization’s control.
As confirmed during the SKUSA Winter Series opener in Homestead, FL, this year’s Pro Tour WinterNationals will be moving from NOLA Motorsports Park to the Orlando Kart Center after recent contract negotiations with the facility went in a negative direction. Despite this unforeseen disappointment, SKUSA is thrilled to have the opportunity to make its debut at OKC, and the event dates will remain the same on the March 31 – April 2 weekend. Immediate feedback from the teams that support the Pro Tour was unanimously positive, as the venue change will decrease their travel costs. Input from many drivers and their parents was also positive.
“To be honest, I’m still pretty floored with how everything went down with NOLA Motorsports Park over the last six weeks, but we were put in a position where we truly had no choice but to look for an alternate facility,” offered SKUSA CEO Tom Kutscher. “An unreasonable increase in what they expected us to pay for the track rental forced us to seek another option, and I want to thank Andre Martins from the Orlando Kart Center for welcoming us to his facility for the WinterNationals.”
Unfortunately, the WinterNationals location is not the only change in the 2023 national racing schedule. SKUSA was extremely excited about debuting at the new K1 Circuit in Winchester, CA, but while the track construction continues, it has become apparent that the facility will not be prepared to host an event of the magnitude of the SpringNationals by the June 9-11 event date. In its place, SKUSA has completed an agreement to head back to the Utah Motorsports Campus for this year’s midway point in the Pro Tour. SKUSA has a long history of major events at UMC, and the racing has always been competitive.
“Like everyone in California, we’re anxious to take to the track at our region’s newest facility, which will no doubt be an immediate crown jewel for karting on the west coast,” Kutscher continued. “But while the track is working diligently on its construction, we simply cannot commit to it being ready for the SpringNationals. We’re thrilled to be working closely with the track’s new General Manager – Mike Smith – and we look forward to holding a few California ProKart Challenge races there this year, and very likely the SpringNationals in 2024. Stay tuned for more updates to the California PKC schedule in the very near future, as well.”
The Pro Tour season finale, the SummerNationals, remains confirmed at New Castle Motorsports Park on the July 28-30 weekend to cap the championship series. |
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Sunday, 31 July 2022 00:00 |
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A sweeping performance for AJ Myers in his second victory on the season in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN)
The 2022 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour saw the final chapter written on Sunday with the last day of the SummerNationals completed at the New Castle Motorsports Park. Another picture-perfect day greeted the more than 200 entries in the eight categories to bring the weekend at the New Castle, Indiana facility to an end. The sixth and final round of the 13th championship season decided the final four title winners with four drivers securing their crown on Saturday. Only two new winners added their names to the list for the 2022 season while five others repeated their victories from the previous day.
EKN Shifterkart Driver Rankings #1 AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA) showed why he has held that position for the many months with another sweeping performance added to his CV in the PSL Karting Pro Shifter division. Myers set fast time in qualifying and led every lap of the Prefinal. Grabbing the holeshot, Myers pace the field the entire 18-lap distance for his second victory of the season, locking in the #2 position in the championship. The top spot was secured Saturday with Marijn Kremers (PSL / Birel ART) picking up his third victory on the season. The 2019 FIA Karting World Champion in KZ set fast time in the Final, driving to second after getting shuffled back to seventh at the start. The fight for third went down to the wire with Jake French (PSL / Birel ART) and Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) going back and forth. French crossed the line ahead for the position but suffered a pushback bumper penalty that placed him fifth. That promoted the four-time SuperNationals winner to the podium in third and Tahlon Yockel (Magik Kart USA) to fourth. Hannah Greenemeier (RPG / LN Racing Kart) was hard charger, up 17 spots to sixth.
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Saturday, 30 July 2022 00:00 |
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Ryan Norberg clinched his fifth SKUSA Pro Tour title in X30 Senior with win four on the season (Photo: EKN)
The Superkarts! USA Pro Tour is reaching the end of the 2022 season with the fifth round of the championship program contested on Saturday at the New Castle Motorsports Park. The first day of racing was held at the SKUSA SummerNationals with warm weather greeting the over 200 competitors at the New Castle, Indiana facility. The racing action was just as hot, with all eight categories featuring close racing and excitement from start to the very end. In the process, eight drivers stood at the top of the podium in their respective categories, including six earning their first along with four championships decided early following the penultimate round of racing.
Championship was certainly on the mind of Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) in the X30 Senior presented by Speedlab Racing Engines. Norberg was classified eighth as Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) was looking to grab his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Jones held on through the Prefinal and Norberg worked up to second but was penalized for moving positions after the commitment cone prior to the green flag. That put him fourth on the grid behind Paul Bocuse (RPG / Kosmic) and Louie Westover (Solo Kart USA). A wild opening couple of laps featured a handful of drivers at the point until Norberg took over on lap five. From there, it was smooth sailing as they continued to fight for position behind him. Norberg drove away to over a seven-second advantage, however, it was reduced to four seconds with a partial pushback bumper penalty. In the wild closing laps, Diego Ramos (PSL / Birel ART) was able to grab second ahead of Jones with Edward Portz (RPG / Kosmic) up 13 spots to fourth in his first race after several months away. Rounding out the top-five was Round One winner Jeremy Fletcher (RPM / Tony Kart), who retired early in the Prefinal. He was up to second at one point in the race, ending up fifth to earn the hard charger by advancing 25 spots. For Norberg, it was a clinching day, earning his fifth SKUSA Pro Tour unofficially.
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