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SKUSA Pro Tour
| EKN Trackside: 2025 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour WinterNationals – Sunday Report |
| Wednesday, 02 April 2025 08:34 |
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Gavin Bayliff used a last lap pass to secure victory in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN) The final day of action at the 2025 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour WinterNationals was contested on Sunday at the Speedsportz Racing Park. A humid and hot day at the New Caney, Texas facility, welcoming the largest event in the 16 year history of the series, closed out the first event to the Lone Star State since 2014. Round Two of this year’s championship was held on the day for seven categories while the Pro Shifter division capped off its weekend with a Prefinal and Final.The Pro Shifter presented by PSL Karting featured a duel between a new name to the front of the field and a veteran. Gavin Bayliff (TKG / Birelart) came through the heat races on Saturday with a win and the pole position after the points were tabulated. Five-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) matched his total but started the Prefinal from the outside of the front row. Bayliff led early before Musgrave took over the lead on lap three. Shortly after, a red flag came out for a flip in the second half of the 43 driver field. All drivers walked away. Musgrave handled the restart, fending off the early pressure and drove away to a 1.4 second advantage to claim the pole position for the Final. Bayliff was able to secure the holeshot to begin the 25-lap main event with Musgrave slotting into second. The two pushed away from the rest of the field over the opening laps. On lap eight, Musgrave moved to the lead and led until lap 14. Musgrave retook the top spot on lap 19 and they ran that way until the final lap. Musgrave went defensive with Bayliff waiting until turn 14. A center punch bump and run pushed Musgrave wide enough for Bayliff to slip underneath, getting to the apex at turn 15 first and going on to cross the line for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Musgrave settled for second with defending champion Matheus Morgatto (PSL / Birelart) holding off Kiwi Jay Urwin (PSL / Birelart) with top qualifier Charlie Stines (Fury / GP Kart) right there in fifth to cap off an amazing weekend for the Indiana driver.
Austin Garrison grabbed his first SKUSA Pro Tour triumph in Pro X30 (Photo: EKN) It was another duel in the Kart CRG USA Pro X30 division, completing their second round of the weekend. Canadian Ayden Ingratta (SCR / CS55) put himself into the fight in the morning, setting fast time of 52.289 to edge out defending champion and Saturday winner Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) and Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55). Ingratta led the opening lap, and that was it with Norberg taking control and Garrison coming through for second. At the start of the main event, Ingratta was shuffled back to fifth while Norberg and Garrison pushed out in front of an early six-driver pack. Eventually, the top two pulled away with Garrison at the point. Norberg claimed the top spot at the halfway point of the 20-lap race and led until five to go. That’s when the two began an epic battle, making passes for the lead every lap. Garrison took the lead with the white flag waving and Ingratta closing in on the two. Norberg tried at each turn for a way past Garrison, however, had the pressure of Ingratta behind him. Garrison was able to fend off the challenge, reaching the line to claim his first win at the WinterNationals since claiming the S1 win at NOLA in 2018. Norberg settled for second with Ingratta joining them on the podium in third. Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) avoided issues on Sunday while improving his pace to came away in fourth while Caden McQueen (Energy Corse Americas) completed his WinterNationals debut in fifth.
Diego Ramos claimed his first ever SKUSA Pro Tour victory in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN) The Nash Motorsportz KA100 Senior category welcomed a first time winner on Sunday. Brazilian Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) posted fast time in qualifying with a 54.575 lap to edge out teammate Henry Wheeler (PSL / Birelart). It was Peyton Phillips (Arcane / Tony Kart), who qualified third, that came through with the Prefinal win over Ramos. A three-second penalty for scrubbing tires dropped Ramos down to seventh on the grid for the Final. Phillips led the 20-lap race early before SKUSA Winter Series champion Frankie Mossman (JHDD / Kart Republic) moved up to the point. He led with Donovan Bonilla (RPG / Kosmic) on his bumper until a charging Ramos mixed up the order. At the midway point, Ramos went from third to first and was able to maintain the point. Mossman and Bonilla each gave him a challenge, however, Ramos would hold on to the checkered flag for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory in the category, his second WinterNats triumph after winning X30 in 2021 at NOLA. Mossman held on for second over Bonilla with defending champion James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart) coming up from ninth to fourth with Saturday winner Oliver Hodgson (CompKart) in fifth.
A career first victory in Master Shifter for Scott Hargrove (Photo: EKN) Sunday’s action in the Rocket Racing Company Master Shifter division was a sweep by Canadian Scott Hargrove (Catalyst / Italkart). In his class debut, finishing second on Saturday, Hargrove stepped up in qualifying with a 50.771 lap to edge out Saturday winner Scott Presti (Croc Promotion) by 93 thousandths. Presti got the holeshot to begin the Prefinal, only to see Hargrove take over at the halfway point toward the race win. Presti fell back to third behind Luis Gautier (PSL / Birelart). From the pole position, Hargrove was able to take the holeshot and go on to lead all 20 laps of the Final for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Presti fell back to fourth at the start behind Gautier and Victor Jimenez (RPG / Tony Kart), however fought up to the second spot by lap seven. He finished runner-up with defending champion Scott Barnes (Maranello USA) coming up from the tail of the 12-driver field after a Prefinal DNF to steal third from Gautier and Luca Bortone (Factory Karts).
Cole Medeiros came back to claim the Sunday win in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN) Sunday was about redemption in the TKG Birelart USA KA100 Junior class. The two red flags and over an hour of time allotted for the class left them only at 8 laps completed in the main event. The division had no stoppage on the day, and completed the 10 laps in the Prefinal and 20 in the Final. It was also redemption for Canadian Cole Medeiros (REM / Kosmic), having his provisional win taken away on Saturday due to a tech issue, coming back with his first SKUSA Pro Tour triumph. Nathan Dupuis (Nash / EOS) was quickest in qualifying while Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) came out of the Prefinal with the win. Medeiros went from sixth to fourth in the Prefinal, and was among the four drivers battling in the Final alongside Dupuis, Lourenco Varela (PSL / Birelart) and Jose Alejandro Halphen (RPG / Kosmic). Multiple lead changes took place until Medeiros grabbed the spot on lap 13. From there, he held off charges and was able to break away in the closing laps to secure the victory. The fight for second went down to the wire with Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) coming up from the second group, knifing his way onto the podium with Halphen in third. Varela was fourth with Dupuis grabbing fifth.
Two straight in X30 Junior for Alexander Vanchev to begin SKUSA Pro Tour (Photo: EKN) Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) was able to claim a second straight in the Rolison Performance Group X30 Junior category. It was his teammate Yukun Yao (RPG / Kosmic) that earned his first top qualifier honor with fast time. Yao drove to the race win in the Prefinal, however, was removed from the results for a spark plug issue in tech. This promoted Jaxon Porter (RPG / Kosmic) to the pole position for the Final with Leonardo Serravalle (PSL / Birelart) on the outside. Porter’s day went from good to bad, leading the first two laps before getting shuffled down the order. Lap seven, he and Sarah Bradley (SCR / Sodi Kart) made contact, ending his day while she rejoined in 16th. Taking the lead from Porter was Saturday winner Vanchev, bringing Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) with him. Woon pressured Vanchev but was unable to make a move as they finished 1-2. The fight for third went down to the wire with Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) grabbing the final podium position ahead of Serravalle and Nathan Dupuis (Nash / EOS).
Enzo DiGennaro claimed the Sunday victory in Mini Swift (Photo: EKN) It was a similar scenario from Saturday in the Speed Concepts Racing Mini Swift class. Provisional Saturday winner Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA) came out of the gate with fast time in qualifying, however, it was Saturday winner Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) getting the win in the Prefinal by inches. The two were joined at the front this time by Wynn Godschalk (Team Benik) and Asher Pavan (Parolin Motorsport USA). Francisco led early until DiGennaro managed to regain the top spot. He led the remainder of the race, holding off Pavan and Godschalk to the line for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Godschalk received two penalties totaling eight seconds, which dropped him off the podium and back to sixth in the final results. That promoted Francisco to third, Royce Vega (JHDD / Kart Republic) to fourth and Cameron Johnson (Parolin Motorsport USA) into fifth.
Texas driver Dutch Westbrook claimed his first SKUSA Pro Tour win in Micro Swift (Photo: EKN) A first time winner was welcomed in the Velocity Racing by Sodi USA Micro Swift class for a second straight day. Zev Godschalk (Team Benik) was vying to be that driver, earning fast time in qualifying and winning the Prefinal over teammate Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik). The two were joined at the front by Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) and Brody Stoffle (JHDD / Kart Republic). Godschalk led the opening 10 laps before Westbrook took his turn. The two exchanged the lead two more times in the final two laps with Westbrook winning the race to the checkered flag by 43 thousandths ahead of Godschalk. Stoffle put in fast lap of the race in third with Howard in fourth. SKUSA Winter Series champion Marcelo Flores (JHDD / Kart Republic) put in a stellar drive, coming from 29th to fifth in the 18-lap race.The Superkarts! USA Pro Tour sets its sights on a return to the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati, visiting the Batavia, Ohio circuit over the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May for the 2025 SKUSA SpringNationals. |
