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SKUSA Pro Tour
| EKN Trackside: 2025 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals – Saturday Report |
| Tuesday, 27 May 2025 01:42 |
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Ryan Norberg won in a photo finish in the Pro X30 main event (Photo: EKN) It was a picture-perfect day on Saturday at the 2025 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals. The Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati provided a sunny day and comfortable temperatures as Round Three of the championship was completed on the day for the seven semi-pro categories with the Pro Show running their first day of action. While Rolison Performance Group drivers Ryan Norberg (Pro X30) and Alexander Vanchev (X30 Junior / KA Junior) were able to add to their win total on the season, four others claimed their first wins on the year.Alan Isambard (RRC / LN Racing Kart) shocked the paddock with fast time in qualifying for the Kart CRG USA Pro X30 division. A 55.239-lap put him at the top of the order over Round One winner Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) and California driver Blake Nash (Nash / EOS). It was British driver Gus Lawrence (RPG / Kosmic) that showed the pace in the Prefinal, holding off Norberg for the race win to lead the 33 driver field to the green flag. The top two were able to break away from the field early on with Lawrence at the point. Norberg applied the pressure by the halfway point of the 20-lap race, trying to get around for the lead. He finally did on lap 15, but the rest of the top six was right there, including Round Two winner Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55). Garrison got around Lawrence on lap 17 and closed up on Norberg. Coming to the white flag, Garrison was able to work past Norberg for the lead with an over/under move. Through the final lap, Garrison held the defensive line up until the run onto the main straight to the checkered flag. Norberg timed the run perfectly to dive to the right of Garrison in the drag race, reaching the checkered flag first by 20 thousandths of a second for the victory. Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano) celebrated his first SKUSA Pro Tour podium, working up to third in the closing laps ahead of Lawrence while Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) was fifth at the line. Unfortunately, he was removed from the results for a DQ in tech. That promoted Isambard up to fifth.
AJ Myers starts from the pole position for the Pro Shifter Prefinal after a Heat #2 win (Photo: EKN) The PSL Karting Pro Shifter division completed the first day of action in their Pro Show format. The split qualifying sessions saw AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA) set fast time in the even group with Corentin Rousseau (Catalyst / Italkart) the quickest in the odd group. Myers came out of the 12-driver Super Pole session with the fast time of 52.326, just over a tenth off his previous time to hold the pole position for the two heat races. Kiwi Jay Urwin (PSL / Birelart) jumped out to the lead in the opening heat race before Rousseau eventually took over the top spot for the win. Myers got through for second with Urwin back to third, Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) fourth and Josh Conquer (Maranello USA) fifth. The second heat was all Myers as he led the 10 laps for the race win over Urwin and Rousseau. Conquer and Round One winner Gavin Bayliff (TKG / Birelart) were able to work past Musgrave late for fourth and fifth. Bayliff suffered a DNF in the opening heat after he was forced wide on the first lap. Myers will start on the pole position for the Prefinal on Sunday with Rousseau on the outside of the front row. Urwin and Conquer on row two with Musgrave and Michael Avansino (RWR / CRG) in row three.
Pauly Masismino claimed his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN) The Nash Motorsportz KA100 Senior welcomed the third different winner of the season after three rounds of racing. Fernando Luque (BJR / LN Racing Kart), coming back to the track where he suffered a concussion one year ago, set fast time in qualifying with a 57.812 lap over defending champion James Overbeck (BJR / LN Racing Kart) and Round Two winner Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart). Qualifying eighth was Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart), making his 2025 debut in the category. He worked his way up to the front to claim the win in the Prefinal over Ramos and Round One winner Oliver Hodgson (CompKart). Massimino would get shuffled back to fifth early in the 20-lap Final as Hodgson and Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano) were up front. Massimino got himself back up into the top spot by lap eight and on lap nine, contact between Moya and Hodgson helped to give Massimino a gap at the front. Ramos and Jose Carlos Hernandez (Orsolon / Tony Kart) locked up in second and third, however were unable to close the gap on Massimino. At the checkered, it was Massimino with the victory by over two seconds with Ramos second and Hernandez third across the line. Ramos was given a three-second penalty for jumping the start, which put him back to seventh in the final order, moving Hernandez up to second and Luque up to third on the podium. Overbeck had fast lap of the race, placing fourth while Hodgson ended up fifth.
Scott ‘Skitchy’ Barnes was named winner in Master Shifter (Photo: EKN) A third different winner on the season claimed the top of the podium in the Rocket Racing Company Master Shifter division. Round Two winner Scott Hargrove (Catalyst / Italkart) set fast time qualifying with a 53.845 ahead of Larry Pegram (TKG / Birelart) and Round One winner Scott Presti (Croc Promotion). Pegram led early in the Prefinal until he was shuffled back to fourth in the end as Hargrove won with defending champion Skitchy Barnes (Maranello USA) in second and Presti in third. Pegram was out after lap two of the Final with his exhaust detaching from the engine, suffering a DNF. Up front, Hargrove led Barnes early before it was the Bermuda driver taking over the lead on lap seven. Hargrove went back to third as Presti took over second and eventually grabbed the lead at the halfway point. Barnes put on the pressure but slipped back in the closing laps to allow Presti to reach the line first for the provisional win. An issue in tech removed Preti from the results, promoting Barnes to the top of the podium for the victory. Hargrove was second with former Pro Tour winner Justin Kelly (Maranello USA) in third. Tyler Guilbeault (DRT / DR Racing Kart) and Cameron Cassels (Catalyst / Italkart) completed the top five.
Alexander Vanchev won the battle in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN) The sold out TKG Birelart USA KA100 Junior category began the day with Jackson Gibson (RPM / Tony Kart) earning fast time in qualifying with a 59.161 lap time over championship leaders Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) and Nathan Dupuis (Nash / EOS). Sitting fifth in the session was Round One winner Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic), who worked his way to the point and fought off Weiland for the Prefinal win. The 20 lap Final was stopped after eight laps due to a red flag, and restarted with Weiland leading and Vanchev second. Isaac Malcuit (MDR / LN Racing Kart) put himself into the mix after the restart, exchanging the lead with Weiland for multiple laps. Eventually, Vanchev regained the lead ahead of Weiland and the two were able to push away until the final few laps when they fought for the top spot. Vanchev was able to secure the lead and the victory to claim his second win of the season. Malcuit was able to get ahead of Weiland for second with Dupuis placing fourth over Gibson.
Leading all 20 laps, Alexander Vanchev won a third straight in X30 Junior (Photo: EKN) Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) was able to double up on the day in the win column, extending his win streak to three in the Rolison Performance Group X30 Junior division. It was Kyle Drysdale (RPG / Kosmic) that came out of the qualifying session with fast time, posting a 56.755 lap to edged out Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) by 26 thousandths of a second. Vanchev was third in the order and went to the lead on lap two of the Prefinal, driving away to the race win as Drysdale slipped back to 10th. It was a wire-to-wire performance in the Final for Vanchev, leading all 20 laps en route to his third straight victory, winning by over two seconds. The battle for second went down to the wire as Weiland edged out Travis Pettit (SCR / CS55) for the runner-up spot. Tyrone Kemper Jr. (SCR / CS55) was a close fourth in his class debut while Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) was in the fifth position.
Wynn Godschalk claimed his first triumph in the Mini Swift category (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca) There was no shortage of situations on the day in the Speed Concepts Racing Mini Swift class. Qualifying was no question as Aston Wyatt (RPM / Nitro Kart) claimed the pole position for the Prefinal with a 1:02.023 to edge out Cameron Johnson (Parolin Motorsport USA). Wyatt hold the top spot through the Prefinal, winning ahead of Wynn Godschalk (Team Benik), coming off victory at the WSK Euro Series event in Mini U10. During the Prefinal, Zayne Burgess (SCR / Sodi Kart) finished fourth, however, was disqualified for the round due to ‘dangerous incident responsibility’, putting the championship contender on the sideline for the day. The Final was just as crazy with action all the way to the end and after the checkered flag. Wyatt was shuffled back to fourth at the start as Godschalk took control. By the midway point, Wyatt was fighting for the top spot once again with Godschalk and Round One winner Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart). Eventually, Godschalk was able to get back to the lead with two laps remaining, driving away to his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory in the category. Francisco was able to cross the line in second while fighting behind him between Wyatt and Santiago Orioli (MPG / Kart Republic) resulted in contact. Wyatt crossed the line outside the top 10 as Round Two winner Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA) moved up to third ahead of Conner Lypka (CompKart) and Johnson. The issue with Orioli was he received the black flag for ‘Euro swerve’ incident, however, he ignored the black flag and stayed on the circuit. Officials removed him from the weekend for ‘failure to acknowledge the black flag’.
Aidan Go scored his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory in Micro Swift (Photo: EKN) The Velocity Racing by Sodi USA Micro Swift division provided great racing once again. Fast time in qualifying was set by Round Two winner Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) ahead of Round One winner Lenox Lockhart (Velocity / Sodi Kart) and Brody Stoffle (JHDD / Kart Republic). Westbrook was shuffled back as Lockhart took the race win in the Prefinal over Stoffle and Aidan Go (Parolin Motorsport USA). Lockhart led the majority of the 18-lap Final but was challenge all race by Go. Aidan led for five laps midway through the race before he fell back to third briefly. He went on the attack for the lead again with two laps remaining, and Aidan was able to hold on to claim his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Lockhart ended up second ahead of Stoffle. Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) was fourth with Westbrook crossing in fifth. A 10-second penalty for contact however dropped Westbrook back to ninth in the final order, promoting Samuel Chaverri (TKG / Birelart) to fifth.The first half of the 2025 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour is complete, along with the first half of the SpringNationals after the action on Saturday. Racing continues on Sunday from the MCC Kartplex with Round Four action and the completion of the Pro Show for Pro Shifter. |
