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SKUSA Pro Tour
| EKN Trackside: 2026 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour WinterNationals – Saturday Report |
| Thursday, 02 April 2026 13:10 |
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Joe Turney grabbed his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory since 2023 in Pro X30 (Photo: EKN) The 17th season of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour kicked into high gear on Saturday at the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, AZ, and the action was just as exciting as anyone would have expected to start the new season. MPG Motorsports’ Joe Turney (Alonso Kart) made his return to SKUSA’s national series after two seasons away and the 2023 Pro X30 champion didn’t skip a beat as he came out on top of a quality battle with Brandon Jarsocrak Racing’s Pauly Massimino (LN Kart) to win the open round of the year. Massimino had already tasted victory on the day, emerging from the mid-race chaos in KA100 Senior to score a dominant win at the end of the 22-lap final. Maranello USA’s Marijn Kremers scored two runner-up results in the heat races to lock down the pole position for Sunday’s Prefinal in Pro Shifter.Turney started off the event with fast time in qualifying for the Nash Motorsportz Pro X30 category with a lap of 49.692 to clear the 42 driver field by just over a tenth. Qualifying fifth, Pauly Massimino had the quickest pace of the 10-lap Prefinal, working his way into the lead and taking the win by over three tenths ahead of Turney. Three British drivers Oliver Hodgson (Factory Karts), Gus Lawrence (RPG / Kosmic) and Sean Butcher (RPG / Kosmic) made up the top five. The 22-lap Final began with Lawrence getting pushed wide in turn one, and falling all the way back to 23rd after completing the opening lap. The opening couple of laps saw lots of contact that shuffled up the order. Keagan Kaminski (FW / GFC) sent it into turn 11 and as a result took out both Butcher and SummerNationals winner Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart). A few laps later more contact in the top 10 as Jake Drew (GFC Karting) and Ayden Ingratta (REM / Kosmic) locked up together in turn four. All this allowed Massimino to pull away early until eventually Turney got into second and ran down the SKUSA Winter Series winner. Turney went to the lead right away after catching Massimino and the two were able to maintain a solid lead. Massimino made his move for the lead on lap 15 and worked to keep Turney back. It wasn’t until two laps remaining that Turney went back to the lead. On the final lap, Massimino appeared to set up a move for turn five but a yellow flag was out, and he pulled back. Turney went defensive down the backstraight and Massimino nearly pulled the over under as the two made contact in the final corner. They both got through and Turney reached the line first for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory since 2023 SummerNationals. Massimino settled for second with Hodgson coming across the line in third. He however had lost all the water in the radiator after damage from early contact and came in just under the minimum weight. Lawrence had the quickest pace all race and with all the action taking place in front of him after getting shuffled back at the start, clawed his way up to the fourth spot at the line and was promoted to third after the DQ for Hodgson. Macy Williams (SCR / CS55) was in the fifth spot behind Lawrence until contact between she and Nico Sarphati (GFC Karting). This allowed Davin Roberts (RPM / Tony Kart) to take the position and promoted to fourth with Jesus Vasquez Jr. (GFC Karting) up from 21st to crossing the line behind Roberts. He however was penalized multiple times for contact, promoting Senior rookie Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) to fifth.
Marijn Kremers will start the Pro Shifter Prefinal from pole position (Photo: EKN) The first half of the WinterNationals round for Pro Shifter presented by PSL Karting began with Corentin Rousseau (IM / Italkart) and Marijn Kremers (Maranello USA) leading the way in the two qualifying sessions to form the 12 drivers transferring into the Super Pole session. In the Super Pole session, former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodikart) came away with the quick time of 47.241 with Kremers in second and Kyle Wick (GFC Karting) in third. Rousseau, who had the quickest lap of the two qualifying sessions, was back in sixth after the Super Pole run. The start of the opening heat race saw Morgatto lock up his brakes and push out at turn one. This allowed several drivers to slide past that saw Kremers take the lead with Kiwi Jay Urwin (PSL / Birelart) up to second. Lap four, Urwin made his move on Kremers at turn two, and that was the deciding factor. Urwin took the win by nine tenths over Kremers with Adrien Renaudin (Velocity / Sodikart) up to third. It was the same start for Morgatto who again missed the opening corner, only this time slipping back to third behind Kremers and Wick. Lap three, Wick made an outside move going into turn one and came away with the lead. That was the winning move as he took the win over Kremers with Morgatto back to fifth behind Urwin and Daniel Formal (GFC Karting). Kremers will start from the pole position for the Prefinal on Sunday with Urwin on the outside of the front row. Wick and Renaudin go from row two with Formal and defending champion Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) in row three.
A second career SKUSA Pro Tour win for Pauly Massimino in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN) Kart CRG USA KA100 Senior was a victory by 2025 SpringNationals winner Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart). The North Carolina driver pulling double duty on the weekend set fast time in qualifying with a 52.121 lap to clear the 47 driver field by over a tenth of a second. It was defending champion Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) who was able to come away with the Prefinal win, getting away late from fellow double duty drivers Caden McQueen (Velocity / Sodikart) and Massimino. The Final began with a red flag after a terrible start by the field. One driver spun on the straight in the middle of the pack, and the tail end of the field was full throttle going in. This trigger multiple karts to be involved, including Johnie Stamps (FW / GFC) and Finnegan Bayliff (TKG / Birelart). All drivers involved were able to walk away with no major injuries. Once the race got underway, the lead pack eventually became four drivers with Chase Hand (GFC Karting) joining the battle at the front. McQueen and Massimino were the two leaders fort the majority of the race. The last lap skirmish between the four ended with Massimino coming away with the lead and the victory, crossing the line ahead by four tenths of a second. McQueen was second, earning fast lap of the race, while Ramos completed the podium. Hand was the top non-X30 driver in the field in fourth with Senior rookie Matthew Cagle (FW / GFC) crossing the line in fifth. A DQ in tech for carburetor took him off the results and promoted Dean Pedersen (RPG / Kosmic) to fifth.
Ashton Woon was named winner in X30 Junior (Photo: EKN) The results in X30 Junior presented by Rolison Performance Group were decided after the main event. Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic) was the driver to beat all day, setting fast time in qualifying (50.696) and led all 10 laps in the Prefinal over the 30-driver field. Pettit jumped out ahead at the start of the 20-lap main event and was never caught. Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) was able to close in late but not enough to pressure for the top spot as Pettit crossed the line as the provisional winner. A jump start penalty of six seconds took the win away from Pettit, as he would be classified fourth in the order, promoting Woon to the top step of the podium. Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birealrt) crossed the line in third, however was removed from the results for engine tech issue. This promoted Royce Vega (RPG / Kosmic) to second and Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) to third. Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA) was placed fifth behind Pettit in the final results.
Nico Orbezo came away with his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN) It was a solid day for Nicolas Orbezo (IRM / Tony Kart) in the KA100 Junior presented by TKG Birelart USA. Orbezo was third in qualifying behind top qualifier Nathan Ramirez (Team KartNick / CS55) and Braydon Wagner (FW / GFC). Ramirez suffered a broken reed on his engine after taking the green flag, forcing him to pull off. That allowed Orbezo to claim the lead and win the 10-lap Prefinal. The main event saw a lot of shuffling at the front, with the lead pack only four early and eventually becoming eight late in the race. Coming to the white flag, Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) and Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) were leading until they made contact in turn 11. This allowed Orbezo to grab the lead and held on through the final lap for the victory. Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic) was second with Wagner on the podium in third. Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) came from deep in the field after an issue in the Prefinal to finish fourth with Alex Chandler (IRM / Tony Kart) capping off the top five.
Phil DeLaO won the battle in KA100 Master for victory in his class debut (Photo: EKN) A strong turnout of 18 drivers in the Evinco Tires KA100 Masters put on a show with battles throughout the field, but the focus on Saturday was on the fight for the lead as a trio of drivers waged war for the win. Arizona’s Bailey Murphy (BJR / Tony Kart) qualified on the pole ahead of Phil DeLaO (Mach 5 / LN Kart), but DeLaO powered through to win the Prefinal and lock down to the pole for the main. In the final, DeLaO and Bailey pulled out to the lead but Josh Sarchet (Mach 5 / LN Kart) chased them from third and eventually made it a three-driver fight for the victory. The final laps were thrilling and, in the end, DeLaO held off Bailey’s charges to score a 0.270-second win, his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory since his 2012 title in the TaG Senior category. Murphy and Sarchet joined DeLaO on the podium. Scott Falcone (BJR / LN Kart) started seventh and worked his way through to finish fourth ahead of Trevor McAlister (Arcane / Tony Kart).
Mason Brody ran down the leaders and claimed his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory in Mini Swift (Photo: EKN) After Max Santana (Benik) scored the pole in the Mega Power Engines Mini Swift class, the Ryan Perry Motorsports / Nitro Kart trio of Lucas Tarango, Jake Manalio, and Brody Stoffle stormed ahead to dominate the Prefinal. The main event saw a pack of three including Manalio, Tarango, and Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) joined later by Mason Brody (RPM / Nitro Kart). Brody eventually worked his way from catching the leading trio, to working himself up into the lead within three laps. Westbrook took the lead for a lap but Brody returned to the point before the white flag. Brody held on through the final circuit, reaching the checkered flag to claim his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. Manalio won the battle for second ahead of Westbrook with Tarango in fourth. Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) was able to secure the fight for the fifth spot at the line.
Tristan Francisco was named winner in Micro Swift after penalties (Photo: EKN) The Micro Swift presented by Grupo Santana Vega winner was decided after the racing had completed as well. Andres M. Pena (Kart CRG USA) struck first with fast time in qualifying before a charging Beau Wyatt (Team Benik) came up from 13th to score the win in the Prefinal. He and Tristan Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) were able to break away from the field early. Eventually, Francisco lost the draft and Wyatt went on to lead all 20 laps. A penalty for jumping the start of six seconds however took the win away from Wyatt and promoted Francisco to the top of the podium for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory. SKUSA Winter Series champion Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart), who fell back to last at the start of the Prefinal in the 24 driver field ended up driving up to third on track by the end of the Final. He advanced to second after starting on the grid in 19th with Wyatt placed third after his penalty. Dusty Strayer (Parolin Motorsport USA) was fourth, beating out Tre Sanders (RPM / Nitro Kart) for the spot with Pena a close sixth.The drivers will be back on-track in Tucson on Sunday for Round Two, while the Pro Shifter drivers will complete their opening round to see who leaves Arizona with the point lead. |
