(Photo: DromoPhotos.com)

The eKartingNews.com TaG Driver Rankings Powered by Bell Racing USA during the month of June was very similar to the Shifterkart schedule with 27 main events included to close out the first half of 2019. The ROK Cup USA Festival, California ProKart Challenge, and United States Pro Kart Series highlighted the month and provided the key events for movement within the top-50 of the standings. The top of the order however remains unchanged with the first five static.

Three-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) resides at the top of the standings with no adjustment to is total. The gap between he and Brandon Jarsocrak (MDR / Tony Kart) shrunk to just 98 points after the month of June with two-time United States Pro Kart Series champion gaining a few. Point total is the same for both Christian Brooks (Nash / FA Kart) and Austin Garrison (CRG Nordam). Hannah Greenemeier’s total dropped during the month despite the Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic driver earning her first victory at the California ProKart Challenge program.

A total of three drivers advanced their position inside the top-10. Brazilian Arthur Leist (PSL / Birel ART) grabbed the victory at the ROK Cup USA Battle at the Beach in Biloxi, MS to earn a ticket to the ROK Cup Superfinal event in Italy this October. The win also promoted him two positions to sixth in the Driver Rankings. He leaped over Alex Bertagnoli (KSNA / Kart Republic), who remains in seventh but lost points. Colin Neal (RPG / Kosmic) is another to lose points, but gained one position to sit eighth. Dante Yu (J3 / CompKart) finished the year in the top-five, however, his focus in 2019 is in open wheel competition and has fallen to ninth.

Completing the top-10 is the top rookie on the year Josh Green. The MDR / Kosmic driver grabbed that first major victory, beating a stacked field on the opening day of action at the USPKS Carolina Grand Prix in Mooresville. Green has three straight podium results and leads the championship heading into the series finale at the end of July. Out of the top-10 is Trey Brown (Nash / FA Kart), who drops one spot to 11th. Also of note to move up during the month of June is Austin McCusker (MDR / Kosmic) as the IMSA LMP3 driver keeps sharp with key karting events. Franklin Motorsports’ Jake Venberg (Kosmic) continues to have solid events thus far in 2019, moving up 26 positions to sit 28th at this point in the season.

Upcoming EKN TaG Driver Rankings Schedule

TaG #1 – Ryan Norberg
Orlando, Florida

(Photo: EKN)

From coast to coast, Ryan Norberg is proving to be the top TaG driver in North America. The three-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion swept the action at the SpringNationals to take over control of the X30 Senior title chase in his attempt for a fourth straight crown. Aside from winning the SKUSA Winter Series in his home state in February, Norberg joins his Rolison Performance Group squad on the west coast, and has three straight podium finishes to lead the California ProKart Challenge standings at the halfway point. There is still unfinished business with the SummerNationals on the horizon and getting that fourth straight title.

Point Breakdown

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TaG #2 – Brandon Jarsocrak
Reading, Pennsylvania

(Photo: EKN)

There is a reason why Brandon Jarsocrak is a two-time United States Pro Kart Series champion. Because he’s good. The ‘Shillington Slingshot’ has brushed off the slump, and recorded his first victory since December thanks to a return back to his old home at Mike Doty Racing. The only repeat champion in the X30 Pro division at USPKS finds himself in a different position, chasing now teammate and rookie driver Josh Green for the series title heading into the finale next month at New Castle. The NCMP record by Jarsocrak is spot on, winning 6 of 8 main events in SKUSA and USPKS competition over the last two seasons.

Point Breakdown

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TaG #3 – Christian Brooks
Santa Clarita, California

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Florida Winter Tour champion Christian Brooks remains one of the top karters today. After two years of running RallyCross, Brooks has shifted his sights back to open wheel racing and the F4 United States championship. He currently sits sixth in the championship standings as the top rookie, coming off two runner-up results in Pittsburgh this month. While Brooks entered the SpringNationals as a championship contender, a tough weekend in Utah took the steam out of a possible run. And scheduling conflicts would have prevented the Californian from going for the title at the SummerNationals, as he will be at Mid-Ohio in his F4 car. The top ROK Cup USA driver will be carrying the USA colors in Italy this October at the ROK Cup Superfinal.

Point Breakdown

EKN Driver Rankings Calculation Process
The EKN Driver Rankings are calculated using a driver’s best finishes in major North American races. Assembled using events from the previous 12 months from the current date, we use a driver’s best seven finishes in the TaG and Shifterkart categories to determine their overall current point total. With each new release, results posted from more than one year ago are discarded. To deliver our ranking list, we tabulate the results of all the national programs and selected regional programs. We have also included the results for the major one-off events such as the SKUSA SuperNationals, the Rock Island Grand Prix, and the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix.

Each race is initially weighted based on the prestige and history of the event or series with a score of ten (10) being the highest attainable base ranking. For 2019, the SKUSA SuperNationals will receive a score of 10 in its initial weighting in the TaG and Shifterkart categories. A base ranking of 9.5 is set for the SKUSA Pro Tour, while a base ranking of 9 goes to the SKUSA Winter Series, United States Pro Kart Series, Florida Winter Tour, Challenge of the Americas, ROK the RIO, All Star Finals, Stars and Stripes Trophy and Open, Rock Island Grand Prix, and California ProKart Challenge. Other national and regional program races were given a base ranking of either 8.5 or 8.0.

The EKN staff reserves the right to adjust the rankings of each event throughout the year. A minimum entry total for any event to be considered for the Driver Rankings program is five (5). If an event does not have at least five (5) drivers starting the race, those results will not be tabulated toward the Driver Rankings.

Added to these initial rankings are two variables that help confirm the true importance of an event to the ranking process – field size and field strength. A percentage of one weighting point is added for the size of the field, while the number of existing top-50 drivers entered offers another full point or fraction of a point. The sum of these numbers becomes the overall ranking for any race.

Following a race, drivers receive points based on their finishing positions with 100 points earned for a win. Each subsequent position drops by one point with 99 points given to the second-place driver and so on throughout the field. These points are then multiplied by the overall ranking to produce a driver’s final point total from each event. Using a driver’s best seven races, we calculate each driver’s overall score and subsequent ranking.

eKartingNews.com TaG Driver Rankings Powered by Bell Racing USA – as of June 28, 2019