The 10th chapter of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour will see its final pages written this weekend as the series finale is set for the New Castle Motorsport Park. The New Castle, Indiana facility will play host for the 10th SKUSA SummerNationals, as the 2019 edition marks the fifth straight year that the Mark Dismore-owned facility welcomes SKUSA competitors, becoming the Midwest home for the organization. It’s also the third year in a row that SKUSA has capped the Pro Tour at the popular track, as the first seven seasons of the national series wrapped at the SuperNationals in Las Vegas.

eKartingNews.com is proud to continue as the official online partner for the SKUSA Pro Tour, having broadcast every race since its inception. Those karting enthusiasts not in attendance can listen from home or on the road through the EKN Live broadcast page at www.ekartingnews.com/live with EKN’s own Rob Howden providing the play-by-play call. This weekend’s broadcast is brought to you by Mad Old Nut Racing, Rolison Performance Group and KartLift Kart Stands. Daily reports and updates on the EKN Social Media network will fill up your timeline throughout the weekend.

Rain shuffled things for the opening rounds of the SKUSA Pro Tour at the WinterNationals in southern California in March. Fast forward to May, and all the racing was completed before storms rolled into the Utah Motorsports Campus for the SpringNationals, as another exciting doubleheader of racing was put into the history books. Now, competitors find themselves with a bit of unknown as the New Castle Motorsports Park is opening up the extended ‘Iron Man’ course, rather than the ‘national course’ that had been utilized the past four SummerNationals at NCMP. The SKUSA Great Lakes ProKart Challenge opened the season with the configuration, and closed out the 2019 season last weekend with the final two rounds of the championship. The weekend provided a number of SKUSA Pro Tour competitors the opportunity to learn the layout in preparation for this weekend. Now we wait to see if the extra time will pay off when the final championship points are calculated on Sunday evening.

X30 Senior

Ryan Norberg put himself into the championship chase with two victories in Utah, going for a fourth-straight X30 Senior title (Photo: EKN)

As the SKUSA Pro Tour wraps up on Sunday afternoon at the New Castle Motorsports Park, everyone in attendance may be there to witness history. Three-time defending champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) is searching for a fourth title, an unparalleled achieved in SKUSA’s long history. The Florida driver holds a 186-point advantage heading into the final two rounds of the championship chase, leading now three-time USPKS champion Brandon Jarsocrak. The Pennsylvania driver sparked his run for the title with a move to the MDR / Tony Kart package at the SpringNationals, placing runner-up and fourth to Norberg in Utah. While the 186 points may look to be untouchable, a maximum of 320 points in each round sit there for either to take. Norberg did so in Round Three and Jarsocrak can cut into that deficit with two of his own. Norberg’s last win at NCMP in SKUSA competition came in 2016 when he won both at the SummerNats. Finishing second to Norberg in that first championship season was Jarsocrak, who has stood on top of the podium in two of the last four main events.

The battle for the SKUSA #3 plate is likely to go down to the wire with a host of drivers sitting within 150 points of each other. Christian Brooks (Nash / FA Kart) currently holds the position but he will be in Ohio competing in his F4 US Championship ride. That opens the door for Trey Brown (Nash / FA Kart), Hannah Greenemeier (RPG / Kosmic), Brit Oliver Hodgson (J3 / CompKart), Canadian Thomas Nepveu (PSL / Birel ART), Jacob Gulick (RPG / Kosmic) and Colin Neal (RPG / Kosmic). With the field being oversold past the 44-driver mark, there are sure to be those outside of the championship chase who will play a role in the weekend results. Franklin Motorsports’ Jake Venberg (Kosmic) and former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Brandon Lemke (Merlin) are both coming off victories at the USPKS finale. SKUSA #2 plate holder Samuel Lupien (RPG / Kosmic) is making his 2019 Pro Tour debut, and Sebastian Montoya (TM / Tony Kart) is returning to the USA after competing in Europe all summer. A fun fact: the only drivers in the field to win at the SummerNationals outside Norberg and Jarsocrak are Jesus Rios Jr. (Solo Kart) and Braden Eves (Crosslink / Exprit). Rios was a double winner in 2015 while Eves won opposite of Jarsocrak in 2017.

Provisional Entry List

Freddie Slater put himself into the point lead in X30 Junior with a double win weekend in Utah  (Photo: EKN)

The X30 Junior field on the weekend is going to be just as big, with championship implications being followed with each passing lap. Two wins in four rounds help the chances for British driver Freddie Slater (Supertune / Tony Kart) to enter the weekend leading the championship chase. The advantage is 133 points over Round Two victor Branyon Tiner (RPG / Kosmic) as the Texan was unable to reach the podium in Utah. A close third is Josh Pierson (RPG / Kosmic), who earned his first SKUSA podium at Round Four. Canadian Dale Curran (Nash / Kosmic) won the opening round and is fourth in the point standings, 170 points out of first.

With the new layout for the SummerNationals, it could help to spread out the Junior fields even more despite the large draft factor that New Castle provides. Either way, the large field will provide a number of contenders gunning for victory. International drivers Brent Crews (KSNA / FA Kart) and Luca Mars (SCR / Tony Kart) won during the USPKS weekend. Among those projected to be in the hunt this weekend include John Burke (Supertune / Tony Kart), Cole and Carson Morgan (LAK / Tony Kart), Noel Leon (CRG Nordam), and Santiago Trisini (KSNA / Kart Republic).

Provisional Entry List

Blake Hunt leads the KA100 Senior title chase heading to New Castle (Photo: EKN)

Photo finishes have become the norm at New Castle in most divisions, and the same is expected as SKUSA Pro Tour makes it debut with the KA100 Senior class at the facility. Those final inches at the line could be the difference between a championship or the SKUSA #2 plate as we have five drivers sitting within 92 points of each other at the top of the standings. Newly-crowned USPKS champion Blake Hunt (KSNA / Tony Kart) holds the point lead thanks to two runner-up finishes at the SpringNationals, yet he has zero SKUSA wins going into the weekend. Hunt won in a photo finish at the USPKS finale, and leads by 17 points over Nick Persing (Nash / FA Kart). The Californian has similar results to Hunt, placing runner-up in both rounds at the WinterNationals with no wins on the year. Austin Osborne (IRM / Kosmic) is the lone race winner in the title chase, victorious at Round Two. The Texan suffered a DNF in Utah, costing him the point lead after four rounds. Nick Ramirez (PGR / Ricciardo) and Christopher Martin (Crosslink / Exprit) complete the top-five in the standings, still with a chance at the title.

The biggest factor in the championship hunt for those drivers is where the remainder of the field drops in. Round Three winner Joshua Fine (MSquared / Kosmic) is making the haul from Utah to compete in Indiana. Arie Venberg (Franklin / Kosmic), Pauly Massimino (MDR / Kosmic) and local stars Garrett Adams (Comet / FA Kart) and Matthew Mockabee (Comet / Kart Republic) are all making their first SKUSA Pro Tour starts on the season. In addition, Indy 500 driver Pippa Mann (Franklin / Merlin) is set for her first start in the KA100 category after racing X30 Master at the SuperNationals the past few seasons.

Provisional Entry List

Ethan Ho remains the driver at the top of the KA100 Junior standings thanks to his two wins at the WinterNats (Photo: EKN)

Only two drivers have been able to win in the debut of the KA100 Junior class on the SKUSA Pro Tour. Ethan Ho (APM / Tony Kart) opened up as the inaugural winner, sweeping the main events at the WinterNationals before Brent Crews (KSNA / Kart Republic) made his debut in the category with two wins at the SpringNationals. Ho has led the championship from the beginning, and enters the SummerNationals holding a 27-point advantage over Kyffin Simpson (SCR / Tony Kart). Connor Zilisch (LAK / Tony Kart) is only 46 points back, making it a three-driver fight for the title. Simpson grabbed a victory at the USPKS event two weeks ago with Zilisch right there throughout the weekend. Ho competed as well, and found himself fighting outside the top-five both days.

Crews did not compete at the WinterNationals, and thus trails by a large margin in the chase, but comes off a championship at the USPKS program in the class. Throw in local Logan Adams (Comet / FA Kart) and the rest of the largest field of the season, and things are sure to come down to a photo finish in both the main events and the title chase.

Provisional Entry List

Kai Sorensen looks to become the first to earn a Micro Swift and Mini Swift title at the SKUSA Pro Tour (Photo: EKN)

Likely the tightest fields week in, week out, the Mini Swift class is sure to provide some drama throughout the weekend at the SummerNationals. A total of six drivers sit within 174 points going into the final two rounds of the championship. The top three are all under the same Supertune / Tony Kart tent. Kai Sorensen and Enzo Deligny sit atop of the standings, each coming off victory at the SpringNationals with Anderson Leonard only 108 points out of first. Fresh off his USPKS championship, Christian Miles (KSNA / Kart Republic) is hungry for more, only trailing by 109 points. Nitro Kart teammates Parker DeLong and two-time WinterNationals winner Sebastian Ng round out the top six fighting for the title. Jack Jeffers (Orsolon / Tony Kart) was third in the standings, but elected to move up to the Junior ranks for the weekend.

The Mini Swift field is nearly sold out with the same top contenders ready for battle. Look for Caleb Gafrarar (PSL / Birel ART), Jesus Vasquez Jr. (PKS / Ricciardo), Cameron Weinberg (Nitro Kart), Max Garcia (KSNA / Kart Republic), and Cameron Brinkman (Franklin / Merlin) to all factor into the battle for the victories.

Provisional Entry List

Jack Iliffe is in control of the Micro Swift title chase heading into New Castle (Photo: EKN)

The Micro Swift division has grown throughout the season, and is set to welcome its largest field of the year at nearly 20 drivers. Jack Iliffe (Tony Kart) leads the championship with a double-win weekend in Utah. The Texan is coming off a broken wrist from late June, bouncing back with solid finishes in the last two USPKS weekends. The top two challengers – both within 74 points – are last year’s California ProKart Challenge champion Graham Trammell (Kosmic) and Logan Chambers (Ricciardo), each winners at the SpringNationals. Toss in the top three drivers in the USPKS championship as Nitro Kart drivers Aryton Grim, Spencer Conrad and Carson Weinberg all making their 2019 SKUSA Pro Tour debut, and the fight at the front should be exciting.

Provisional Entry List

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