The 2020 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour has been delayed by five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What was set to begin in March in New Orleans saw only four rounds of practice completed for the start of the WinterNationals before the government shut down the facility and sent everyone home for what was unknown at the time to be a stay-at-home order. Hopes of the SpringNationals in May at the Utah Motorsports Campus diminished as there was still the unknown about traveling and the state’s status for large gatherings. Now into August, Superkarts! USA has condensed the six rounds of the Pro Tour into two weekends, with each pair of dates hosting three rounds of racing.

The New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana has been working with local and state officials to help provide a safe and social distance environment. That allows SKUSA to conduct the two weekends of racing that will decide the 2020 SKUSA Pro Tour champions. Rounds One, Two and Three are set for August 6-9, all conducted on the ‘Super Mile’ layout that was utilized at the SummerNationals 2019. Rounds Four, Five and Six are scheduled for August 13-16 around the ‘Reverse National’ layout.

Superkarts! USA has stepped up on the prize package for the SKUSA Pro Tour Summer Festival. For each of the six rounds of racing for the Pro Shifter, X30 Senior and X30 Junior categories, SKUSA is putting up a $5,000 cash purse for the top-five. Each race winner takes home $2,500 with runner-up a $1,250 payday. The remainder of the top-five earns $625, $375, and $250. If one driver were to sweep all six rounds, that would equate to a $15,000 payday on the two weekends. Categories with 30 drivers or more are also in the running for a cash purse for each of the six rounds. Each winner earns $250, with second $150 and third $100. In total, a $3,000 cash purse for those categories reaching the 30-driver mark.

The unique double weekend also sets the stage for the SKUSA Pro Tour championship awards. The top three drivers in each of the categories will be racing for another amazing prize package. Each class champion earns a spot on the SKUSA Circle of Champions program to return racing in 2021 with free entries, tires, fuel and oil for the SKUSA Pro Tour and entry / tires to the SuperNationals 24. For those in the X30 Senior, X30 Junior, X30 Master and Mini Swift, tickets to the IAME International Final will also be awarded. Vice-champion earns race entry and tires to the SKUSA SuperNationals 24 while third is provided $500 in MotorsportReg.com credit toward any 2020/2021 SKUSA event.

eKartingNews.com has been broadcasting the SKUSA Pro Tour since the program began in 2010. EKN is happy to provide full Trackside Live coverage throughout the historic two weekends in New Castle with EKN’s own Rob Howden on the mic. Those unable to attend can listen in to the live broadcast – presented this weekend by Acceleration Kart Racing, Leading Edge Motorsports and Rolison Performance Group. Bookmark www.ekartingnews.com/live and follow the EKN social media channels for more throughout the opening weekend at New Castle.

The X30 Senior field is loaded with talent once again, set with 44 drivers ready to do battle around NCMP. It begins with the two winning drivers from last year’s SummerNationals who are also the top two from the 2019 championship standings; four-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ryan Norberg and three-time USPKS title winner Brandon Jarsocrak. Norberg begins the ‘Drive for Five’, looking to earn a fifth straight title in the category, third with Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic. Jarsocrak returned with Mike Doty Racing in May 2019 and it rekindled his performance on track. He and Norberg each won at the SummerNationals last year with Jarsocrak earning the SKUSA #2 plate for 2020.

Coming into the weekend with success are Arias Deukmedjian and Phil Arscott. Each put the KartSport North America / Will Power Kart package to the top of the podium in July for the USPKS event at New Castle. Each are hoping to turn that into success on the ‘Super Mile’ course. Brandon Lemke (Franklin / Merlin) was among one of the quick drivers all weekend at SummerNats 2019, as was Trey Brown, who makes his debut with the Solo Kart USA operation.

Trinity Karting Group is coming in with two bullets, welcoming former SKUSA race winner Zach Holden under the tent to run alongside recent Battle at the Brickyard winner Finnegan Bayliff. Team Nitro Kart has a couple as well with now veteran Ashley Rogero (Kosmic) working alongside Senior rookie Hayden Jones (Tony Kart). RPG is again stacked under their tent with Hannah Greenemeier, Jacob Gulick, Jace Denmark-Gessel, along with Senior rookies Bryson Morris, Branyon Tiner and Jonathon Portz. Watch for fellow young guns Thomas Nepveu (PSL / Birel ART), Pauly Massimino (MDR / Kosmic), and Luca Mars (SCR / Redspeed).

A total of 12 drivers are set to compete in the Pro Shifter division, welcoming the first event of mixed engines. The IAME SSE 175 and KZ powerplants will go head to head in all shifterkart divisions for the first time at the SKUSA Pro Tour. The last four SKUSA champions lead the Pro Shifter field with defending champion Kyle Wick (RPG / Tony Kart), 2018 champ AJ Myers (Checkered / Magik), 2017 title winner Jake French (PSL / Birel ART) and Danny Formal (ANSA / CL Kart) who claimed SKUSA Pro Tour glory in 2016. Wick and Myers finished 2019 1-2, both aboard new rides for 2020. French has come on since moving to PSL at the end of 2019 and Formal is back full-time in the USA with his new position at ANSA Motorsports. Throw in SKUSA #3 Andrew Bujdoso (Checkered / Magik), four-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Billy Musgrave (Yesnick / Factory Kart), last year’s Pro 2 title winner Race Liberante (HMG / Race Factory) and 2020 Battle at the Brickyard winner Devon Smith-Harden (HMG / CompKart). Only four are slated to run the KZ powerplant – Musgrave, Liberante, Formal and Pierce Baldus (LEM / Formula K).

Pro Shifter 2 is split with 5 KZ and 5 SSE. No returning drivers from the top-three are in the field, opening it up for new names at the front. Four-time SKUSA Master champion Jordon Musser (PSL / Birel ART) is moving back to Pro 2, set to battle young guns Gavin Bayliff (Trinity / Birel ART), Kyle Apuzzo (Rivera / GFC), Annie Rule (Checkered / Magik), and Vicente Salas (Musgrave / Factory Kart). Former IMSA driver Gustavo Yacaman (PPM / Parolin), a former champion in the Stars of Karting program in the late 2000s, is making his SKUSA Pro Tour debut on the weekend.

A field of 34 drivers will battle in the KA100 Senior class on the weekend. Defending champion Austin Osborne (IRM / Kosmic) has his work cut out for him with a stacked field for the 2020 championship chase. Double duty drivers include Arias Deukmedjian (KSNA / Kart Republic), Brandon Lemke (Franklin / Merlin), Luca Mars (SCR / Redspeed), Bryson Morris (RPG / Kosmic), Joey Brienza (Nash / FA Kart) and more. Local driver Garrett Adams (Comet / Tony Kart) is always fast at home. SKUSA #2 Nick Ramirez (RPM / Tony Kart) is part of the west coast contingent that includes Oliver Calvo (LEM / Praga), Ethan Ho (APM / Tony Kart) and Blake Nash (Nash / FA Kart) set to be among those vying for contention all weekend.

The championship space in KA100 Junior is wide open with defending champion Connor Zilisch racing in Europe. A number of familiar names are set to be in the hunt all weekend long, including Brent Crews (KSNA / Will Power Kart), John Burke (Supertune / Tony Kart), Carson Morgan (Tony Kart), Westin Workman (TimmyTech / CompKart). Logan Adams (Comet / Tony Kart) and Mateo Rubio-Luengo (Supertune / Tony Kart) won during the USPKS weekend in July. Rookies Christian Miles (KSNA / Kart Republic), Austin Jurs (Franklin / Merlin), Graham Trammell (RPG / Kosmic), and Cameron Weinberg (Nitro / Tony Kart) can be a factor throughout the weekend along with others returning from 2019.

The top spot in the championship is open as well in X30 Junior with defending champion Freddie Slater staying in Europe to race. Only Josh Pierson (RPG / Kosmic) is returning from the championship podium in 2019. Pierson is not on the entry list but is scheduled to compete. A field of 30 drivers will be competing all three days with several top drivers on the grid. Many of the same in KA100 are racing X30 – Crews, Burke, and Morgan, Rubio-Luengo. Some of the best from the east – Jeremy Fletcher (Team Benik / EOS), Thomas Annunziata (TF / Kart Republic), Paul Bocuse (SCR / Redspeed) – take on those coming over from the west – Max Opalski (RPM / FA Kart), Logan Toke (PKS / Birel ART), Frankie Mossman (Nash / Tony Kart). Throw in drivers from the middle of the country – Alex Stanfield (Crosslink / Exprit), Jace Park (SCR / Redspeed), Noah Baker (Supertune / Tony Kart) – and the weekend will be busy at the front in X30 Junior.

Master numbers have dropped significantly for the Summer Festival across the board. G1 has four drivers with Bermuda’s Scott Barnes (HMG / Intrepid) and Joe Ruch (Race Factory) set to do battle. G2 has SKUSA #2 Ken Schilling (Aluminos) up against SKUSA Winter Series champion Justin Peck (RPG / Kosmic) and SuperNationals winner Nathan Stewart (Full Gas / Birel ART). Only six drivers are slated to race in X30 Master with Scott Roberts (SCR / Tony Kart) the early favorite. Solo Kart USA drivers Adam Pettit and Salatore Sparacio hope to contend for victories along with California driver Jonathan Silva (CompKart). It is not a big turnout for the KA100 Master class with only three drivers on the entry list. Last year’s X30 Master champion Matt Johnson (Nash / FA Kart), former SKUSA champ Nick Tucker (Nitro) and Ron Jenkins (Nash / EOS) make up the roster. There are zero entries for the X30 Super Master category on the weekend.

The Mini Swift category is another class with the championship up for grabs with no returning drivers from the title podium in 2019. The focus is on top contenders returning for a piece of hardware for the SKUSA Pro Tour 2020. Parker DeLong (Nitro Kart), Cooper Shipman (IRM / Tony Kart), Caleb Gafrarar (PSL / Birel ART) finished in the top-10 in 2019. Shipman is coming off a victory at the USPKS weekend. Add in former Micro Swift champion Max Garcia (KSNA / Will Power Kart), Cameron Brinkman (Franklin / Merlin), and Ben Maier (Nitro Kart) will be in contention all weekend. Matias Orjuela (PPM / Parolin) won at the USPKS weekend as well, and should be one of the new names in the fight along with Mini rookies Spencer Conrad (Nitro Kart), Kai Johnson (AKT / Energy), and the Wheldon brothers Oliver and Sebastian (JC / Kosmic).

New names are expected to rise up in the Micro Swift category throughout the weekend. One name will remain toward the front with defending champion Jack Iliffe (IRM / Tony Kart) returning. Iliffe is coming off a double win weekend for the USPKS event in July, set to begin his title defense with more wins. Cameron Weinberg (Nitro Kart) was Iliffe’s top contender last month, and won at the SKUSA SummerNationals last year. 2019 USPKS champion Aryton Grim (Nitro Kart) could be one of the top contenders along with James Moss (IRM / Tony Kart), and Sarah Bradley (Nitro Kart). Asher Ochstein (Benik) and Vivek Kanthan (MDR / Kosmic) are new names that have shown success this summer.

X30 Senior Entry List

Pro Shifter Entry List

Pro Shifter 2 Entry List

KA100 Senior Entry List

KA100 Junior Entry List

X30 Junior Entry List

G1 Entry List

G2 Entry List

X30 Master Entry List

KA100 Master Entry List

Mini Swift Entry List

Micro Swift Entry List

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