eKartingNews.com, the Official Media Partner of Superkarts! USA, is proud to present our Preview Series for the SKUSA SuperNationals 24. Leading up to the on-track action of the 24th edition of the marquee SKUSA event, EKN will preview each of the nine categories over six days that will compete on the temporary circuit located just outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from December 1-5.

Trackside coverage is set to begin on Tuesday, November 30 as we set up our SuperNationals 24 home, roaming the LVMS grounds with Paddock Insider and social media content. Our coverage continues into Wednesday as karts hit the track for the first time. EKN Live begins on Thursday, December 2 as qualifying is conducted for both the morning classes and the afternoon divisions. Listen LIVE to the heat races throughout Friday, December 3 and into Situation Saturday, December 4, including the three Last Chance Qualifiers held on the day. That sets everything up for SuperSunday, with the main events for SuperNationals 24 streamed live on eKartingNews.com/live.

Complete coverage of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 24 can be found at the EKN EVENT PAGE.

Pro Shifter

Defending KZ winner Danny Formal looking for a fourth SuperNationals victory (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The class that started it all at the SKUSA SuperNationals was the S1 division. The premier shifterkart category at the inaugural SuperNats in 1997 with the S1 division. That remained the headline division up until the SuperPro division was established. It was in that category the engine program shifted from moto engines to karting-specific powerplants, while also welcoming international drivers by the final year of the class in 2009. It was then when the division was split into two with the promotion of the Stock Moto category from the SKUSA Pro Tour to the S1 name and KZ class established. 2019 was the debut of the IAME SSE engine, adjusting the name to Pro Shifter. Now, for the 2021 edition of the SuperNationals, we are combining the KZ and Pro Shifter engines into one category, welcoming the largest class turnout in recent years.

The combination of the two categories into one welcome two defending winners looking to repeat in 2021. History can be made by Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts), the three-time defending winner in the Pro Shifter division. The 2012 S2 winner has four total SuperNationals victories, currently tied with Connor De Phillippi and Kip Foster with the most by one driver. With a win on SuperSunday, Musgrave can put himself alone at the top of the SuperNationals win list. Looking to join him at four total wins in Vegas is defending KZ winner Danny Formal (LEM / Formula K). It was an emotional victory for the Costa Rican in 2019, besting a talented field for his third SuperNationals win, joining his S1 victories from 2015 and 2016. Last year, the two did not run head-to-head. In the five times Formal and Musgrave have raced against one another at the SuperNationals, Formal has finished better in three of years (2014-2016).

2019 Pro Shifter winner Billy Musgrave attempting a record-setting fifth triumph in Vegas (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Two of the young guns in the Pro Shifter field are among the former winners at the SuperNationals. Jak Crawford, a Red Bull Junior Team driver from Texas that ran Formula 3 in 2021, is making his shifterkart debut at the SuperNationals. Crawford (Nash / EOS) won in X30 Junior back in 2017, finishing third the next year and third in a wild last lap battle in his X30 Senior debut in 2019. 13-year-old Brent Crews (LEM / Formula K) is vying to join the list of three-time winners at the SuperNationals. Two wins over the last two SuperNationals have him on a winning streak. Crews won Mini in 2018 and the KA100 Junior class in 2019. The SKUSA Winter Series Pro Shifter champion has shown to be able to compete against the best, picking up two podiums at the SummerNationals in his Pro Tour debut.

No one was able to match the pace of AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA) on the SKUSA Pro Tour in 2021. Myers won every Prefinal and Final up until Round Five with a broken chain in the main event put him on the sideline. He returned the following day to sweep the action for his third Pro Tour championship. The 2014 P5 finish in KZ remains one of his most memorable finishes at the SuperNationals, placing runner-up in S1 in 2016 and 2018, recording a DNF last year. 2017 SKUSA Pro Tour champion Jake French (PSL / Birel ART) was on his bumper all season long, placing runner-up in the opening four round before winning Round Five. Like Myers, French has not won at the SuperNationals, placing runner-up in 2017 and 2019.

Three-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion AJ Myers has been nearly unstoppable in 2021 (Photo: EKN)

Two world champions are joining the Pro Shifter field in 2021. 2019 FIA KZ World Champion Marjin Kremmers is back to the SuperNationals for redemption. The last two editions, Kremmers (PSL / Birel ART) was leading on SuperSunday before losing the top spot in both races with two runner-up results. One of the eldest competitors is five-time world champion Davide Fore. It has been since 2015 that the Italian has raced at the SuperNationals, placing on the podium four times in both KZ and S1 competition. The 47-year-old has made his way to the USA, joining Italian Motors on the Italkart.

Speaking of elder drivers in the field, Ron White last won at the SuperNationals before some of the drivers in the field were born. White (RWR / CRG) secured his lone SuperNationals victory in 2002 with a total of three podiums from 2003 to 2018. The NorCal driver did not compete in 2019, making a return to Pro Shifter in 2019. The final previous SuperNationals winner in the field is Mathias Ramirez (SCR / Redspeed). Ramirez won in his S2 debut in 2016 and finished third in Pro Shifter at the 2019 event. Podium finishers from 2019 returning include Maximilian Paul (DRT / DR Kart) who finished third in KZ the last two times in Vegas, while Vincente Salas (Factory Karts) drove to third in Pro Shifter 2.

Former world champ Marjin Kremmers hoping third time is a charm at the SuperNationals (Photo: EKN)

X30 Senior is not the only category with an NTT IndyCar Series driver in the field. Devlin DeFrancesco signed with Andretti Autosport for the 2022 season, making his first start at the SuperNationals since 2014 in the TaG Junior class.

SuperNationals Stats

1 – IndyCar driver

2 – World Karting Champions in the field

5 – Pro Tour champions in the field

6 – Former SuperNationals winners in the field (3 from 2019)

13 – Different countries represented in field

16 – Competitors from outside of the USA

23 – Drivers making first shifterkart start at SuperNationals

Provisional Pro Shifter Entry List

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