Ryan Norberg begins the 2022 EKN TaG Driver Rankings in the #1 spot (Photo: EKN)

The 2022 season is shaping up to be another stellar year of karting in North America. The chase for the top spot in the EKN TaG Driver Rankings is expected to be similar with familiar and new names opening up the first release of the standings for 2022. For four of the last five years, Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) has been the driver to beat. The defending USPKS X30 Pro champion begins the new year holding onto the top position with new challengers in Nathaniel Cicero (RPG / Kosmic) and Canadian Thomas Nepveu (TKG / Kart Republic).

Cicero was among those battling for wins and championships throughout the 2021 season, including the SKUSA Pro Tour and USPKS programs. His big win was at the SKUSA SummerNats and followed up by a ROK Vegas victory. Cicero moved up to the second spot in the standings by a double-podium performance at the recent SKUSA WinterNationals. Since moving over to Trinity Karting Group and Kart Republic, Nepveu has been a consistent podium challenger. From the SKUSA Pro Tour finale last year, up to the most recent events, Nepveu has a string of top-five results to put himself third in the standings.

Jumping up into the top-five is 2019 SKUSA SuperNationals winner Pauly Massimino (RPM / Tony Kart). A string of top-five finishes himself through the USPKS and SKUSA Pro Tour programs, including the runner-up result at the recent WinterNationals helped him to move up to fourth. Just behind, falling two spots to fifth is defending SKUSA Pro Tour champion Hannah Greenemeier (RPG / Kosmic). Carrying the #1 plate, Greenemeier put in a string of top-eight results at the SKUSA Winter Series, including one podium. A best finish of eighth at the WinterNationals did not help boost her points, losing results from last year.

Down to the sixth spot is the 2021 runner-up in the EKN TaG Driver Rankings Connor Zilisch (Team Nitro / Tony Kart). Zilisch performed outstanding during his rookie Senior season but has moved on to Mazda MX-5 and Trans-Am racing, along with a sub role in the Pro Shifter category at the SKUSA WinterNationals for Danny Formal.

Now into the top 10 is Parolin USA driver Alessandro de Tullio. A winner at the SKUSA Winter Series and two runner-up performances at the USPKS opener in Orlando helped to advance Alessandro up seven spots to seventh. Down four to eighth is Branyon Tiner, putting four Rolison Performance Group drivers into the top-10. Tiner has not competed in a karting event for 2022, driving cars already this season.

The ‘On The Move’ drivers are in the ninth and 10th position. Brazilian Matheus Morgatto (AM / Exprit) and Marijn Kremers (PSL / Birel ART) fill those spots with a busy winter season. Morgatto returned to the USA after racing in Europe all 2021. His string of four runner-up results for the championship at the SKUSA Winter Series along with two wins and third-place finish to claim the Florida Winter Tour title have him up to ninth. Morgatto is now back in Europe racing with the Fernando Alonso factory team. Kremers is the 2019 FIA World KZ2 Champion, now here in North America for the 2022 season with PSL Karting. He put in 10 races this winter to be 10th in the opening standings with no victories but all top-10 results from the SKUSA Winter Series, FWT, USPKS and SKUSA Pro Tour.

Diego Ramos (REM / Kosmic), Thomas Annunziata (MDR / Kosmic) and Arias Deukmedjian (TKG / Kart Republic) were in the top-10 to close out the 2021 season, but have fallen down the order. Ramos is 11th while Annunziata and Deukmedjian are focused on car racing in 2022.

Upcoming EKN TaG Driver Rankings Schedule

TaG #1 – Ryan Norberg
Orlando, Florida

(Photo: Studio52.us)

‘King Norberg’ retains his throne at the top of the EKN TaG Driver Rankings. Coming off his first SuperNationals victory and earning his first USPKS championship in 2021, the new year is off to a good start. He swept the action in Orlando to begin his title defense and has already notched his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory of 2022. What makes his current point total so special, is the perfect score for results with seven victories in his seven best point results over the last 12 months.

Point Breakdown

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TaG #2 – Nate Cicero
Pound Ridge, New York

(Photo: ROK Cup USA / CKN)

April 2022 is the debut for Nate Cicero into the top-three of the EKN TaG Driver Rankings. Cicero busted on the national scene with a championship at the SKUSA Winter Series program in KA100 Senior back in 2020. Now into his second year in the TaG 125cc ranks, Cicero has become a contender each weekend. His two victories in 2021 at the SKUSA Pro Tour and ROK Vegas standout. However, it is the start to the 2022 season that has him up the standings with two podium finishes at the SKUSA WinterNationals. Now, Cicero leads the SKUSA Pro Tour championship standings.

Point Breakdown

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TaG #3 – Thomas Nepveu
Oka, Quebec, Canada

(Photo: Trinity Karting Group)

It has been several years since we have seen a Canadian into the top-three of the EKN TaG Driver Rankings. Thomas Nepveu made his mark in North American karting with a victory at the SuperNationals in Mini Swift back in 2016. Since then, he has been among those in contention through his Junior ranks and now into Senior racing. What was unique about his 2021 season was pulling double duty with his Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship program. He won at Road America and finished eighth in the championship, second in the rookie standings.

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 other special races.

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 2022, 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, Rotax Grand Nationals, 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.

EKN TaG Driver Rankings – as of April 18, 2022

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