The 2023 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour reaches the halfway point of the season this weekend with the annual SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals. Team and competitors head to the Utah Motorsports Campus for the June 9-11 weekend to contest the third and fourth rounds of the championship program. Following the WinterNationals held at the beginning of April, the national schedule resumes with nearly 190 entries in nine categories set to battle at the Grantsville, Utah facility.

Utah Motorsports Campus

The Utah Motorsports Campus is hosting the SpringNationals for the fourth straight time, beginning in 2019 (absent in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic). This will be the fifth visit to the 9/10-mile course, with the first coming in 2012 for the SummerNationals that season, when the facility was known as Miller Motorsports Park. All four editions of the SpringNationals at UMC have been contested in the clockwise direction. Friday features five rounds of practice to prepare the competitors for the two days of racing. Saturday hosts Round Three with Qualifying, Prefinal (10 laps) and Finals (20 laps, 18 for Cadets) with Sunday following the same format for Round Four.

The X30 Senior category this weekend is 29 drivers deep, featuring some of the best in the world. The top-five in the championship battle features zero drivers from the USA, with two Brazilians, two British drivers and one Canadian. 2022 FIA World Karting Champion Matheus Morgatto (PSL / Birel ART) enjoyed his first career SKUSA Pro Tour victory at SpringNationals, as did Joe Turney (CDR / Kart Republic) in his SKUSA Pro Tour debut. The Brazilian leads the Brit by 55 points in the championship heading to Utah with Diego Ramos (PSL / Birel ART) a close third. Senior rookies Ayden Ingratta (SCR / Redspeed) and Brandon Carr (RPM / Tony Kart) are all withing 91 points of Morgatto. Defending champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) is sitting back in ninth in the standings after a DNF in Round Two in Orlando. Norberg comes in having won five of the six main events in Utah in the past three SpringNationals. Several top drivers will be gunning for the victory, including the SKUSA debut of Dutch driver Senna Van Walstijn (Piquet / Sodi Kart), the return of Brit Oliver Hodgson (J3 / CompKart) and the only driver to win in Utah aside from Norberg – Hannah Greenemeier (SCR / Redspeed).

Matheus Morgatto enters grabbed that elusive SKUSA Pro Tour victory at the WinterNats, now leads the championship heading to Utah
(Photo: On Track Promotions)

It is the same big-time feel in the Pro Shifter category with an increased 19 driver roster set to battle. It will be missing the driver in second of the championship, along with a winner in three of the last four main events in Utah in AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA). The former SKUSA Pro Tour champion is not travel west for the second event of the season, opening up the championship lead for WinterNationals winner Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) to 76 over defending series champ Marijn Kremers (PSL / Birel ART). The only driver to beat Myers over the last two years in Utah is Kyle Wick, sitting fourth in the standings ahead of GFC Karting teammate Jacob Gulick in fifth. Round One winner Danny Formal (RPG / Kosmic) is in sixth after missing the Sunday main event with a mechanical issue. The wildcard to the weekend, the inclusion of FIA Karting European Championship point leader Senna Van Walstijn (Piquet / Sodi Kart) making the trek across the big pond to USA. The Dutch driver will be making his SKUSA debut on the weekend.

One of two drivers to sweep the main events at the WinterNationals came in the KA100 Senior class. Aiden Levy (Team Tarp / Kart Republic) – the EKN Driver of the Month for April – doubled up in the win column for his first two SKUSA Pro Tour triumphs, and enters Utah with an 84 point lead in the championship. Josh Campbell (RPM / Tony Kart) has been building up the momentum all season long, having impressive results and sits second in the standings, coming off a big victory at the Stars event at New Castle. Noah Rosser (GWR / Gillard) had a solid month in his home state, sitting third in the standings with up and coming Henry Wheeler (MDR / LN Racing Kart) and Collin Lloyd (T1D / Magik Kart) round out the top-five. British driver Harley Keeble (Piquet / Sodi Kart) is joining the double duty crowd, making his SKUSA debut in the 100cc class after winning at the Challenge of the Americas finale back in April. One driver of note, jumping back into the sport is Utah’s Austin Versteeg (GFC Karting), who had a successful Junior career in karting before moving to cars.

Billy Musgrave’s victory at the WinterNats has the American chassis Factory Karts leading the title chase in Pro Shifter (Photo: On Track Promotions)

While the turnout number is low in X30 Junior, you can expect to see all 11 fighting in the lead group. That is unless Ernesto Rivera (RPG / Kosmic) is able to break away. Rivera has won at nearly every main event for the 2023 season with Max Taylor (RPG / Kosmic) able to beat him in Round Two of the WinterNationals. They come in as 1-2 in the standings, separated by 35 points. Teddy Musella (RPG / Kosmic) sits third but is not on the entry list for Utah as is Diego Ardilles in third. Jackson Wolny will make it RPG / Kosmic a 1-2-3 entering the weekend in the standings. Steven Miller (CDR / Kart Republic) is among the top contenders along with Charlie Smith (Nash / EOS), Alex Mercado (SCR / Redspeed), Anthony Martella (REM / Kosmic) and John Antonino (Tesoro / CRG).

Steven Miller (CDR / Kart Republic) was able to double up in his home state to kick off the championship chase in the KA100 Junior on top. He enters the SpringNationals with a 140 point lead over Alex Mercado (SCR / Redspeed) with the absence of Oliver Wheldon (JC / LN Racing Kart) from the entry list. Max Taylor (RPG / Kosmic) and Chase Buscaglia (GWR / Tony Kart) stood on the podium in Orlando, but sit sixth and seventh in the standings. It was not a weekend Ernesto Rivera (RPG / Kosmic) wants to remember, and comes into the weekend 15th in the standings. The 41 driver field is a clash of East vs. West with a number of the best from both coasts colliding. Turner Brown (SCR / Redspeed), Max Altman (SpeedSense / Exprit) and Keagan Kaminski (GFC Karting) are among the west coast contingent to watch. Enzo Vidmontiene (MottazSport / Parolin) and Canadian Jensen Burnett (CDR / Kart Republic) – who won in X30 last year – join the east coast squad.

Two wins in Orlando as Aiden Levy as the benchmark for the championship chase in KA100 Senior (Photo: On Track Promotions)

A total of five drivers will battle in the Master Shifter category, including last year’s champion Robert Fiege (VTM / TB Kart) and double Utah winner from last year Michael Guasch (SRP / Maranello). Ken Schilling (MRC / GP Kart) and Luis Quinones (Factory Karts) make it four drivers fighting for this year’s title with Luis Gautier (PSL / Birel ART) making his class debut. Two drivers are entered in the KA100 Master category, with confirmation that one driver has already cancelled his entry. That leaves Sam Beswick (Ignition / Italkart) as the lone entry on the weekend.

As usual, the Mini Swift category has a host of drivers that will be on the stop watches of all the mechanics throughout the weekend in Utah. Tristan Murphy (RPM / Nitro Kart) leads that list, coming in as the championship leader thanks to his Round Two victory in Orlando. Round One winner Kai Johnson is not on the entry list, relinquishing the second spot in the point standings. That moves Ashton Woon (Supertune / Parolin) up along with Marco Romero (Team Benik) and Travis Pettit (TKG / Kart Republic). Lucas Palacio (TKG / Kart Republic) has been the hot hand over recent months and finished runner-up in both main events last year, but suffered a tough weekend in Orlando to sit 11th in the standings heading into Utah. Rocco Simone (MottazSport / Parolin), Fion Shi (Supertune / Tony Kart) and Royce Vega (Team Benik) lead the way for east coast contingent while the west coast has Troy Ferguson (Team Benik), Jaxon Porter (Factory Karts), and Challenge of the Americas champion Braydon Wagner (GFC Karting). SuperNationals winner Michael McGaughy (RPM / Parolin) is set to defend his home track, looking to better his results from a year ago at the SpringNationals.

A career first SKUSA Pro Tour victory for Tristan Murphy at the WinterNats puts him atop of the point standings in Mini Swift (Photo: On Track Promotions)

It could be a championship deciding weekend for Maxwell Macha (SLA Kart Racing / Kart Republic) in the Micro Swift class. Macha won the second round at the WinterNationals and holds a 136 point lead over Round One winner Juan Diego Garciarce (Orsolon / Parolin). Gavin Dakay sat second but is not on the entry list. Liam Nachawati (Parolin USA) and Josh Bergman (Piquet / Sodi Kart) are now third and fourth in the standings, needing to make up ground on the weekend to be in the championship chase. Colton Schniegenberg (GWR / Energy) and Santiago Diaz de la Vega (Parolin USA) are among those who could contend on the weekend.

Follow the coverage all weekend long on the EKN Social Media accounts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news, updates, photos, videos and more, including the top-10 results after each session beginning with final session on Friday.

X30 Senior Provisional Entry List

Pro Shifter Provisional Entry List

KA100 Senior Provisional Entry List

X30 Junior Provisional Entry List

KA100 Junior Provisional Entry List

KA100 Master Provisional Entry List

Master Shifter Provisional Entry List

Mini Swift Provisional Entry List

Micro Swift Provisional Entry List

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