EKN’s Paddock Insider is part of our Trackside coverage, bringing you notes, updates and breaking news as it happens. The article will feature notes from trackside at the 2023 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SummerNationals at the New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana.. This is insider info will not be seen anywhere else. Please feel free to comment and discuss our coverage and today’s action in the EKN Global Members Discussion area below.

National Reverse

Which direction do you like at NCMP – National or Reverse? (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

This weekend for the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SummerNationals, the course layout is the ‘National Reverse’, utilizing the 1-mile original course built in 2003, but in the clockwise direction. The ‘National’ layout is in the counter-clockwise direction. The original finish line, which is what is being used today, is at the furthest south straight, and not on the ‘Long Pond Straight’ as been utilized for the last several years. This is the second straight year for the ‘National Reverse’ layout for SKUSA, also utilizing it during the second half of the 2020 Summer Festival. It was in 2018 that they last ran the ‘National’ layout, while USPKS just ran that direction here last month.

EKN took a poll of five X30 Senior and five Pro Shifter drivers who have been on both layouts to see where it stands with the drivers.

X30 Senior
Harley Keeble (Sodi Racing USA): National – unless they put in exit curbs then it would be 100% Reverse
Pauly Massimino (Brandon Jarsocrak Racing): Reverse
Matheus Morgatto (PSL Karing): Reverse
Ryan Norberg (Rolison Performance Group): Reverse
Joe Turney (Chad Dokken Racing): Reverse

Pro Shifter
Kyle Wick (GFC Karting): Reverse
Daniel Formal (Rolison Performance Group): National
Marijn Kremers (PSL Karting): Reverse – but in single speed it’s National
AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA): National
Billy Musgrave (Factory Kart): Reverse – prefers the ‘Super Mile’ with ski jump

2024 Plans

Now into the second half of the 2023 season, plans for the next year are in the works. Many of the promoters and series have been releasing dates regarding their 2024 schedules. The wait now is for the locations of these events. We know SKUSA is hosting three race weekends for their 2024 SKUSA Winter Series, and continue with three weekends for the 2024 SKUSA Pro Tour. One of those can be penciled in for here, the New Castle Motorsports Park, with the great working relationship that SKUSA and NCMP have together. We talked with Neal Strickland of SKUSA, and they hope to have locations locked down within the next few weeks. We also spoke with Eric Jones of IAME USA East, who is coming off another successful edition of the IAME USA Grand National Championship event at Trackhouse Motorplex. He plans on finding the proper weekend to host the event in 2024.

Father/Son Weekend on the Track

Travis and Adam Pettit both racing this weekend under the Trinity Karting Group tent (Photo: EKN)

The KA100 Master push by EKN’s Rob Howden brought a former class competitor back into the seat for the first time in two years. Adam Pettit raced at the SKUSA Pro Tour in the past, including the Summer Festival in 2020. The offer by Shawn Bayliff at Trinity Karting Group to put him into a Kart Republic for the weekend, provide a mechanic and still allow Adam to wrench and focus his attention to his son’s racing. Travis Pettit is entering the weekend fifth in the Mini Swift championship chase with the opportunity to fight for the title coming into the final two rounds. Much like Adam is Travis’ biggest fan, Travis is right there at the scale line for his dad to give him a high-five and point out his mistakes at the same time. It’s a unique opportunity to see a father/son combo racing at the SKUSA Pro Tour during the same weekend. This will be a weekend for both to remember, no matter what happens on track.

Harvick Making his X30 Junior Debut at SKUSA

Keelan Harvick making his X30 Junior debut at SKUSA Pro Tour (Photo: EKN)

It has been a season of frequent flyer miles for the young Keelan Harvick. The 2022 SKUSA SummerNationals two-time winner in Mini Swift has been competing in Europe as well as here in the USA in Legends. The 11-year-old first jumped into the class at the IAME USA Grand National Championship at his home track of Trackhouse Motorplex with Rolison Performance Group. The plan is to run selected karting events here in the X30 and continue gaining experience in the Legends car. Working with Jonathan Kotyk as well as Brady Egger on the wrenches, in addition to the endless knowledge of the RPG staff, Harvick is getting up to speed quickly.

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