eKartingNews.com, the official online media partner of Superkarts! USA, is proud to present the SKUSA SuperNationals XVII Preview Program. Over the coming days leading up to the November 20-24 event, EKN will preview each of the 11 categories that will close out the 2013 SKUSA Pro Tour while competing for a share of the prize package, worth well over $100,000.

For complete coverage of the SKUSA SuperNationals XVII, visit the EKN Event Page

S4 Master Stock Moto

Jordon Musser is looking to secure his first SKUSA Pro Tour championship (Photo: Joe Brittin)

The key to continued competitiveness of the S4 Master Stock Moto class is that each and every year, a handful of new drivers become age eligible for the class.  This list of graduating pilots often features racers who were once the Formula S1 stars of the sport, and still have mad skills and blinding speed.  The passion is still there, and so is the talent.  The S4 class is as a hard-fought as any category in the SKUSA ladder, and the actual wheel-to-wheel battles are hardcore and cutthroat.  That’s why we love it so much.

At the 2012 SuperNationals, two former SKUSA ProMoto Tour stars faced off for the win, and the race was exciting from qualifying through to their SuperSunday main event.  At the final checker, Bonnier Moulton had out-run Trevor McAlister to score an emotional victory, his third win at the race he holds above all others.  In the post-race interview with EKN’s Rob Howden, the normally stoic Moulton cracked slightly under the weight of such an important triumph.  It was a true glimpse into what this race means to people.  McAlister chased valiantly after being a player all day, but came up just short with a solid second.  Former SuperNats Formula G1 winner Eduardo Martins took third, ahead of eventual S4 Pro Tour champion Eddie Olpin, and emerging sprint karting star Brian Fisher.  The entire podium from 2012 will be back for more this time around, which ensures that the baseline competition will be more than enough.

This year’s Pro Tour championship sharply contrasts last year’s point battle, as Texan Jordan Musser (Birel) has avoided the pitfalls of over-aggressive racing that damaged his 2012 campaign, giving him a 115-point lead heading to the SuperNationals.  A strong quartet of finishes have put him in the driver’s seat for the title, but he’ll still need to come up big at the SuperNationals, where you cannot drop the result.  DRT Racing’s Fisher (DR Kart) is tied with Les Vegas resident and veteran SKUSA racer Curtis Cooksey (CRG) for second in the title chase, after the drop race, thanks to a sweep of the SummerNationals main events, where Fisher put his stamp on his place in the S4 class.  On the strength of three podiums, Cooksey remains in the hunt, but after speaking with him here in New Orleans during the Rotax Grand Finals, he is still unsure of his status for the SuperNationals due to a rib injury incurred during a recent event.  Long-time SKUSA racer Robert Marks (CRG) is not out of the hunt either, but will need some help to find himself with the #1 plate.

With a fourth win at the SuperNats, Bonnier Moulton could add his name to the top of the all-time win list (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Podium Predictions:
Musser is having yet another stellar season.  He’s blinding fast on the racetrack, has been challenged, and responded through many national level events, and he’s an engineer with a keen knowledge of motorsports dynamics.  Another Rock Island King of the Streets victory simply adds fuel to the fire, and he’s ready to win his first SuperNationals and clinch the Pro Tour title, and the #1 plate.

That said, he’ll have to get past the reigning class winner in Moulton, and all his primary Pro Tour competition to accomplish the feat.  McAlister has been lightning quick all year, and is settling into his S4 program with Greg Bell and Leading Edge.  This duo won many races together in the past, and they look to be gelling once again.  Fisher’s kicker is his connection to his own powerplant, which he builds himself, and he is an all-around talent.  He’s a champion road racer who has shown to be incredibly quick on the temp circuit at the Rio, and this year’s success at the SummerNationals could have him primed for the biggest win of his sprint career.  It would be a massive triumph for DRT Racing and the DR Kart as well.

Wildcards: The S4 line-up is deep – a full field of 80 in total – and there are a number of pilots who could come out of the woodwork to challenge for the win.  Lance Lane is always fast, and his Masters Shifter win at Rock Island was proof positive that’s he’s back strong from his SummerNationals wreck.  Texan Chris Jennings has won in S4 at the SuperNationals in the past, and he is having a strong season, while California’s Mike Mantel is taking his place among the S4 front-runners as well. Mantel was the fastest S4 at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, before an incident damaged his chassis.  The Master Shifter class at the SuperNationals has always drawn a large international contingent, and without knowing the resumes of these drivers, it’s always hard to predict if they’ll be challengers.

Karting Cameo:  Normally, we get super excited when F1, NASCAR, and IndyCar drivers come back to their roots to play with us at the SuperNationals.  This year, we have no less than eight pro drivers in the line-up, including Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais, and Jamie McMurray.  The overall star power will be kicked up on different levels this year, as one of the world’s most decorated men in figure skating will be in the S4 field, and he’ll be fast.  Three-time World Champion, 3x Olympic Silver Medalist, and nine-time Canadian Champion Elvis Stojko has become a karting enthusiast, and a top driver in the Rotax DD2 in Canada as well, finishing second this year at the Canadian National Championship.  Stojko now lives in Mexico, where he regularly races his 125cc shifter.  If you thought he nailed the ‘Quad’ with ease, wait until he hits the track.

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