Ryan Norberg (Photo: EKN)

The season is drawing to a close, with basically one month left before things turn to 2019. Now is the time where club and regional programs are deciding their champions, preparing for the year-end banquet. Remaining on the schedule are two more events, set to impact the final standings of the 2018 eKartingNews.com TaG Driver Rankings Powered by Bell Racing USA. Both events are at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino – with the Rok Cup USA’s ROK the RIO and Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 22. Two distinct events at the same venue, around different circuits, will decide who ends 2018 as the top drivers. EKN has confirmed all of the current top-10 to be at the SuperNationals.

For the past three seasons, the one driver at the top of the SKUSA Pro Tour standings in X30 Senior is Ryan Norberg (PSL / Birel ART). The Florida driver remains at the top of the Driver Rankings, with no change in his total. The same goes for second place driver, Canadian Samuel Lupien (RPG / Kosmic). They remain separated by just 50 points heading into the SuperNationals, where Lupien finished runner-up and Norberg seventh, a 56 points difference. Dante Yu (CompKart) remains in the third position, winning a second straight Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix but losing 44 points to Norberg’s total.

The top-five remain the same, except for Brandon Jarsocrak and Alex Bertagnoli swapping positions. Two-time United States Pro Kart Series champion Brandon Jarsocrak (KSNA / Kart Republic) is now fourth with Bertagnoli into fifth, now slated to race with J3 Competition aboard a CompKart with his debut to come at the upcoming WKA Manufacturers Cup Series Grand Nationals at GoPro Motorplex next weekend. Both finished outside the top-20 at the SuperNationals, and will obviously want to improve their position with better performances this November.

Shuffling has taken place in the bottom half of the top-10. Up to sixth is Christian Brooks (Nash / FA Kart) with Canadian Ryan MacDermid (Prime / Birel ART) losing points and dropping to eighth. Brooks did not end 2018 as he hoped, fighting for the SKUSA Pro Tour championship and dropping out of the top-three in the final weekend. Brooks is among those on the list vying for a SuperNationals victory after multiple starts. Between them is top rookie of 2018 Hannah Greenemeier. The Rolison Performance Group driver is among the top females in the sport today, set to make her SKUSA SuperNationals debut, having never raced at the Vegas spectacular.

Like Yu, Billy Musgrave lost points despite improving his position at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, due to the field factor numbers. Musgrave, back aboard the Mad-Croc in TaG, dropped to 12th in the standings, thus promoting Callum Bradshaw (CRG Nordam) and Austin Garrison (Fullerton) up one position. Bradshaw is coming off a podium finish in the IAME Super division at the IAME International Final in France, ready for a return trip to the podium at the SuperNationals after placing third last year. Garrison has provisionally locked up the WKA Manufacturers Cup Series title this year, winning six of the 10 Finals thus far with the finale scheduled next weekend in Mooresville, North Carolina. Garrison hopes to improve on his 16th at the SuperNats, now with the Fullerton chassis that was runner-up thanks to Ben Barnicoat.

This month’s ‘On the Move’ is Trey Brown. The 2017 California ProKart Challenge X30 Junior champion had a limited Senior rookie season in 2018. A broken ankle, tibia, fibula and growth plates in June put him on the sideline until getting back on track in September. Brown nearly stole the win from Yu at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix except for losing brake pressure late in the Final that cost him a chance at the victory. The 2017 SKUSA Pro Tour X30 Junior #3 plate holder will make his Senior debut at the SuperNationals next month.

Upcoming EKN TaG Driver Rankings Schedule

TaG #1 – Ryan Norberg
Orlando, Florida

(Photo: EKN)

The number 3 is renowned in motorsports. Of course, Dale Earnhardt made it famous. Now, Ryan Norberg has in Superkarts! USA competition. Norberg is the first driver in the history of SKUSA to win three straight championships, and in a headline no less. Norberg has been traveling worldwide this season, racing in Australia and recently at the IAME International Final. A tough outing hopefully got his bad luck out before heading to the SuperNationals. Last year, in only his second start in Vegas, Norberg drove to fifth as the only American on the podium. He certainly proved my prediction of him not on the podium wrong!

Point Breakdown
Race,Rank,Finish,Points
SKUSA SuperNationals 2017,10,5,1147
SKUSA Winter Series ’18 #4,8.5,2,972
SKUSA WinterNationals ’18 #2,9.5,5,1041
SKUSA SpringNationals ’18 #1,9.5,1,1098
SKUSA SpringNationals ’18 #2,9.5,3,1076
SKUSA SummerNationals ’18 #1,9.5,3,1096
SKUSA SummerNationals ’18 #2,9.5,7,1051

Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 3.71
Average Points: 1068.7
Total Points: 7481

**************************************

TaG #2 – Samuel Lupien
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

(Photo: EKN)

Canadian Samuel Lupien was classified runner-up at last year’s SuperNationals, which helped trigger his best season. 2018 was his best performance at the SKUSA Pro Tour, placing vice-champion to Norberg. Add in his victory at the US Open / Rotax Grand Nationals, Lupien has become a consistent threat at each and every track. A SKUSA victory still eludes the Rolison Performance Group driver, certain to be among the top contenders in the X30 Senior class at the SuperNationals.

Point Breakdown
Race,Rank,Finish,Points
SKUSA SuperNationals 2017,10,6,1135
SKUSA WinterNationals ’18 #1,9.5,4,1051
SKUSA WinterNationals ’18 #2,9.5,2,1073
California ProKart Challenge ’18 #2,9,3,987
SKUSA SpringNationals ’18 #1,9.5,3,1076
2018 US Open/Rotax Grand Nationals,9,1,1002
SKUSA SummerNationals ’17 #2,9.5,2,1107

Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 3.00
Average Points: 1061.6
Total Points: 7431

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TaG #3 – Dante Yu
Temple City, California

(Photo: DromoPhotos.com)

Improvement continues for second year Senior driver. 2017 was solid in his rookie campaign, including strong performances in Europe. 2018 brought his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory, winning at the SpringNationals. Three wins in three starts at the California ProKart Challenge, including defending his win at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, have helped to put Yu into the top-three heading into the SuperNationals. Dante had a spectacular moment on SuperSunday in Vegas. Flipping in the second corner, Yu turned over his kart and jumped back in to join the field. Qualifying and staying at the front is key for Yu and everyone racing at SuperNats in X30 Senior.

Point Breakdown
Race,Rank,Finish,Points
SKUSA WinterNationals ’18 #1,9.5,9,997
SKUSA SpringNationals ’18 #1,9.5,5,1054
SKUSA SpringNationals ’18 #2,9.5,1,1098
California ProKart Challenge ’18 #3,9,1,1022
California ProKart Challenge ’18 #4,9,1,1002
SKUSA SummerNationals ’18 #1,9.5,7,1051
California ProKart Challenge ’18 #6,9,1,997

Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 3.57
Average Points: 1031.6
Total Points: 7221

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 TaG and Stock Honda 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 included the results for the major one-off events such as the SKUSA SuperNationals, the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals, the Rock Island Grand Prix, and the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix.

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 2018, the SKUSA SuperNationals will receive a score of 10 in its initial weighting in the TaG and Stock Honda 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, Rock Island Grand Prix, US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals, 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.

2018 eKartingNews.com TaG Driver Rankings Powered by Bell Racing USA – as of October 15, 2018

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