The 2024 season is set to begin as the Superkarts! USA Winter Series is set to open its seventh season this weekend. The first stop of the 2024 EKN Trackside tour is the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex presented by MG Tires facility in Homestead, Florida over January 12-14.

The 7/10-mile circuit will be utilized in the counter-clockwise direction for the opening weekend for the 2024 SKUSA Winter Series. Wednesday and Thursday are unofficial practice with Friday hosting five official sessions for testing. Round 1 is set for Saturday, including qualifying, Prefinal and Final. Round 2 is a repeat format on Sunday.

Two weekends in the state of Florida over the next five weeks provides us with a ‘Spring Training’ for the upcoming season, as the SKUSA Winter Series is the opportunity for select drivers either graduating up a division or finding a new home to work out the kinks and get ready for the busy summer schedule. Entries continue to grow with the pre-entries growing to 282 mark, up 32 from last year’s record setting opening weekend.

Several storylines highlight the Pro X30 presented by SpeedLab Racing Engines, featuring 35 drivers. Last year’s championship Joe Turney added another international driver to steal the title from the North American contingent. This year, 2023 FIA KZ European Champion Danilo Albanese (Inter MS / Kart Republic) will make his SKUSA Winter Series debut racing in the Pro X30 category. He will be among the 16 drivers from outside the USA in the field. Among them is Mexico driver Ernesto Rivera (RPG / Kosmic) – who was the top Junior pilot in 2023 and moved up to the Senior ranks at the end of the year. He will make one final start in karting before traveling to Europe for car racing.

2023 EKN TaG Driver of the Year returns as one of the top contenders in Pro X30 (Photo: EKN)

In the silly season section, Henry Wheeler joins the PSL Karting squad with the Birel ART ‘Red Army’, one of the top Senior rookies in 2023 Brandon Carr moves under the Trinity Karting Group tent aboard a Kart Republic, and rising star Dalton Hanes signs with Sodi Racing USA with Piquet Sports. Add in last year race winners Donovan Bonilla (RPG / Kosmic) coming off the SuperNationals 26 victory, and Austin Garrison (SCR / Redspeed) with one of his best seasons in a limited schedule. EKN TaG Driver of the Year Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) is back for another season, looking to get off the winless streak quickly. Alessandro de Tullio (Inter MS / Kart Republic) finished third in the EKN Driver Rankings with multiple top-10s throughout the season. Diego Ramos (PSL Karting / Birel ART) returns, along with Pauly Massimino with Brandon Jarsocrak Racing.

The Pro Shifter presented by PSL Karting is the ‘spring training’ for the upcoming SKUSA Pro Tour with some drivers using it to warm-up while others are using it for their first outing with a new team or new class. The big name is Danny Formal (RPG / Kosmic) coming off this fourth SuperNationals triumph, jumping behind the wheel before he begins a busy season in IMSA competition. He will be able to work alongside Cooper Becklin, who finished third in the Formula Regional Americas championship in 2023. Former FIA Karting World Champion Matheus Morgatto (PSL Karting / Birel ART) is adding five more gears in his move to shifterkarts in the USA, running alongside Senior rookie Anthony Martella. Alan Isambard is a master at Homestead, winning the opening round last year, and returns with Sodi Racing USA by Piquet Sports where he moved in August, joined by Canadian Charles Robin. Those are some of the stories in the 12-driver field.

SuperNationals 26 Pro Shifter winner Danny Formal returns to the seat for the SKUSA Winter Series (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

A near sold-out KA100 Senior presented by Sodi Racing USA will feature 43 drivers. Neither series champion Peyton Phillips or race winner Aiden Levy are returning. Collin Lloyd (Inter MS / Kart Republic) was a two-time winner last year, and returns for a chance to battle for the series title once again. A handful of drivers are running both X30 and KA, including Bonilla, Rivera, de Tullio and others. Notables in this class California driver Stephen Eisert joining Sodi Racing USA by Piquet Sports and Eli Warren moving to PSL Karting / Birel ART. Among the rookies in the field are last year’s Junior champion Steven Miller (Nash / EOS), Austin Olds (MPG / Kart Republic) and Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella / Tony Kart).

The numbers have increased in the X30 Junior presented by Rolison Performance Group, up to 30 for the opening weekend. Enzo Vidmontiene (MottazSport / Kart Republic) is among the most experienced driver in the field, winning Round Two last year. Turner Brown leads a strong contingent at Speed Concepts Racing that includes Sarah Bradley, Nathen Dupuis and Jackson Wolny. Diego Ardiles (RPG / Kosmic) came on strong at the end of the 2023 season and is expected to be a contender along with Ty Fisher (Racelab / TB Kart). Among the Junior rookies in the field is 2022 SuperNationals Mini Swift winner Michael McGaughy (RPM), Tristan Murphy (Supertune / Tony Kart) and Canadian Lucas Deslongchamps (HMP / Kart Republic).

Two-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Turner Brown is among the big X30 Junior field this weekend (Photo: eKartingNews.com)

The KA100 Junior presented by Nash Motorsportz has expanded to 64 this year, forcing SKUSA to refine the class format for the weekend. They will run two Prefinal races with the field split up and use those results to put drivers directly into the Final with others needing to transfer from a Last Chance Qualifier. No former champions or winners from last year are in the field, setting up for new names to put themselves in the record books. Many are doing the double, including Vidmontiene, Brown, Ardiles, Dupuis, Wolny, Fisher and others – including rookies McGaughy and Murphy. Drivers to watch include Isaac Malcuit (Zanella / Kart Republic) and Christopher Wakefield (Piquet / Sodi Kart). Several drivers are moving up from the Mini ranks, including Max Cristea (TKG / Kart Republic), Travis Pettit (TKG / Kart Republic), Fion Shi (RPG / Kosmic) and Marco Romero (Team Benik / Alonso Kart).

A bump up in entries is coming for KA100 Master presented by Alessandros Racing. A total of 20 pre-entries with eight drivers from outside the USA. Defending champion Michel Garrido (Alessandros / Tony Kart) returns along with multi-time TSRS champion Miguel Mier (Orsolon / Tony Kart). Only two drivers are in Master Shifter presented by Inter MS. Defending champion Scott Barnes (Magik Kart USA) returns and will compete against Frank Runco (Magik Kart USA), which will run with the Pro Shifter race group.

Alessandro Truchot is among the returning champions, set to defend Mini Swift title (Photo: eKartingNews.com)

Alessandro Truchot (Parolin USA) enters this weekend as the defending champion in the Mini Swift presented by Trinity Karting Group. Despite not winning a race in the four rounds last year, Truchot took the title with consistent results. He will be among those battling for wins on the opening weekend along with Troy Ferguson (Team Benik), Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Racing Kart), Rocco Simone (Parolin USA), Royce Vega (Team Benik) and Ashton Woon (Supertune / Parolin). A number of drivers are moving up to make their first Mini start – including Colton Schniegenberg (GWR / Energy), Julian Rivera (AKT), SKUSA Pro Tour champion Maxwell Macha (SLA / Sodi Kart), USPKS champion Parker Ives (RPM / Nitro Kart), Enzo DiGennaro (TFR / Kart Republic), Josh Bergman (Piquet / Sodi Kart) and Pasha Ali (Piquet / Sodi Kart).

The Micro Swift presented by Team URACE will feature a full field of 44 drivers. Many of the contenders from last year have graduated onto the Mini level. Zayne Burgess (Piquet / Sodi Kart) came on as one driver to watch last year and will be among the more experienced in the field along with Liam Nachawati (Parolin USA). Danny O’Gara (MPG / Kart Republic) is coming off double win performance at the WKA Daytona KartWeek, with Cameron Johnson (Team FMS / Merlin) and Easton Kubinski (AEM / Tony Kart) among those to watch. As the weekend progresses, we’ll learn about the others who will be battling for wins and podiums.

Be sure to follow EKN Trackside coverage all weekend long on the website, and of course on Social Media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Listen to the live action on Saturday and Sunday from Homestead on the EKN Radio Network and at ekartingnews.com/live.

Provisional Pro X30 Entry List

Provisional Pro Shifter Entry List

Provisional KA100 Senior Entry List

Provisional X30 Junior Entry List

Provisional KA100 Junior Entry List

Provisional KA100 Master Entry List

Provisional Master Shifter Entry List

Provisional Mini Swift Entry List

Provisional Micro Swift Entry List

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