Morgatto doubled up at the SKUSA Winter Series finale (Photo: EKN)

In a continued effort to highlight the many outstanding performances by drivers around the country, eKartingNews.com is proud to introduce the ‘Driver of the Month’ program. Each month, the staff at EKN will determine the one driver who stood out above the rest and give the viewers a chance to know exactly what they accomplished and who they are.

The United States karting scene has been able to welcome the top talent in the sport over recent years. World karting champions like Travisanutto, de Conto, Hajek, Kremers and many other top drivers from around the world have competed at headline events in North America.

The 2022 FIA Karting World Karting Champion Matheus Morgatto is no stranger to racing in the US, spending much of his formative years competing here before getting the opportunity to compete in Europe. New for 2024 is Morgatto’s venture into shifterkart racing after dipping his toes last year during his stint in Europe. After making his debut at the SKUSA Winter Series in January, Morgatto has been able to put together a string of victories, including a sweep of the SKUSA Winter Series and Florida Winter Tour to be named EKN Driver of the Month for February 2024.

Morgatto finished second to four-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Danny Formal during the January main events at the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex presented by MG Tires. The PSL Karting driver returned to Florida with dominance on his mind. Round Three on Saturday of the February 9-11 weekend began with Morgatto taking to the clockwise circuit with blistering speed in qualifying, laying down a 45.598-lap to clear the field by nearly two tenths. He fought off Formal for the Prefinal win, leading seven of the 12 laps. Formal once again grabbed the holeshot from Morgatto but could only keep the world champion behind for two laps. Once into the lead, Morgatto put in fast laps of the race to pull away to a 3.5-second margin of victory for his first SKUSA Pro Shifter triumph.

His pace was even quicker on Sunday for Round Four, laying down a 45.506-lap that was over three tenths faster than Alan Isambard sitting second on the time sheet. Morgatto jumped to the lead in the Prefinal to drive away to the race win, setting himself up for the pole position in the Final. Getting the holeshot, Morgatto led the opening circuit until he was shuffled back to third with Formal at the point. The Brazilian fought back up to the lead by lap five and proceeded to put in fast laps of the race. At the checkered flag, it was a five-second advantage for Morgatto for a second victory on the weekend. The performance on the weekend helped to lock up the series championship for PSL Karting and Birel ART.

The following weekend was another battle between Brazil and Costa Rica with Morgatto and Formal leading the way at the second stop of the ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour held on February 16-18 in Homestead, Florida. Morgatto was coming off a victory at the opening round in January ahead of Vincenzo Sarracino and Jamaican Collin Daley. Formal, making his 2024 series debut, was able to edge out Morgatto for the top time in qualifying by just one hundredth of a second. Morgatto came back to win all three heat races with Formal trailing in second as the two drivers launched from the front row in the Final. The two swapped the lead in the early laps until Morgatto secured the top spot on lap three. Once again, Morgatto laid down fast laps of the race, driving away to a two-second advantage for a second straight FWT victory.

The momentum carried over into March for Morgatto, taking victory at the inaugural Superkarts! USA Pro Tour ‘Pro Show’ for Pro Shifter, held at the Orlando Kart Center, leading the last lap over Formal in a wild finish. This past weekend, Morgatto secured a third straight victory at the Florida Winter Tour, winning the series finale in Orlando to claim the series championship. That puts him at six straight wins in shifterkart competition at two different USA programs.

Morgatto will continue racing with PSL Karting here in the United States, continuing with the SKUSA Pro Tour and the SpringNationals, set for Father’s Day weekend at the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati in Batavia, Ohio. This weekend, the Brazilian will be heading to Kartodromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero in Valencia, Spain and join the CL Racing Team to compete at the first round of the FIA Karting European Championships.

February 2024 EKN Driver of the Month – Matheus Morgatto

(Photo: EKN)

Bio

Born: October 11, 2003 (São Paulo, Brazil)
Hometown: Milan, Italy
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Height/Weight: N/A
Education: N/A
Occupation: PSL Karting driver

Racing Resume

Chassis: Birel ART
Engine/Engine Builder: PSL Karting
Sponsors: PSL Karting
Series You Compete In: Superkarts! USA, ROK Cup USA, FIA European Championship
Years Karting: 13
How did you get started in karting? My dad used to ride motocross but my mom didn’t want me to do that. They took me to a rental karts place and I did one session and the owner of the track came to say that he never saw a kid of my age do good like that. So he told my dad to get a proper kart for me and is basically where all started.
What has been the high point in your racing career? Definitely being crowned the FIA World Champion in 2022
What are your goals in racing? Be a professional race car driver, GT cars
In a few words, how would you describe your driving style? Very smooth and calm
Funniest moment at the race track? There’s a plenty of them

Likes

Favorite Track: Wackensdorf, Germany
Favorite form of professional motorsports: GT Cars
Favorite karting driver: Myself
Favorite professional driver: Max Verstappen
Favorite website: twitch.tv
Favorite movie: Planet of the Apes
Favorite actor/actress: Will Smith
Favorite music/group: AC/DC
Favorite vacation/activity spot: Beach
Favorite food: FEIJOADA from Brazil

The Real Deal

What do you do when not at the track? Like spending time with family/friends
What are your goals outside of karting? Be a successful driver and person
What type of street car do you drive? I drive quite a few cars (laughing). Right now, I don’t have a car anymore as I’m always travelling.
What type of street car would you like to drive? Definitely a Lamborghini
What are your pet peeves or things that irritate you? When I don’t win a race
What do you think could be done to improve the sport of karting? I think they should value more the sport on television and social media
What are your favorite aspects about the sport of karting? The atmosphere

February 2024 Driver of the Month – Honorable Mention:

– Zayne Burgess: SKUSA Winter Series – 2 Wins (Micro Swift) / Florida Winter Tour – 1 Win (Micro ROK)

– Sebastian Garzon: SKUSA Winter Series – 1 Win (KA100 Junior) / Florida Winter Tour – 1 Win (VLR Junior)

– Keagan Kaminski: Challenge of the Americas – 1 Win (100cc Senior)

– Tyrone Kemper Jr.: Texas Sprint Racing Series – 1 Win (KA100 Junior)

– Jakub Kolar: Florida Winter Tour – 1 Win (Pro ROK GP)

– Aden Rudolph: Texas Sprint Racing Series – 1 Win (KA100 Senior)

– Ragan Saville: Texas Sprint Racing Series – 1 Win (206 Senior)

– Braydon Wagner: Challenge of the Americas – 2 Wins (60cc Cadet)

– David Ybarra: Challenge of the Americas – 1 Win (100cc Junior)

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