Ryan Norberg earned a second straight victory on the year in X30 Pro (Photo: EKN)

The 2025 United States Pro Kart Series – the official IAME Series USA East – presented by MG Tires reached the halfway point of the season with the completion of the Carolina Grand Prix on Sunday. For the 13th time, the Trackhouse Motorplex welcomed the series, this time featuring 248 entries over the seven IAME categories. Sun drenched the Mooresville, North Carolina facility all day after battling wet conditions on Saturday. The overnight rain storms, which included a Tornado Warning, made the circuit very damp for morning warm-up, with cooler temps in the morning making it a bit more difficult for grip. Eventually, the temp increased on the day as the racing action heated up as well, deciding the seven different winners on the event.

Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) made it two straight on the year in the Rolison Performance Group X30 Pro division. The three-time series champion led wire-to-wire in the 22-lap main event to extend his championship lead at the halfway point of the season. Defending champion Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55) slotted into second after starting third on the opening circuit, moving past top qualifier and outside pole starter Gus Lawrence (RPG / Kosmic). Lawrence took back the position on lap two with Garrison beginning a decline all the way back to sixth by the halfway before contact in turn four with rookie Enzo Vidmontiene (SLA / Kart Republic) took them both out of the running. Lawrence held second until lap nine when former series winner Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) took over the position. At the same time, Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) was into fourth. The top four pulled away during the second half of the race with no pass attempts made. Jones put pressure on Norberg on the final lap, but misjudged his move into turn eight hairpin. Hayden closed in at the line but it would not be enough as Norberg secured the win by eight hundredths. Lawrence held off Massimino for third, making it an RPG 1-2-3 result. Dalton Hanes (Hanes / Sodi Kart) capped off the top five while Frankie Mossman (JHDD / Kart Republic) came up from 14th, making a last lap move on Caden McQueen (Energy Corse Americas) for the sixth and final paying spot as part of the over $17,000 cash purse.

Pauly Massimino made it two straight in KA100 Senior at Trackhouse (Photo: EKN)

The 48 driver field in the Brandon Jarsocrak Racing KA100 Senior division made it through the opening corners of the 22-lap Final without any major issues. They hit the track after the KA100 Junior event was red flagged due to a massive pileup of karts when water and mud was brought on the track on the exit of turn six, going into the turn seven kink. USPKS and track officials brought in a barrier on the exit of turn six to keep karts from going off track and bringing on the mud and water that sat there due to the heavy rain overnight. Brandon Lemke (SCR / CS55) led the field to the green flag but it was P3 starter James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart) jumping out to the lead. Lemke returned to the point after three laps, leading a group of six away from the rest of the pack. That moved dropped Overbeck to back of the pack but it wasn’t long before Overbeck was back up into the second spot. They continued to exchange positions behind Lemke until last year’s class winner Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) put himself into second on lap eight, eventually taking the lead from Lemke on lap 10. Overbeck returned to second on lap 13, and the two were able to push away from top qualifier Caleb Gafrarar (HDD / Tony Kart) trailing in third. Overbeck waited until the final lap to make any move on Massimino for the lead and the win. The teammates played fair against one another, making sure to not damage eithers hope of taking the checkered flag. At the line, Massimino celebrated his second straight victory at Trackhouse ahead of Overbeck by two tenths. Gafrarar finished third with Lemke a close fourth, posting fast lap of the race on lap 19. Connor Ferris (TFR / Kart Republic) capped off the top five with Blake Nash (Nash / EOS) in the sixth spot.

Max Weiland with a breakthrough victory in X30 Junior (Photo: EKN)

It was a wild second half of the main event in the Speed Concepts Racing X30 Junior division. Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) led the field to the green flag and showed the way for the opening six laps. Daytona winner Theo Salomao (Orsolon / Tony Kart) took over the point, which began the wild scramble to be the leader through the second half of the race. Originally, it was five drivers that broke away from the field, but when they began their shuffle for the top spot, it brought in another group of drivers, including Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA). Starting 12th, he was back to 14th on the start but climbed his way to lead the second pack that caught up with the lead group by the halfway point. Vanchev, Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) and Salomao each led, all while Weiland was able to work up into the third spot, then second, and eventually the lead on lap 18. Vanchev retook the position away but Weiland fought back, reclaiming the spot coming to the white flag. He held off early challenges on the last lap, and escaped during the second half of the circuit as they fought for second behind them. Weiland would cross the line to claim his first ever USPKS victory, ahead by just over six tenths of a second. Vanchev crossed the line in second ahead of Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55). Woon received a three position penalty for contact, dropping him to sixth and promoting Travis Pettit (SCR / CS55) to third. Salomao would have been on the podium in fourth but a penalty for contact with Murphy put him behind on the results, ending up 14th. Penalties to top qualifier Lucas Palacio (Kart Republic) and Jose Halphen (RPG / Kosmic) promoted John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) to fourth and Sarah Bradley (SCR / Sodi Kart) into fifth.

Max Cristea came out of the final corner claiming the victory in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN)

The main event for the BBS Race Engines KA100 Junior class was moved to the end of the day after the first attempt was called off following just one lap of completion. Water and mud was brought onto the racing surface on the exit of turn six, going into turn seven kink. As we have seen before in USPKS competition, the damp track made it nearly impossible to go through the corner, sending several karts off into the barriers and tire wall separated that part of the track from the front straight. The red flag was brought out to stop the race, and officials ruled for a complete restart. With the additional time, all 51 drivers made the green flag for the second attempt for the 22-lap main event to close out the day. John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) led the field to the green flag, with the lead group eventually becoming three drivers including Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA), Daytona winner Theo Salomao (Orsolon / Tony Kart) and Max Cristea (JHDD / Kart Republic). Weiland and Salomao were the two that led the majority of the race as Antonino and Cristea sat back in third and fourth. Cristea lost the draft in the closing laps, however, the fighting for position over the lap three circuits allowed him to close back up on their bumpers. On the final circuit, Salomao was leading and was fighting off Weiland and Antonino. Making their way to the final corner, Antonino was in the second spot and made a move to the inside of Salomao. The two made contact going for the apex, sending them both hard into the wall on the exit. The scramble out of the corner allowed Cristea to slip past all three, including Weiland, to reach the flag first by 65 thousandths of a second to claim his first ever USPKS victory. Cristea’s performance was amplified even more by this as his first race of the season coming off a broken leg from skiing just two months ago. Weiland was second at the line, celebrating two top-finishes on the day. Nathan Golseth (RPM / Tony Kart) came across the line in third ahead of Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) and Nathan Dupuis (Nash / EOS).

Martin Stone came away with victory in KA100 Masters (Photo: EKN)

It was an action packed main event for the 17 drivers in the Nash Motorsportz KA100 Masters division. Dusty Davis (RPM / Tony Kart) led the field to the green flag in an attempt to earn his first victory in the category. It was Daytona winner Renato Jader-David (Orsolon / Kosmic) taking the lead over the opening circuit as Davis and Martin Stone (RPG / Kosmic) fought over the second position. Stone took the spot and grabbed the lead on lap five. At the same time, Davis began to lose speed and began falling down the order. He eventually pulled off due to an electrical issue with his engine. At the same time, Ariel Castro (RPG / Exprit) grabbed the lead while they fought for second behind him. RJD and Stone were fighting for the position until Paul Montopoli (Best Kart) joined the fight, making it three wide through turns 10 and 11. They made contact on the exit with Stone and RJD going off track. Montopoli came away with the position and quickly ran down Castro to take over the lead on lap nine. Stone slotted into third after the contact while RJD fall back to fifth and eventually sixth until pulling off due to a broken reed in the engine. Up front, Stone moved by Castro for second and took over the lead from Montopoli on lap 18. Castro came up two laps later to steal the top spot, sending Stone back to third. Stone grabbed the second spot from Montopoli coming to the white flag and on the final circuit, Castro allowed Stone to take the lead heading into turn four. They ran that way to the checkered flag with Stone earning the victory, Castro in second and Montopoli in third. Montopoli would have his podium finish taken away with a penalty for avoidable contact, moving him from third to sixth, promoting Brandt Estes (IZUP / Tony Kart) to third, Miguel Mier (Orsolon / Tony Kart) to fourth and Todd Shambo (BJR / LN Racing Kart) into fifth.

Parker Ives won a second straight at Trackhouse in Mini Swift (Photo: EKN)

It became a two driver fight in the Sodi Racing USA Mini Swift division. Maxwell Macha (Velocity / Sodi Kart) took over the lead on the opening circuit from P3 as pole sitter Santiago Orioli (MPG / Kart Republic) was shuffled back to fifth. Daytona winner Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) took the lead on lap three, followed by last year’s race winner Parker Ives (RPM / Nitro Kart) claiming the spot the next lap. Eventually, Ives and Francisco were able to work together to pull away from the group fighting for the third spot. In that group, Orioli and Zayne Burgess (SCR / Sodi Kart) made contact, ending their hopes of a podium finish. The top two Nitro Kart drivers ran nose to tail for much of the second half of the 20-lap race. Francisco took over the lead for three laps before Ives returned to the point. On the final circuit, Ives would hold off Francisco to claim the victory by just over a tenth. Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA) drove to third with Cade Wolfe (TimmyTech / CompKart) recording the fast lap of the race in fourth, coming up from 11th. Jake Manailo (TFR / Nitro Kart) won the battle for fifth.

A career first victory in Micro Swift for Slate Harrell (Photo: EKN)

The Team Ferris Racing Micro Swift class was a two driver battle as well. Pole sitter Brody Stoffle (JHDD / Alonso Kart) and Slate Harrell (RPM / Nitro Kart) were able to get away from the field while a big group gathered behind them fight for third. Harrell took the lead on lap two from Stoffle and they ran nose to tail for the next 18 laps. On the final circuit, they began crisscrossing for the lead until Harrell was able to power around for the lead, heading into the final corner. At the line, Harrell celebrated his first USPKS victory, beating out Stoffle by over two tenths of a second. Top qualifier Alvaro Medeiros (Orsolon / Tony Kart) won the battle for third over Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) and Lenox Lockhart (Velocity / Sodi Kart).

It is now the halfway point to the 2025 United States Pro Kart Series with two events completed and two more to go. The program picks up with the third event of the season scheduled for June 27-29 at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the USPKS Wisconsin Grand Prix.

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