Senna Van Walstijn had one heat race win taken away while scoring the second win on Friday in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN)

Racing action began at the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 28 outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The roughly 7/10-mile temporary circuit was tested today as the first two rounds of heat races were contested for the nine categories competing, featuring nearly 570 entries. Rain overnight left the track a bit damp for morning warm-up before racing began. Sun hit the area for some time before clouds rolled over for overcast skies, however, temperatures remain in the comfortable range heading into the night races for the afternoon group of categories. The racing was a predicted with pack racing throughout the fields, however, an aggressive tone was set from the beginning and last until the final checkered flag near 7pm.

The headline Pro Shifter division featured four different winners on paper, however, tech and on track penalties dictated the final results throughout the evening sessions. Top qualifier Senna Van Walstijn (Velocity / Sodi Kart) dominated the opening heat race for AvsD, driving away to a three-second margin of victory over Cristian Bertuca (PSL / Birelart). Both drivers were removed from the results for ‘bodywork too wide’ per rule 303.5.3 in the SKUSA rulebook. This promoted Viktor Gustafsson (Kart CRG USA) to the win over Kyle Wick (GFC Karting) and Ricardo Longhi (PSL / Birelart). Heat BvsC had it’s own technical issues that decided the top five results after FIA Karting European Champion Matteo Spirgel (Velocity / Sodi Kart) scored the win over Markus Kajak (Goodwood / Formula K) and 2024 World Champion Giuseppe Palomba (Maranello USA). Elie Goldstein (TB Kart) and third place finisher a year ago Emilien Denner (Goodwood / Formula K) were also found to have ‘bodywork too wide” after finishing fourth and fifth. Van Walstijn responded by leading all 10 laps of the AvsC heat race. He was pressured by Spirgel the entire distance with Bertuca closing in late with fast lap of the race. The BvsD heat race was stopped for a red flag involving a hard wreck including Anel Reynoso (Kart CRG USA) and Macy Williams (CB / Kosmic). Up front, Kajak led the field back to the green flag and was able to win by just over seven tenths, only to be penalized for jumping the restart while leading. This promoted Corentin Rousseau (Catalyst / Italkart) to the win after a DNF in his opening heat race. Former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodi Kart) was second with Gustafsson in third while Kajak was place fifth in the results.

Defending Pro X30 winner Joe Turney was one of four winners in the heat races (Photo: EKN)

The Pro X30 category went four for four in different winners over the two rounds of heat races, with all of them decided on the track. Defending race winner Joe Turney (MPG / Kart Republic) had an amazing drive forward in the AvsD heat race, who qualified 17th overall and started ninth. By lap seven, he was into the lead and held off Italian Iacopo Martinese (MPG / Kart Republic) at the line by 82 thousandths with Aussie Mika Lemasurier (BJR / LN Racing Kart). ‘Fast’ Frankie Mossman (SCR / CS55) was able to come away with the win in BvsC over Senior rookie Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) with Alessandro de Tullio (RRC / LN Racing Kart) in third. ADT came back in the AvsC race to win a fierce battle over Martinese and Spainard Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano). The BvsD heat race was decided off the track as provisional winner Jensen Burnett (RPM / Tony Kart) suffered a three-second pushback bumper penalty to drop him to 10th. Blake Nash (Nash / EOS) was awarded the win over Vanchev with Caden McQueen (Velocity / Sodi Kart) up to third after qualifying 36th overall.

Jake Drew was one of four drivers to win in the KA100 Senior heat races (Photo: EKN)

KA100 Senior featured four heat races with two rounds of action in the morning group, beginning with the AvsD heat race. No friends were made in the opening heat as SKUSA Pro Tour champion Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) came up to take the win over Enzo Vidmontiene (SLA / Kart Republic) and Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano). Vidmontiene was penalized five seconds for contact, dropping him all the way to 13th with the big packs formed at the front, moving Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) up to third. Top qualifier Iacopo Martinese (MPG / Kart Republic) was shuffled back to ninth in the final order. The BvsC heat race saw four drivers get away in the end with Blake Nash (Nash / EOS) taking the win over Chase Hand (GFC Karting), Jake Drew (FW / GFC) and defending race winner Joe Turney (MPG / Kart Republic). Five drivers crossed the line within a half second after the 10 lap battle in AvsC. Drew was able to come away with the victory over Martinese with Vidmontiene third, Ramos and Canadian Jensen Burnett (RPM / Tony Kart). The BvsD heat race was stopped just after halfway point with a hard wreck by Ty Fisher (TB Kart), who was running 10th at the time. He was transported to hospital after suffering a broken bone in his arm. The race restarted and Turney was able to work his way to the point for the win to make it four different heat race winners. Caleb Gafrarar (HDD / Tony Kart) and Moya were second and third, but penalized for contact with each other, dropping them back to 23rd and 24th in the final results. This promoted Jesus Vasquez Jr. up to second and Collin Lloyd (Velocity / Sodi Kart) to third after other drivers received penalties.

Travis Pettit won two of the four X30 Junior heat races (Photo: EKN)

No big surprises came in the two rounds of heat races for the X30 Junior category. Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic) was able to beat out top qualifier Dean Hoogendoorn (Prema-MPG / Kart Republic) for the win in the AvsD heat race with the two pulling away from the battle for third, won by Theo Salomao (Orsolon / Tony Kart). Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) jumped out to the win in the BvsC heat race with John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) in second and Archie Owen (Kart Republic) in third. Owen was removed from the results for a ‘missing ignition button’, promoting Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Racing Kart) to third. Pettit was the only driver to win twice on the day, edging out Hoogendoorn once again, this time in the AvsC heat race. UK driver Max Yuill (RPG / Kosmic) raced his way up into the third position. Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) held on to the win in the BvsD heat race over Antonino and Royce Vega (RPG / Kosmic). Antonino received a penalty for contact, dropping him down to 14th while Vega got three seconds for jumping the start, moving him to eighth in the results. That promoted Sammut to second and Luca Popescu (RPG / Kosmic) to third, who also recorded the fast lap of the race.

Former SuperNationals winner Michael McGaughy came out with two heat wins in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN)

The first group to go racing on the day was the KA100 Junior division. They set the tone for what would be a very hectic day of racing. After a wild start that saw the front row of Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) and Cole Medeiros (REM / Kosmic) get pushed off at the opening corner, Michael McGaughy (RPM / Kart Republic) and Braydon Wagner (FW / GFC) got away from the field to run 1-2 as Canadian Leonardo Serravalle (REM / Kosmic) won the fight for third. FIA Karting OK Junior World Champion Noah Baglin (Prema-MPG / Kart Republic) raced his way to the win in the BvsC heat, taking the top spot by 1.3 seconds over Dutch driver Dean Hoogendoorn (Prema-MPG / Kart Republic). John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) was third. The AvsC was similar to the first round, this time with Woon the driver going off into the wall in turn one at the start for a second time. And for a second time, McGaughy drove to the race win this time with Max Cristea (JHDD / Kart Republic) in second and Hoogendoorn in third. Baglin matched the score of McGaughy, winning the BvsD heat race ahead of Antonino. A three-second penalty for ‘driving down’ on a driver put him back to ninth, and promoted Medeiros to second and Gianmatteo Rousseau (REM / Kosmic) into third.

Ben Cooper remains the top driver in KA100 Master (Photo: EKN)

Defending KA100 Master champion Ben Cooper (RPG / Kosmic) has a perfect score through the first two days. The top qualifier went wire-to-wire in both heat races on the day. The first heat was a three-second margin of victory over Ariel Castro (RPG / Exprit) and Chris Wehrheim (RPG / Kosmic). The advantage was only 2.3 seconds in Heat Two, this time with John Bonanno (CompKart Factory Team) holding second ahead of Wehrheim.

Master Shifter has been a great battle over the opening two rounds involving the top two qualifiers. Defending race winner Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) was able to win both over top qualifier Alan Sciuto (GFC Karting). Sciuto led early in both before Musgrave took control. The first race was only 75 thousandths at the line while the second saw a gap between the top two of 0.141. Sciuto did have the quicker lap in both races. Right there behind them in third both races was SuperNationals 26 winner Davide Fore (Goodwood / Praga).

Maxwell Macha has a perfect score after two days in Mini Swift (Photo: EKN)

A perfect score over the first two days is held by Maxwell Macha (Parolin Motorsport USA) in the Mini Swift category. The top qualifier led green to checkered flag in the opening heat race, winning by just three tenths over a charging Liam Nachawati (JHDD / Kart Republic) who started 11th and recorded the fast lap of the race. Jake Manalio (RPM / Nitro Kart) was third in the opening heat but put on the pressure to Macha in the next moto. Prior to the white flag in Heat Two, Manalio took the lead only to get shuffled back to fourth on the final lap. Macha came away with the win with Nachawati slipping into second once again with fast lap of the race. Santiago Orioli (Velocity / Sodi Kart) followed through for third.

The Micro Swift category completed the morning group sessions on the day. Top qualifier Zev Godschalk (Team Benik) held off a charging Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) in Heat One. Godschalk led all 10 laps but was challenged late by Westbrook, who started 10th. Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) won the battle for third, recording fast lap of the race. Heat Two was a battle at the front all race long with Godschalk crossing the line as the provisional winner, only to be removed for a ‘missing ignition switch’. This promoted Lenox Lockhart (Velocity / Sodi Kart) to the race win over Jack Kotowski (TKG Birelart USA) and Aidan Go (Parolin Motorsport USA).

Situation Saturday at SKUSA SuperNationals 28 will be exactly that with weather the big factor as the forecast calls for rain all day in Las Vegas.

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