Viktor Gustafsson will start from the pole position in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN)

The final two days of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 28 will go down in history as one of the most unique events over its span of decades. Saturday outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway brought rain weather into the mix following the morning group final round of heat races, beginning with the Last Chance Qualifiers. Three heat races in the afternoon grouping of classes were conducted before a red flag in the opening heat for Pro X30 forced a stoppage in racing, and eventually a postponement of the final four runs including that class and Pro Shifter. SuperSunday will feature, for the first time, four different heat races and their Last Chance Qualifiers before going into the main events to decide this year’s SuperNationals winners on Sunday.

The morning group of classes began with the two races for KA100 Junior. Former SuperNationals winner Michael McGaughy (RPM / Kart Republic) claimed a third heat race win over the two days. In the AvsB heat, Noah Baglin (Prema-MPG / Kart Republic) was the driver to cross the line first. A penalty for contact dropped him to eighth overall, moving McGaughy to the top spot over John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic). David Ybarra (Kart CRG USA) was third in the order. Dutch driver Dean Hoogendoorn (Prema-MPG / Kart Republic) was able to beat out Cole Medeiros (REM / Kosmic) for the win in Heat CvsD. Gianmatteo Rouseseau (REM / Kosmic) was third. McGaughy and Hoogendoorn start from the front row for the final with Baglin and Rousseau in row two while Antonino and Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic) completed front starting six.

Michael McGaughy will lead the KA100 Junior field to the green flag (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Ben Cooper (RPG / Kosmic) made it three for three in the heat races for KA100 Master. The top qualifier led all 10 laps with second place qualifier John Bonanno (CompKart) trailing close behind. Chris Wehrheim (RPG/ Kosmic) drove to third over Ariel Castro (RPG / Exprit), who was removed from the results for a battery issue in tech. That promoted Clay Settles (Top Kart) to fourth for his best finish of the week and Scott Falcone (Orsolon / Tony Kart) in fifth. Cooper and Wehrheim will start from the first two positions on the grid with Bonanno now third and Travis Irving (GFC Karting) up to fourth on the grid. Former SuperNationals winners Renato Jader David (Orsolon / Tony Kart) and Martin Stone (RPG / Kosmic) are in row three.

Enzo Vidmontiene (SLA / Kart Republic) and Race Liberante (FDM / Pantano) won the final round of heat races in the KA100 Senior. Vidmontiene drove up to the win in the AvsB heat with defending race winner Joe Turney (MPG / Kart Republic) up to second and top qualifier Iacopo Martinese (MPG / Kart Republic) back to third. Liberante fought his way forward in the CvsD heat, beating out Jake Drew (FW / GFC), Alessandro de Tullio (RRC / LN Racing Kart) and Henry Wheeler (MDR / LN Racing Kart). Drew with a worse finish of third and Turney with a worse finish of fourth, both with a heat win, make up the front row for the main event. SKUSA Pro Tour champion Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) and Martinese are in third and fourth while Chase Hand (GFC Karting) and Vidmontiene go from row three.

Ben Cooper kept his perfect score through Saturday’s action (Photo: EKN)

Master Shifter welcomed a new winner in Heat Three on Saturday. Sam Claes (Velocity / Sodi Kart) was able to take advantage of a slight error by double heat race winner Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts). Claes took over on lap seven and Musgrave remained on his bumper to the checkered flag with former winner Davide Fore (Goodwood / Praga) right there in third. Jordon Musser (PSL / Birelart) was fourth and top qualifier Alan Sciuto (GFC Karting) slipping back to fifth. Musgrave will go from the pole position to defend his win from last year with Sciuto now on the outside of the front row. Fore and Musser both improve to start from row two while Jonathan Vitolo (GFC Karting) and Anders Elkjaer (Goodwood / Formula K) making up the starting front six.

Wrapping up the morning groups and missing out on the rain was the Micro Swift category. Jack Kotowski (TKG Birelart USA) jumped out to the lead until Aidan Go (Parolin Motorsport USA) took over the lead. On the final lap, Alvaro Medeiros (Orsolon / Tony Kart) grabbed the win to make it three different heat race winners. Kotowski was second with Go in third. Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) drove up to fourth with top qualifier Zev Godschalk (Team Benik) back to fifth. Kotowski earns the pole position for the main event thanks to three top five results, and will be joined on the front row by Aidan Go. Westbrook improved from qualifying 10th to not starting third, with Dominic Nagle (Team Benik) advancing 14 spots over the heat races to start fourth. Amine Pantoli (Velocity / Sodi Kart) and Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) fill out row three.

Three runner-up results puts Dean Hoogenboorn on the pole position for X30 Junior (Photo: EKN)

The X30 Junior division was the first class of the afternoon to hit the track, taking to the circuit for the first time in wet conditions. John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) navigated the conditions to a race win in AvsB heat race. Top qualifier Dean Hoogendoorn (Prema-MPG / Kart Republic) challenged all race long but ended up second with Eli Steinbruch (Orsolon / Tony Kart) a close third at the end. British driver Archie Owen (JHDD / Kart Republic) rebounded from his issues on Friday to show the way in the wet for Heat CvsD, stretching out to a 2.2-second advantage. Gianmatteo Rousseau (REM / Kosmic) was second with Alexis Baillargeon (SCR / CS55) in third, however, he was penalized three seconds for a pushback bumper. This promoted Ashton Woon (SCR / Redspeed) up to third. Hoogendoorn remains on the pole position for the main event in his first SuperSunday start. Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic) put together two wins Friday with a P6 Saturday to earn the outside front row starting spot. Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) finished seventh in his heat, and will go from P3 while Woon moves one spot over to start fourth. Steinbruch and Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Racing Kart) fill in row three.

Mini Swift had a heavier rain falling for their third and final heat of the event, navigating the course very well for the younger drivers. It was a battle at the front with Santiago Orioli (Velocity / Sodi Kart) jumping out to the front before top qualifier Maxwell Macha (Parolin Motorsport USA) returned to the point. He led the rest of the way with Parolin Motorsport USA teammates Asher Pavan and Iver Spence working up to second and third. Tanner Barsch (Kart CRG USA) pushed Orioli back to fifth. Macha will be joined on the front row for the main event by Orioli. Barsch and Jake Manalio (RPM / Nitro Kart) – who finished 12th in the final heat – make up the second row while Spence and 2024 Micro Swift winner Zayne Burgess (Parolin Motorsport USA) starting fifth and sixth.

Alessandro de Tullio locked up the pole position for Pro X30 (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Third round of heat races for the Pro X30 categories were postponed to Sunday morning after the rain issues with the start of the AvsB race. With a drying track and cold temperatures at 8am, AvsB was led by top qualifier Jake Drew (FW / GFC). Drew led all 10 laps and was closed in late by Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano), separated by only 48 thousandths at the line. Hannah Greenemeier (RPG / Kosmic) ran solo in third. Alessandro de Tullio (RRC / LN Racing Kart) led the first four laps of the CvsD heat race. Adam Brickley (Bestkart) took over the top spot for one circuit before Gus Lawrence (RPG / Kosmic) grabbed the position. Lawrence went on to win by over two tenths over Brickley while SKUSA Pro Tour champion Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55) pushed de Tullio back to fourth. With a third, first and fourth, de Tullio earns the pole position for the main event. Italian Iacopo Martinese (MPG / Kart Republic) will join him on the front row while Senior rookie Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) and Moya start from row two. Vanchev put together results of second, second and sixth after qualifying 10th overall. Defending race winner Joe Turney (MPG / Kart Republic) was fifth in his final heat, and will start fifth alongside top qualifier Drew.

Two world champions led the way in the final round of heat races for Pro Shifter Sunday Morning. Top qualifier Senna Van Walstijn (Velocity / Sodi Kart) led wire-to-wire in the AvsB heat race. He drove to a three-second advantage over Markus Kajak (Goodwood / Formula K) with SKUSA Pro Tour champion Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) in third. Viktor Gustafsson (Kart CRG USA) led all 10 laps of the CvsD heat race. He was closed in late by last year’s FIA Karting World Champion Giuseppe Palomba (Maranello USA) and Corentin Rousseau (IM / Italkart). Gustafsson and Kajak have earned the front row starting spot with Palomba and Ricardo Longhi (PSL / Birelart). Former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodi Kart) and current SKUSA Pro Tour champion Musgrave make up row three. Van Walstijn – with the DQ in Heat One and two heat wins – will start from the 16th position.

The final three Last Chance Qualifiers for the afternoon groups will run after the opening ceremonies Sunday morning, and then go right into the main events for SuperSunday.

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