The 2026 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour is set to get underway this weekend – March 27-29 – with a visit to the Musselman Honda Circuit. The 10th edition of the SKUSA WinterNationals will make its first visit to Tucson, Arizona, marking the third ever trip for Superkarts! USA with previous SpringNationals held in 2011 and 2013. Over 250 entries are set to battle over the eight categories that will contest this year’s championship program.

The Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson 
(Photo: Musselman Honda Circuit)

The Musselman Honda Circuit has been hosting karting events since mid 2000s when the Stars of Karting program held events. Other championships have visited the Tucson facility over the last three decades, including last weekend with the RMC America’s Trophy program making its debut. The 8/10-mile course in the counter-clockwise direction is a replica of the Suzuka circuit in Japan, featuring 12 turns with a bit of elevation change from one end of the track to the other. Its new paved paddock will provide less dirt for teams and competitors to navigate traffic with a secondary paddock established along the backstretch to welcome the over 250 entries.

Event schedule begins with unofficial practice on Thursday. Official sessions begin on Friday with three, seven-minute sessions with round four session to be 12 minutes. The fifth and final round will be a seven-minute ‘Final Practice’ to line up the grid order in qualifying for the weekend. Seven of the divisions will follow the two round format on the weekend, including Pro X30. Warm-up, qualifying, Prefinal and Final make up Saturday with the same lineup for Sunday. The SKUSA Pro Show features only the Pro Shifter division. Qualifying, Super Pole, Heat 1 and Heat 2 on Saturday set the stage for the 14-Prefinal and the 25-lap Final to decide the SKUSA WinterNationals winner.

Sold out is Pro Shifter presented by PSL Karting at 47 drivers to battle. Storylines entering the weekend is nine of the top 10 in the 2025 championship are returning. The SKUSA prize package for a free season helped bring them back, including defending champion Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts). The veteran who did not win last season went winless at the SKUSA Winter Series, picking up three runner-up results. The title with two wins was earned by Kiwi driver Jay Urwin (PSL / Birelart). The driver who ended the 2025 season with two DNFs is racing with a chip on his shoulder coming into the 2026 season. With the SKUSA Winter Series title already locked, Urwin is gearing up for another run at the SKUSA Pro Tour title.

Billy Musgrave enters 2026 carrying the number one plate in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN)

All three winners from last year are returning, including defending WinterNationals victor Gavin Bayliff (TKG / Birelart). Bayliff won at the SKUSA Winter Series and is seeking to improve his #7 SKUSA plate. Canadian Josh Conquer (Maranello USA) finished as the highest race winner in the championship, placing third. He will be joined in 2026 with two-time SKUSA champion Marijn Kremers. The Dutch driver spent last year racing with Tony Kart factory team and returns back to USA competition. Former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Danny Formal (GFC Karting) finished off the year with a win at the SummerNationals and is making his first start in the USA since that July weekend. The one to finish the 2025 season as the EKN #1 in the Shifterkart Driver Rankings presented by Stilo USA was Frenchman Adrien Renaudin (Velocity / Sodikart). Despite finishing 11th in the SKUSA Pro Tour championship, his other results across his first season in the USA led to him with the most points in the rankings format. Former SKUSA Pro Tour champions AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA), Kyle Wick (GFC Karting), and Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodikart) are also returning.

The Pro X30 presented by Nash Motorsportz is loaded with talent once again. It also has nine of the top 10 in the championship standings from 2025 are returning. The lone driver to not return is defending champion Austin Garrison. The Speed Concepts Racing driver is stepping back from competition to focus on his driver development business based in Orlando and driver coaching on race weekends. Garrison had two of the six wins last year, as did six-time former champion Ryan Norberg. After marking his debut with GFC Karting at ROK Vegas and SuperNationals 28, Norberg is back behind the wheel for his SKUSA Pro Tour rollout with the GFC brand. Gus Lawrence has essentially taken over the role voided by Norberg at Rolison Performance Group. He scored a win at the SKUSA debut at the SpringNationals last year and finished second in the 2026 SKUSA Winter Series points despite no wins. Brazilian Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) on a streak with the KA100 Senior championship and win at the SummerNationals. 2026 did not start out as so hot, as Ramos finished seventh at the SKUSA Winter Series without a win.

Ryan Norberg is making his first SKUSA Pro Tour start with GFC Karting (Photo: EKN)

The SKUSA Winter Series saw four different winners over the four rounds. Oliver Hodgson marked his Factory Karts debut with a win while Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart) picked up his first career win in the series. Senior rookie Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) grabbed a win as did Canadian Ayden Ingratta (REM / Kosmic). All four are on the entry list this weekend. Also returning back to the USA is Joe Turney. The 2023 SKUSA Pro Tour champion is back to the USA with MPG Motorsports as the Kart Republic driver is once again a favorite entering the weekend.

A second class sold out for the weekend is KA100 Senior presented by Kart CRG USA. Of the 47 drivers, only two are returning from last year’s top-10, including defending champion Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart). The Brazilian won three of the six rounds last year but focused on X30 only at the SKUSA Winter Series. He and SpringNationals winner Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart) will be the only returning drivers from last year’s championship and part of the double duty roster that includes Spanish driver Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano) and Senior rookie Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic). Vanchev was one of the three winners at the SKUSA Winter Series. Collin Lloyd (Velocity / Sodikart) took two wins over the four rounds in Texas toward the series championship, entering the SKUSA Pro Tour with the momentum on his side. Johnie Stamps (FW / GFC), Dean Pedersen (RPG / Kosmic), Cooper O’Clair (Factory Karts), Caden McQueen (Velocity / Sodikart) and Finnegan Bayliff (TKG / Birelart) are among the many contenders.

The X30 Junior presented by Rolison Performance Group features 30 drivers with 2025 champion Alexander Vanchev moving up. Two drivers who came away with wins last year include Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) and Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic). They finished third and fourth in the championship last year and come in as the favorites. Pettit holds the advantage thus far in 2026, earning two wins and the championship at the SKUSA Winter Series. Both came away with a win last weekend in Junior MAX at the RMC America’s Trophy. Nathan Golseth (SCR / CS55) and Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) also have wins on the year from the SKUSA Winter Series, racing this weekend in Tucson. Colton Schniegenberg (RPM / Tony Kart), Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart), Rotax Winter Trophy ticket winner Leo Da Silva (REM / Kosmic) and Challenge of the Americas winner Payton Anderson (RPG / Kosmic) are in the field as well. The rookie class of Juniors in X30 are led by Mini Swift champion Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA) along with SuperNationals 28 winner Maxwell Macha (Parolin Motorsport USA).

Travis Pettit is seeking a double championship season in Junior competition (Photo: EKN)

A similar scenario and names are among those in the 30-driver field for KA100 Junior presented by TKG Birelart USA. Vanchev was the 2025 champion and Travis Pettit (RPG / Kosmic) is the only returning winner from last year. Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) did not run KA at the SKUSA Pro Tour but will be among the 11 drivers racing both Junior categories at the WinterNationals. That includes Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart), Colton Schniegenberg (RPM / Tony Kart), Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birelart), and EKN February Driver of the Month Nico Orbezo (IRM / Tony Kart). Orbezo was among the four winners at the SKUSA Winter Series, including Kotowski and Murphy. Nathan Golseth (SCR / CS55) came away with the SKUSA Winter Series title without scoring a race win but came away with the win at the Texas Sprint Racing Series opener. Among the rookie class in the field includes Santiago Orioli (Velocity / Sodikart), Cameron Johnson (Nash / EOS) and Hudson Hidalgo (Nash /EOS).

For the first time since 2023, the KA100 Master presented by Evinco will be part of the SKUSA Pro Tour. This marks the third season the category has been offered since 2020 when Nitro Kart owner Nick Tucker took the title at the SKUSA Summer Festival program. This weekend’s field features 18 drivers with a mix of veterans and young Master drivers. Mario Barrios (RPG / Kosmic) is a former race winner. Scott Falcone (Tony Kart) is a former SKUSA Pro Tour champion. Phil DeLaO (Mach5 / LN Kart) is among the younger crowd, coming in as a 2012 SKUSA Pro Tour champion in TaG Senior. TSRS champion Pierce Baldus (Hi5 / Redspeed), Ryan Casner (CRD / Bestkart), Dan Jones (RWR / CRG), Christopher Mann (Ruthless / Exprit), Trevor McAlister (Arcane / Tony Kart) and Bailey Murphy (BJR / Tony Kart) are among the potential podium contenders.

Jake Manalio carries the SKUSA Winter Series Mini Swift title into the SKUSA Pro Tour (Photo: EKN)

The Mini Swift presented by Mega Power Engines will have a new crop of drivers competing for the championship with last year’s top 10 graduating to Junior. The field also welcomes many of the top-10 from the Micro standings last year. Those returning from Mini last year includes SKUSA Winter Series champion Jake Manalio (RPM / Nitro Kart), Conner Lypka (CompKart) and Lucas Tarango (Ruthless / Nitro Kart). Last year’s Micro champion Brody Stoffle (RPM / Nitro Kart) leads the rookie group that includes Mason Brody (RPM / Nitro Kart), SuperNationals 28 winner Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik), Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) and Costa Rican Samuel Chaverri (PSL / Birelart).

The 24 drivers in Micro Swift presented by Grupo Santana Vega includes one driver from the top 10 in last year’s standings. 2026 SKUSA Winter Series champion Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) won all four rounds at Speedsportz. A handful of drivers will step up to the plate to challenge for victories and podium positions on the weekend, including Dusty Strayer (Parolin Motorsport USA), Tre Sanders (RPM / Nitro Kart), Wiley Lee (Team Benik), Tristan Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) and Beau Wyatt (Team Benik) who were all at the RMC America’s Trophy event last weekend.

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 Tucson on the EKN Radio Network and at ekartingnews.com/live.

Provisional Pro Shifter Entry List

Provisional Pro X30 Entry List

Provisional KA100 Senior Entry List

Provisional X30 Junior Entry List

Provisional KA100 Junior Entry List

Provisional KA100 Master Entry List

Provisional Mini Swift Entry List

Provisional Micro Swift Entry List

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