Emilien Denner starts the Pro Shifter main event from the pole position (Photo: EKN)

The final day of heat racing was held on Saturday for the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 29 outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While the wet weather stayed away all day, strong winds blew through the area during the morning categories. It died down for the afternoon categories, with the sun setting as the Pro Shifter hit the track for their final round of heat races, sending the afternoon Last Chance Qualifiers under the lights. With the final laps on the day, the grids are now set for the 29th edition of SuperSunday.

Santiago Orioli starts from the pole position in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN)

KA100 Junior presented by Simcraft was the first class on the track for racing. After a red flag came out just as the AvsB heat started for an off-track situation that required an ambulance, the group had a full restart. Pole sitter Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) was among those in the lead group until contact on lap two put him into the turn 14 wall hard, and out of the race. Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) led the first half of the race until Santiago Orioli (OKP / EOS) took over. He went on to cross the line as the provisional winner until a five-second penalty for blocking put him back to sixth. This promoted Ruben Gutierrez (RPG / Kosmic) to the win and would have put Kotowski into second but a 10-second penalty for blocking twice put him 10th. Easton Cox (Hi5 / Redspeed) and Albert Tamm (Parolin Motorsport USA) were moved to second and third. The CvsD heat race was a large group battling for the top spot, only to see Lucas Palacio (RPG / Kosmic) and Travis Pettit (BJR / LN Kart) fight for the top spot. It was Palacio taking the checkered flag, however, a penalty for blocking put him ninth and moved Pettit for the win. Wynn Godschalk (MPG / Kart Republic) and Maxwell Macha (Parolin Motorsport USA) were second and third. Woon earned a pole position start for the LCQ, winning that race and will start from 35th in the main event. On the front row will be Orioli and Gutierrez, each with a race win. Palacio and Pettit start from row two while Godschalk and Aston Wyatt (RPM / Tony Kart) goes from the third row.

Win in Heat Three locked up the pole position for Joe Turney in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN)

KA100 Senior presented by TKG Birelart USA top qualifier Dan Allemann (TFR / Henza Kart) and last year’s Junior winner Noah Baglin (MPG / Kart Republic) were able to break away in the AvsB heat race from the front row. Each led but it was Baglin to cross the line first ahead of Allemann while former double Junior winner Sebastian Garzon (Orsolon / Tony Kart) was third ahead of Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano) and James Overbeck (BJR / LN Kart). Veterans Joe Turney (MPG / Kart Republic) and Jake Drew (RPG / Kosmic) locked up together to get away from the field in CvsD heat race. Turney posted fast time of the race and the win with Drew in second. Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart) was third ahead of Christian Brooks (Axis / Redspeed) and Juan Paramo (Orsolon / Tony Kart). Turney’s two wins and a runner-up is better than Moya’s two wins from Friday and his P4 result to earn the pole position. Massimino and Baglin will go from row two while Drew and Allemann start in the third row.

Aidan Go won the third heat in Mini Swift, but Iver Spence starts from the pole position on SuperSunday (Photo: EKN)

A different driver was able to come away with the final heat race win in Mini Swift presented by Nitro Motorsports. Aidan Go (Parolin Motorsport USA) started in ninth, and worked his way up into the lead by lap five. He led the rest of the way to score the win over two-time heat race winner Iver Spence (Parolin Motorsport USA). Mason Brody (SCR / Nitro Kart) had his best finish of the week in third over Lucas Tarango (RPM / Nitro Kart) and Zev Godschalk (Team Benik). Top qualifier Cees Muys (Velocity / Sodi Kart) was fourth until two laps to go when he retired after contact. Spence will lead the field to the green flag with Go improving up to start on the outside of the front row. Zayne Burgess (Parolin Motorsport USA) and Tarango make up the second row with Iker Alvarez (Team Benik) and Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) from row three. Top qualifier Muys starts 15th.

Race Liberante came back from DNF on Friday to win Heat Three in KA100 Master (Photo: EKN)

Saturday was a bounce back day for Race Liberante (FDM / Pantano) in KA100 Master presented by Orsolon Racing. Liberante climbed from the fifth spot to take the lead and the win ahead of two-time defending winner Ben Cooper (RPG / Kosmic). Kip Foster (BJR / LN Kart) – who was caught up in the Liberante incident – drove up to third ahead of Bailey Murphy (BJR / Tony Kart) and Renato Jader David (Orsolon / Tony Kart). Top qualifier Lucca Croce (RPG / Kosmic) fell back to sixth. Cooper with three top-three finishes will start from the pole position with RJD on the outside of the front row. Murphy and Croce are set for the second row while Laurentiu Mardan (Tecno Kart USA) and SKUSA Winter Series champion Brian Boly (RPG / Kosmic) start in row three. Liberante starts 12th with Foster going from 16th on SuperSunday.

Diego Ramos won the third heat in Rotax Senior (Photo: EKN)

Rotax Senior presented by Mack Motorsports top qualifier Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) was able to break away from the field after early fight. Once he grabbed the lead back from Michael McGaughy (RPM / Kart Republic) on lap eight, he escaped while they fought for second behind him. Ramos won by 2.6 seconds ahead of Erik Doan (PSL / Birelart) with McGaughy in third. Arthur Lehouck (McCrone / Formula K) was fourth but a three-second penalty for pushback bumper dropped him to ninth. That promoted Antoine Lemieux (Pfaff / Gillard) to fourth and Jonathan Portz (NRC / Gillard) into fifth. Lemieux, a winner in Heat Two, secured the pole position for the main event with Portz set to go from outside front row position. McGaughy and Frankie Mossman (SCR / Speed Kart) are rolling from row two while Ramos finds himself in row three alongside Oliver Hodgson (Factory Karts). Hodgson was P22 in qualifying and went on to finish seventh, 10th and 12th in the heat races to start sixth on SuperSunday.

Zayne Burgess won the third heat in Rotax Mini and is the inaugural pole sitter for SuperSunday (Photo: EKN)

Rotax Mini presented by NABSCreative kicked off the afternoon group racing at Saturday with their only action of the day, completing Heat Three. Aidan Go (Parolin Motorsport USA) went to the lead early and showed the way until coming to the white flag when Zayne Burgess (Parolin Motorsport USA) took over. Burgess was able to take the win with Cees Muys (Velocity / Sodi Kart) working past Go for second. After the race, Go was disqualified for an exhaust issue. It would have promoted top qualifier Alfie Garrett (Velocity / Sodi Kart) to third except he was penalized five seconds for contact, promoting Mason Brody (SCR / Nitro Kart) to third, Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) to fourth and Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) to fifth. With two heat race wins, Burgess will lead the field to its first ever green flag on SuperSunday. Muys starts second with Lenox Lockhart (Parolin Motorsport USA) third, Garrett fourth, Brody fifth and Dimitar Uzunov (Prime / Birelart) in sixth. Go will start back in 13th following that Heat Three penalty.

Three straight heat wins for Lucas Palacio in X30 Junior (Photo: EKN)

The possible sweep was extended through Saturday in X30 Junior presented by MSRT / Maxwell Motorsports for Lucas Palacio (RPG / Kosmic). It was another wire-to-wire win in Heat Three, winning by nearly three seconds. Troy Ferguson (Team Benik) came up from fifth to second ahead of Wynn Godschalk (MPG / Kart Republic) with Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) and Nathan Golseth (SCR / CS55) completing the top five. Palacio and Godschalk retain the front row starting spots for SuperSunday with Ferguson now starting third alongside Ruben Gutierrez (RPG / Kosmic). Braydon Wagner (FW / GFC) and Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Kart) start from row three. SKUSA Pro Tour champion Travis Pettit (BJR / LN Kart) starts 24th after two bad heat races.

Hendrix Falat added a second heat race win on the week in Micro Swift (Photo: EKN)

It was another strong performance for British driver Hendrix Falat (Team Benik) in Heat Three for Micro Swift presented by Velocity Racing / Sodikart. Multiple drivers led throughout the eight laps with Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) and Tristan Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) among the leaders. With three laps to go, a driver struck one of the outside barriers at the end of the straight, creating a water puddle at turn in for turn 14. Lap seven, Francisco was one of the first drivers to hit it, and then coming to the checkered flag, Kotowski hit the water as well. This sent them into the outside walls, both able to continue. Falat took the lead on the white flag and held on, missing the water to grab the win ahead of Enzo Ramos (Parolin Motorsport USA). Ramos however was penalized five seconds for contact, moving Charlie Skrzypkowski (Parolin Motorsport USA) up to second and SKUSA Pro Tour champion Beau Wyatt (LEM / Nitro Kart) to third. Braxton Shiflett (Orsolon / Tony Kart) was fourth with Ramos back to fifth. Kotowski ended up finishing sixth, crossing the line after spinning while Francisco was back in 29th. Ramos and Falat earn the front row starting spots with Kotowski and Shiflett going from row two. Row three will be Wyatt and Skrzypkowski while Francisco starts seventh.

Davide Fore kept the sweep going in Master Shifter, winning Heat Three (Photo: EKN)

The path of a sweep continues for Davide Fore (McCrone / Formula K) in Master Shifter presented by Kart CRG USA. Heat Three was a holeshot win for the former SuperNationals winner, taking the win with top qualifier Hunter Pickett (GFC Karting) in his draft the full nine laps. Jordon Musser (PSL / Birelart) held off Sam Claes (Velocity / Sodi Kart) for third while Flavio Sani (Velocity / Sodi Kart) had another run up into the top five. Fore will start now on the inside of the front row on SuperSunday with Pickett going from the outside. Claes and Musser swap spots in row two while Sani moves up to row three along with 2002 SuperPro winner Ron White (RWR / CRG).

Caden McQueen won the final heat of the event in Pro X30 (Photo: EKN)

Pro X30 presented by Rolison Performance Group began their final heat races just as the sun dipped below the Las Vegas mountains. The AvsB heat was a battle early with James Overbeck (BJR / LN Kart) getting up to the lead through the opening lap. After a defensive early line, Overbeck was able to escape with them battling for position behind them. He would go on to take the provisional win by one second, however, was penalized 10 seconds for ‘driving down’. This promoted 2024 winner Joe Turney (MPG / Kart Republic) for the win ahead of Caleb Gafrarar (FDM / Pantano) with Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart) third, Eli Warren (HDD / Tony Kart) and Marcelo Tortato (Orsolon / Tony Kart) completing the top five. Among the fighting for second was Oliver Hodgson (Factory Karts), who ended up smashing the turn 13 wall fighting for the second spot with two laps remaining. Top qualifier Michael McGaughy (RPM / Kart Republic) also found himself in the wall through the chicane section after dropping out of the top five early. Caden McQueen (Velocity / Sodi Kart) and Canadian Antoine Lemieux (Pfaff / Gillard) broke away from the field in CvsD, running 1-2 the entire distance. Dan Allemann (TFR / Henza Kart) drove to third over Jake Drew (RPG / Kosmic) and last year’s winner Gus Lawrence (RPG / Kosmic) while 2021 winner Ryan Norberg (NKA / Kosmic) worked up to sixth. The points were tallied and Drew will lead the field to the green flag on SuperSunday with finishes of third, sixth and fourth. Indy NXT driver Alessandro de Tullio (RRC / LN Kart) starts from the outside of the front row with finishes of third, fourth and seventh. Heat race winner Massimino and Lemieux start from row two while row three has Lawrence and Aussie driver Levi Doessel (BJR / LN Kart). Norberg goes from 10th, Overbeck back in 16th, Hodgson 17th, McGaughy 22nd and Turney starting 30th with many more fast names starting from the second half of the field.

The action was a bit calmer at the front of the field in Pro Shifter presented by PSL Karting. SKUSA Pro Tour champion Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodi Kart) was able to beat out top qualifier Daniel Formal (GFC Karting) for the race win. Markus Kajak (McCrone / Formula K) was third over a charging Maksim Orlov (Velocity / Sodi Kart) with AJ Myers (TKG / Birelart) in fifth. The start of CvsD began with defending winner Senna Van Walstijn (Velocity / Sodi Kart) and Arthur Lehouck (McCrone / Formula K) in turn one at the start, ending their race there. Up front, Pedro Hiltbrand (PSL / Birelart) led early until Emilien Denner (McCrone / Formula K) took over. Denner scored the win by seven tenths of a second with Giuseppe Palomba (Italkart Factory) working past Hiltbrand for second. Noah Wolfe (Italkart Factory) was fourth but was penalized 10 seconds for ‘driving down’. That moved Marijn Kremers (Carblos / CL) to fourth and Justin White (Carblos / Maranello) into fifth. The two heat wins for Denner puts him on the pole position for SuperSunday with teammate Kajak filling out the front row. Former world champion Palomba goes from third with Orlov improving to start fourth. Hiltbrand and Sam Dicker (Italkart Factory) will launch from row three. Myers is the top USA driver, starting seventh. Morgatto, with his DQ in heat one will start back in 16th while top qualifier Formal goes from 13th having the DNF in heat two. Van Walstijn started last year’s SuperSunday race from 16th to win, this time he will have to come up from 24th to set a new record to defend his title.

The grids are set and the only thing left is the main events on SuperSunday to close out the SKUSA SuperNationals 29. Weather is expected to be perfect, and the 11 categories will battle to decide this year’s winners.

Share on Facebook

Tweet