(Photo: EKN)

It is safe to say the formula that computes the eKartingNews.com TaG Driver Rankings Powered by Bell Racing USA is spot on. For years, we’ve heard that our system favors one way or leans toward another direction than it should. However, numbers don’t lie and at the top of the TaG standings are two of the most decorated drivers over the last five years.

Sitting in the top spot remains three-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic). The Florida driver currently leads the title chase heading into this week’s SummerNationals, vying for a fourth-straight crown. Sitting second to Norberg is Brandon Jarsocrak (MDR / Tony Kart). The Pennsylvania native just scored his third straight United States Pro Kart Series title, and he trails Norberg in the SKUSA standings as well. Add in Florida Winter Tour champion Christian Brooks (Nash / FA Kart) and 2018 WKA champion Austin Garrison (CRG Nordam), and the top four are outstanding drivers, ranked among the best over the last five years.

The rest of the top-10, and the top-50 for that matter, are not far off. Brazilian Arthur Leist (PSL / Birel ART) has moved up into the fifth spot, however, he will not be able to improve his score as his commitments to the F4 US Championship takes him to Mid-Ohio next weekend, along with Brooks. A number of drivers featured in the EKN Driver Rankings will be racing in the F4 event, including WinterNats winner Joshua Car, former SKUSA champ Dylan Tavella, last year’s SummerNationals winner Ryan MacDermid, and SKUSA #3 plate-holder Dante Yu – who fell out of the top-10 this month.

Moving up one spot along with Leist is KartSport North America / Kart Republic driver Alex Bertagnoli. The former SKUSA Pro Tour Junior champion improved his score with top-five results, including podium on Sunday at the USPKS finale. Hannah Greenemeier (RPG / Kosmic) was fifth, but lost a few points to drop below the 7000-point mark and she now resides in seventh. Greenemeier charged her way forward both days at last year’s SummerNationals, so she has the potential to improve her ranking this weekend.

Trey Brown (Nash / FA Kart) moved back into the top-10 following a top-five run at the California ProKart Challenge event in Monterey, as Colin Neal dropped one position to ninth after losing points. Neal has not competed since the SpringNationals, and is back under the Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic tent this weekend in New Castle. Holding the 10th spot is Josh Green (MDR / Kosmic), the top rookie of 2019. Green was the point leader in the USPKS program heading to the finale, however, conflicting schedules with his F1600 program cost him a chance to race for the title in New Castle. Green bounced back after a dramatic incident in practice to win all three races at VIRginia International Raceway and take over the point lead in the open wheel series.

Notable drivers climbing the standings using the added points from good weekends at the USPKS finale include RPM / Tony Kart teammates Travis Wiley and Jace Denmark-Gessel, MDR / Kosmic driver Pauly Massimino and Solo Kart USA pilot Jesus Rios Jr.

Upcoming EKN TaG Driver Rankings Schedule

(Photo: EKN)

TaG #1 – Ryan Norberg
Orlando, Florida

A place in karting history awaits Ryan Norberg heading into the weekend. The Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic driver is on the verge of earning a fourth-straight SKUSA Pro Tour X30 Senior championship. In modern day karting, dating back two decades, no driver has won four straight championships or ‘national titles’ in sprint karting – let alone in the most competitive division in the sport. Hundreds of drivers have competed in the class over the last four years. Yet, at the end of the year, Norberg is the driver standing on top. Still, Norberg needs to remain near the top-10 all weekend in New Castle in order to claim what could be a fourth title.

Point Breakdown

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(Photo: EKN)

TaG #2 – Brandon Jarsocrak
Reading, Pennsylvania

Following in Norberg’s tracks is Brandon Jarsocrak. The ‘Shillington Slingshot’ was able to record a third straight United States Pro Kart Series title in the X30 Pro division. It nearly came to an end with two laps remaining in the last main event at New Castle when Jarsocrak’s chain decided to break apart. The points swung in his favor by 17, putting him in the USPKS record books. While it is not on the ‘same level’ as the SKUSA Pro Tour, the fields at the USPKS program have averaged over 30 and was just below that mark in 2018, featuring many of the same drivers we will see this weekend. While the SKUSA championship is still not out of reach, he carries a strong NCMP resume, having won two of the last four SKUSA SummerNationals main events.

Point Breakdown

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(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

TaG #3 – Christian Brooks
Santa Clarita, California

This could be the last month for Christian Brooks to be inside the top-three of the EKN Driver Rankings. The Florida Winter Tour champion has had a solid season, adding a victory on the SKUSA Pro Tour and entered among the championship contenders into the SpringNationals. A tough weekend in Utah has dropped him out of contention, however, the Californian will be just east of New Castle this weekend, competing in the F4 US Championship event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Brooks is coming off his first F4 series victory at VIR, putting himself in a good position to battle for the title heading into the final three events of the season. EKN wishes Brooks the best of luck, and we hope to see him at the SuperNationals in Las Vegas.

Point Breakdown

EKN Driver Rankings Calculation Process
The EKN Driver Rankings are calculated using a driver’s best finishes in major North American races. Assembled using events from the previous 12 months from the current date, we use a driver’s best seven finishes in the TaG and Shifterkart categories to determine their overall current point total. With each new release, results posted from more than one year ago are discarded. To deliver our ranking list, we tabulate the results of all the national programs and selected regional programs. We have also included the results for the major one-off events such as the SKUSA SuperNationals, the Rock Island Grand Prix, and the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix.

Each race is initially weighted based on the prestige and history of the event or series with a score of ten (10) being the highest attainable base ranking. For 2019, the SKUSA SuperNationals will receive a score of 10 in its initial weighting in the TaG and Shifterkart categories. A base ranking of 9.5 is set for the SKUSA Pro Tour, while a base ranking of 9 goes to the SKUSA Winter Series, United States Pro Kart Series, Florida Winter Tour, Challenge of the Americas, ROK the RIO, All Star Finals, Stars and Stripes Trophy and Open, Rock Island Grand Prix, and California ProKart Challenge. Other national and regional program races were given a base ranking of either 8.5 or 8.0.

The EKN staff reserves the right to adjust the rankings of each event throughout the year. A minimum entry total for any event to be considered for the Driver Rankings program is five (5). If an event does not have at least five (5) drivers starting the race, those results will not be tabulated toward the Driver Rankings.

Added to these initial rankings are two variables that help confirm the true importance of an event to the ranking process – field size and field strength. A percentage of one weighting point is added for the size of the field, while the number of existing top-50 drivers entered offers another full point or fraction of a point. The sum of these numbers becomes the overall ranking for any race.

Following a race, drivers receive points based on their finishing positions with 100 points earned for a win. Each subsequent position drops by one point with 99 points given to the second-place driver and so on throughout the field. These points are then multiplied by the overall ranking to produce a driver’s final point total from each event. Using a driver’s best seven races, we calculate each driver’s overall score and subsequent ranking.

eKartingNews.com TaG Driver Rankings Powered by Bell Racing USA – as of August 1, 2019

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