Kyle Wick remains the top driver in the EKN Shifterkart Driver Rankings (Photo: EKN)

The second release of the 2024 season for the eKartingNews.com Shifterkart Driver Rankings features changes in position from the second down. A month after the first release, the second includes only six main events added to the point total for the 207 drivers scoring points at events including on the schedule. The big change is the points loss in the drop of last year’s SKUSA Pro Tour WinterNationals dropping off the 12-month standings. The removal of Pro Shifter from the USPKS program in 2024 will also put an emphasis on the other programs, such as SKUSA Winter Series, Challenge of the Americas, Stars Championship Series and other regional programs with the SKUSA Pro Tour only offering the three main events in 2024.

Among the no changes in position is the top of the Shifterkart standings with Kyle Wick (GFC Karting) remaining in the number one spot – coming off three wins in four races at Challenge of the Americas. An exchange for position between Rolison Performance Group teammates puts four-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Daniel Formal up to second and two-time defending SKUSA Pro Tour champion Marijn Kremers down to third. Formal gained valuable points at the SKUSA Winter Series, as well as runner-up in the inaugural SKUSA Pro Show event in Orlando while Kremers was a DNF in his only USA start in 2024.

Holding onto the fourth spot is inaugural USPKS Pro Shifter champion AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA). The North Carolina driver finished sixth at the SKUSA WinterNationals and did not record a result over the last month. He will lose his USPKS win from Speedsportz in next month’s standings, which could see him fall in the next release of the Driver Rankings. Improving two spots to fifth is former Challenge of the Americas champion Hunter Pickett (GFC Karting). While he lost points, it was not as dramatic as the others inside the top-10. He did add a podium finish at the Challenge finale in Sonoma to help his 2024 standings position.

Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts) and Jacob Gulick (GFC Karting) each fell one position for the April standings. Musgrave lost the 2023 SKUSA WinterNationals win in Orlando from his point total, not recording a race this month. Gulick lost points as well, however, added a podium result at Challenge of the Americas in the opening race of the Sonoma weekend before recording a DNF in the second main event.

Improving up to eighth without adding a race is 2022 FIA Karting World Champion Matheus Morgatto (PSL Karting). The 2024 season is his first competing in shifterkart on USA soil, opening with two wins at the SKUSA Winter Series, three at the FWT and the inaugural SKUSA Pro Show event. Improving two spots with him to ninth is Tahlon Yockel. The 2023 Stars Championship Series champion is announced to be moving from Magik Kart USA to Sodi Racing USA – with his debut set for USPKS until the removal of the class from the program. He will make the Sodi debut this weekend at Stars opener in Charlotte. Their promotion dropped Giorgio Carrera (Inter MS / Kart Republic) down to 10th. Carrera was P5 at the WinterNationals in his last race thus far this season.

In total, eight chassis brands and seven different teams are represented inside the top-10. Dropping out of the order is Keawn Tandon (GFC Karting), falling from eighth. Tandon could have improved his point total with two podium finishes at the Challenge finale, however, a underweight penalty for the Sunday main event took points away for the California driver. The ‘On the Move’ for the month of April is Jonathan Vitolo (GFC Karting). Up 35 spots, Vitolo competed in four of the six rounds at Challenge of the Americas helping to boost his race total to seven. Watch for Vitolo as a top Master Shifter competitor last this year in November.

Upcoming Events

Shifterkart #1 – Kyle Wick
Auburn, Washington

(Photo: ChallengeKarting.com)

If you look at the average finish of the top-seven results for the top-three drivers, there is no doubt Wick holds the top spot in the EKN Driver Rankings based on that. The big win at the ROK Vegas event helped to propel him into the #1 spot at the end of 2023 and he remains there with a solid start to 2024. Three wins in four starts at Challenge of the Americas will help his total for the season, despite a DNF at the inaugural SKUSA Pro Show event. His late success will stay on his point totals for as we head to the end of the first half of 2024, and with the SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals not running until June.

Point Breakdown

**************************************

Shifterkart #2 – Daniel Formal
Boca Raton, Florida

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The improvement to the second spot for the month of April could be the first step in taking back over the #1 position in the Shifterkart Driver Rankings for Formal. A strong SKUSA Winter Series and runner-up at the SKUSA WinterNationals puts him as among the top finishers in the first third of the season. Dependent on his attendance at the SKUSA Pro Tour and the results there, and trying to become the first driver to win five times at the SKUSA SuperNationals will have the final impact on his position in the standings for 2024.

Point Breakdown

**************************************

Shifterkart #3 – Marijn Kremers
Gemert, Netherlands

 (Photo: EKN)

The second Superkarts! USA Pro Tour championship for the Dutch driver came thank to consistency. A winless season in 2023 still resulted in Kremers taking home the title for a second time. His return to the USA at the SKUSA WinterNationals was made with great anticipation with his joining of the Rolison Performance Group team. June and July appear to be open on his European schedule, which could see him returning to USA to complete the SKUSA Pro Tour. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, and EKN will dive in as we draw closer to the SKUSA SpringNationals in Ohio.

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 other special races.

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 2023, 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 Vegas, Rotax Grand Nationals, 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.

EKN Shifterkart Driver Rankings presented by Skip Barber Racing School – as of April 22, 2024

Share on Facebook

Tweet