Three-time defending X30 Pro champ Ryan Norberg won his second feature of the season (Photo: EKN)

The 2024 United States Pro Kart Series completed its penultimate event of the season as the Ohio Grand Prix wrapped up on Sunday. The Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati played host to Round Four of the series championship, with a busy day on Saturday with three rounds of heat races to line up the seven classes for the main events. Four of the categories welcomed new winners on the year, while the others saw a familiar face at the top of the podium, including the X30 Pro division with Rolison Performance Group driver Ryan Norberg picking up his second victory of the season.

Winning two of the three heat races on Saturday, Norberg started from the pole position for the X30 Pro presented by Rolison Performance Group main event. He was able to clear the field through the opening corners as Alessandro de Tullio (Inter MS / Kart Republic) struggled with the outside line. He fell back down the 13th at one point as Norberg was trailed by top qualifier Brandon Carr (Trinity / Kart Republic) and Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) who started fifth and third. Lap six, as the top three pulled away with the rest of the field battling for fourth, Carr pulled off to the side with an expired engine, ending his day early. Norberg held a one-second gap over Massimino and continued to extend it through the 25 laps, finishing with an eight-second margin of victory for his second triumph of the season. It was a season best finish for Massimino, helping to put him back into the championship fight. Behind them, Harley Keeble (Inter MS / Kart Republic) went on the defensive line on lap three, bunching up the rest of the field, including championship leader Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55). The racing returned to normal with Keeble and Garrison exchanging the third spot multiple times. Contact between the two in the downhill turn 11 allowed for a charging de Tullio to slip past both with Keeble getting the worst of it, dropping to seventh. De Tullio was able to hold onto the third spot to the checkered flag, helping his title chase as well. In the wild last lap action, Aiden Levy (CDR / Kart Republic) was the beneficiary, coming up from 20th to cross the line in fourth bringing class rookie Carter McMurray (TimmyTech / CompKart) with him. McMurray however suffered a five-position penalty for contact, dropping him to eighth and promoting German driver Luis Speck (Racelab / TB Kart) into the fifth spot. After all the penalties, including a three-position to Garrison, he finished in 12th with Keeble back to 16th after crossing the line in ninth and 10th.

Career first USPKS victory for James Overbeck in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN)

Four drivers fought for the top step of the podium in the Brandon Jarsocrak Racing KA100 Senior class, which welcomed a fourth different winner on the season. All four were seeking their first win of the season as pole sitter James Overbeck (BJR / LN Racing Kart) was joined by Cameron Weinberg (CDR / Kart Republic), Fernando Luque (Supertune / Tony Kart) and AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA), up from starting seventh. Overbeck led the first 10 laps before they began shuffling for the top spot. All led at one time, and as they fought, a second group began to creep into the mix. On lap 22, Overbeck was able to retake the lead for the first time since lap 10 and get out to a few kart lengths lead. Myers was shuffled back to third and moved into second but was unable to run down Overbeck. At the line, Overbeck celebrated his first career USPKS victory by three tenths over Myers. Luque was third with Wisconsin Grand Prix winner Mick Gabriel (AEM / Kosmic) crossing the line fourth ahead of Weinberg. Gabriel suffered a pushback bumper penalty of three seconds, promoting Weinberg to fourth and championship leader Cooper Shipman (IRM / Tony Kart) to fifth.

Dominating performance by Turner Brown in X30 Junior (Photo: EKN)

Turner Brown (RPG / Kosmic) made it look easy in the X30 Junior presented by Speed Concepts Racing. After setting fast time in qualifying and winning two of the three heats, Brown went unchallenged in the 25-lap main event for his first victory of the season. The California driver jumped out to a sizable lead and was able to extend it with each lap, taking the victory by more than four seconds. Carolina Grand Prix winner Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic) drove to second while two-time race winner and championship leader Diego Ardiles (SCR / CS55) held third throughout the entire race. Tristan Murphy (Supertune / Tony Kart) was the quickest driver on the track, working up to fourth from sixth before spinning on lap 20, ending his race early. Jackson Wolny (SCR / Kart Republic) assumed the fourth spot with Sarah Bradley (SCR / Sodi Kart) adding another top-five finish on the season.

Sebastian Garzon grabbed his first USPKS victory in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN)

Sebastian Garzon (Orsolon / Tony Kart), championship leader in the KA100 Junior presented by BBS Race Engines, was able to help his run to the title with his first victory of the season on Sunday. Garzon started on the outside of the front row with Turner Brown (RPG / Kosmic) on the pole position. On lap six, Garzon had spun around and fell down to 11th with two-time race winner Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic) taking over the lead just as a red flag came out. Once the race was restarted, Vidmontiene used the lead to his advantage and ran a defensive line lap after lap. This kept the rest of the field bunched up behind him, all jockeying for position in an attempt to take the lead from Vidmontiene. It was not until lap 19 that Garzon was able to slip past Vidmontiene for the top spot, only to lose it back to him on lap 22. Garzon fought back the following circuit, and was able to drive past, bringing others with him as Vidmontiene was shuffled out. That was the winning move as Garzon celebrated his first victory of the season. He held off Brown by 31 thousandths at the line with Ty Fisher (Racelab / TB Kart) right there in third. Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) and Davin Roberts (RPM / Tony Kart) completed the top five. Vidmontiene ended up classified 17th with a 10-position penalty for swerving.

Clay Settles became the fourth different winner in KA100 Masters (Photo: EKN)

The KA100 Masters presented by Nash Motorsportz welcomed a fourth different winner on the season. The lead group of four included pole sitter and championship leader Niki Coello (FMS / Merlin), Robby Bujdoso (Magik Kart USA), local driver Andy Kutscher (Redspeed) and Clay Settles (Top Kart). Coello jumped out to a good lead early but was eventually run down by the other three. Once there, the shuffling began with Bujdoso going to the lead. On lap 16, Kutscher made a slight error, enough to spin him around on the exit of the fast turn one. He continued and thankfully did not collect anyone else. This allowed former series champion Laurentiu Mardan (Tecno Kart USA) to join the tail end of the lead group. Back and forth by Coello and Bujdoso, Settles began to make his move with four laps remaining. Getting into second and then taking the lead on lap 23. Settles fended off the pressure from Bujdoso, reaching the line first to take the victory. It was provisional as a three-position was issued at the scale line to Settles, but was overturned, returning him to the top step of the podium. Bujdoso crossed the line second, but crossed the scales underweight, promoting Coello to second and Mardan to third. Martin Stone (RPG / Kosmic) trailed the lead group all race, ending up fourth with Kutscher recovering from the spin to end up fifth and earning fast lap of the race.

First Mini Swift victory for Rocco Simone (Photo: EKN)

The race in the Mini Swift presented by Sodi Racing USA went down to the wire. The lead pack included four drivers – pole sitter Rocco Simone (Trinity / Kart Republic), Maxwell Macha (SLA / Kart Republic), Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Racing Kart) and JohnJohn McLellan (Nash / Energy). All led at one point until Sammut took control of the group. As they fought, the second group, led by championship leader Ashton Woon (Supertune / Parolin) began closing in to the tail end. On lap 20, Simone returned to the lead and this brought the entire second group into the mix. Woon took advantage and was up into the second spot as the final lap began. Coming out of the downhill turn 11, Sammut made contact with the rear tire of Woon’s kart, sending up and around, collecting others in the process with no where to go. This allowed Simone to go unchallenged to claim his first USPKS victory in the category, becoming the third different winner on the season. Woon was able to continue, crossing the line second. The incident allowed William Vetor (Trinity / Alonso Kart) to cross the line in third after starting the last lap in 10th. Carolin GP winner Parker Ives (RPM / Nitro Kart) was up to fourth from 11th with Mirka Barroukh (Sodi Racing USA) avoiding the carnage to cross the line in fifth. Woon however did not make it through tech, recording a DQ for the race and turning the championship chase upside down. This promoted Vetor – who started 20th – to second and hard charger of the race. Ives was handed a three-position penalty for contact, dropping him out of the top-five, moving Barroukh to third, Nicolas Orbezo (RPG / Kosmic) to fourth and Benja Fernandez (SLA / Kart Republic) to fifth, up from 21st.

Three straight wins in Micro Swift for Zayne Burgess (Photo: EKN)

Zayne Burgess (Sodi Racing USA) celebrated a third straight victory in Micro Swift, presented by Team Ferris Racing. Burgess was able to breakaway from the field with Marcelo Flores (SLA / Kart Republic). Flores took the lead on lap 10 for one circuit, and then again on lap 20 with two laps remaining. Burgess grabbed the top spot as they received the white flag, and was able to fend off the challenge by Flores to claim the victory. The fight for third went down to the wire with Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) coming up from 10th ahead of Texas GP winner Miguel Suarez (RPG / Kosmic). Suarez was penalized multiple positions for contact, promoting Mauro Nario (Orsolon / Parolin) to fourth with Lucca Becerril (Orsolon / Tony Kart) up to fifth.

The Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati announced on Sunday their plans to renovate the runoff area of the circuit at turn one. Plans have already been drawn up to provide a safer runoff space on the exit of the fast turn near the grid, with construction to begin on November 1.

The United States Pro Kart Series confirmed on Saturday as well that the 2025 season will open up at the Daytona International Speedway kart track in March. First up, the completion of the 2024 championship program with Round Five hosted by the New Castle Motorsports Park and the Indiana Grand Prix on September 27-29 weekend.

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