Ryan Norberg continues leading the EKN TaG Driver Rankings to begin the 2025 season (Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca)

The 2025 season is underway with the first quarter of the season already completed. The first events of the EKN TaG Driver Rankings presented by Stilo USA calculated, including 19 main events through last weekend. An amazing 95 drivers that did not record a race in 2024 were part of those races thus far in 2025, expanding the 12-month total of drivers to 270 in TaG and OK-N competition. All but one moved positions from the December rankings to today, except for the top spot continuing to be held by multi-time EKN Driver of the Year Ryan Norberg.

Norberg (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic) is the lone driver to not change his position, remaining in the #1 position beginning the 2025 season with an improvement of 13 points. Jumping up to second and cutting Norberg’s lead to just 85 points is recent SKUSA Pro Tour WinterNationals winner Austin Garrison (Speed Concepts Racing / CS55). Making his debut on the EKN Driver Rankings, British driver Caden McQueen put in 12 races in the short time, jumping up to the third spot in the standings.

Right behind him was Canadian Ayden Ingratta (Speed Concepts Racing / CS55). Focusing on his USF Pro Championships campaign in 2024, Ingratta competed in several races this winter, beginning with Rolison Performance Group before moving over to SCR for the recent WinterNationals. Two wins at the Rotax Winter Trophy along with a P3 at the WinterNats helped him gain 51 positions to advance to fourth. Up one spot to fifth is Brazilian Diego Ramos (PSL Karting / Birelart). His two wins at the Rotax Winter Trophy added to his point total to put him into the top five.

2024 Stars Championship Series OK-N champion Pauly Massimino (Brandon Jarsocrak Racing / LN Racing Kart) moved up two positions to sixth. His two best results thus far in 2025 was runner-up at the USPKS Daytona Super Grand Prix and fourth at the SKUSA WinterNationals. Matching the advancement of Ingratta, fellow Canadian Timothy Pernod (PSL Karting / Birelart) moved up 51 positions. Now into seventh, Pernod can thank his run at the Rotax Winter Trophy and RMC USA West, with a run of six finishes in the top seven, including two podium results. Former SKUSA SuperNationals winner Donovan Bonilla (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic) lost points, however, moved up two positions. He had two finishes in the top eight at the SKUSA WinterNationals.

All three Canadians in the top 10 had big moves to begin 2025. The largest of the trio is Jensen Burnett (Racing Edge Motorsports / Kosmic). The Senior rookie moved up toward the end of 2024, putting in eight races over the Rotax Winter Trophy and SKUSA Winter Series. His best result was third in the final round of the Rotax program in Orlando. Cooper O’Clair (CompKart) improves two positions to cap out the top 10. His victory at the RMC USA West was one of two finishes thus far in 2025.

The big movement is due to several drivers from the end of 2024 not returning or losing results from their score. Alessandro de Tullio (#2) is focused on his USF Pro 2000 campaign, winning three of the five races thus far in 2025. Harly Keeble (#4) has been absent from the seat, working as driver coach for several drivers. Brandon Carr (#5) moved to sprint cars on the dirt and other programs, while racing DD2 at the Rotax Winter Trophy. Former IAME USA Grand National Champion Jakub Kolar (Vice Karting / Kart Republic) lost results from 2024, dropping him from seventh to 13th. Dalton Hanes (#9) is also focusing on his car career and doing driver coaching for young karters.

Upcoming Events

TaG #1 – Ryan Norberg
Orlando, Florida

(Photo: Nate Dean – EKN)

The number one spot remains in the hands of Ryan Norberg. The six-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion began his title defense with a second in the Winter Series, winning the opening round of the WinterNats before placing second to his top rival Austin Garrison on Sunday. Three events from 2024 remain in his total, dating to the July SummerNationals, so he will have three months to improve before that race is removed and September until the IAME USA Grand National Championship runner-up is dropped. With the big fields at the SKUSA Pro Tour and of course winning at the USPKS, vying for a fourth series championship, things are in the positive direction again for Norberg.

Point Breakdown

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TaG #2 – Austin Garrison
Davie, Florida

(Photo: Nate Dean – EKN)

There is no question, Austin Garrison has put himself on the wall of top drivers in his generation. The 24-year-old has been winning races and championships for more than a decade, dating back to his Junior years out of the OGP stable. His partnership with Speed Concepts Racing has blossomed into a USPKS championship in 2024 and now a SKUSA Pro Tour WinterNationals victory in Texas this March. Next to Joe Turney, Garrison is the lead rival to Garrison each time they are on the track together. Only one event prior to the SKUSA SuperNationals 27 means he too has the chance to better his score in the coming months and possible surpass Norberg for the top spot in the EKN Driver Rankings.

Point Breakdown

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TaG #3 – Caden McQueen
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

(Photo: ROK Cup USA)

No one has made more of an impact to begin the 2025 season than Caden McQueen. Making his USA debut this winter, the British driver for Energy Corse Americas contested the SKUSA Winter Series, Rotax Winter Trophy, ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour, USPKS and the SKUSA WinterNationals to combine for 12 races in the first months of the year. He got his first USA win at the Florida Winter Tour, and is averaging a podium finish in his best seven results toward the EKN Driver Rankings. Should he pick up more victories later down the season, his score is sure to improve and draw closer to the top two.

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 2024, 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 awarded to special events of ROK Vegas, US Trophy Final, Rock Island Grand Prix, and IAME Grand National Championship. The core of the schedule featuring SKUSA Pro Tour, SKUSA Winter Series, United States Pro Kart Series, Florida Winter Tour, and Challenge of the Americas begin with a base ranking of 9. Other programs such as ProKart Challenge, Stars Championship Series, ROK Sonoma and others 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 TaG Driver Rankings presented by Stilo USA – as of April 14, 2025

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