(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca)

It is that time. We have reached the halfway point of the 2025 season after celebrating the 4th of July holiday this past weekend. The karting season is entering the months where championships will be decided on the year at all levels of the sport.

The midway point of the year provides us with the opportunity to look at those drivers on the year that have performed above and beyond the rest and allows for myself to decide just who I feel would be on a roster for a ‘Karting All-Star team’ thus far in 2025.

My approach to this concept is to select three drivers for each age group – Senior, Junior, Masters, and Cadet – along with two ‘bench’ drivers or ‘alternates’. A separate Shifter group has been selected as well with the Senior group focused around the single-speed divisions – including both 125cc and 100cc competitors. Each category considers all the events that have been run thus far in 2025, including the winter programs, the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour and United States Pro Kart Series races, and other events that have been contested at the national and regional level. The drivers are listed in alphabetical order.

The events including shifterkart action is a bit limited in the 2025 season with the SKUSA Winter Series, Challenge of the Americas, SKUSA Pro Tour and the Stars Championship Series. With that, the focus is on those who have won this year. There are multiple drivers that could have been selected as alternates in Senior and Junior categories. Cadet features a lot of international talent while the Masters divisions are limited with the amount of events for those categories as well.

Shifter

Gavin Bayliff
TKG Birelart USA

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

A big victory at the SKUSA WinterNationals has put Bayliff on the map for the 2025 season. His drive to a career first SKUSA Pro Tour victory began this winter where he grabbed three straight podium results at the SKUSA Winter Series to finish the championship in third. The driver from Ohio was in contention at his home track for the SpringNationals until a mechanical put him on the sidelines. Gavin currently sits sixth in the SKUSA Pro Tour championship, back by 149 points heading into the SummerNationals while also holding fourth in the Stars Championship Series after two fourth-place results.

Josh Conquer
Maranello USA

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Both main events at the SKUSA Pro Tour have had dramatic finishes, including the one secured by Josh Conquer. A limited schedule in 2025 has the Canadian competing in only the two SKUSA Pro Tour events thus far. In Texas for the WinterNationals, Conquer was top-10 all weekend in the first start of 2025, ending up ninth in the Final. The Maranello USA driver improved to top-five throughout the heats and Prefinal in Ohio at the SpringNationals. His surprise move for the lead and the victory at MCC ranks among the best moves of 2025. Conquer is third in the SKUSA Pro Tour championship standings, just under 60 points out of first.

Matheus Morgatto
PSL Karting

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The only driver in the season with a win at multiple programs is Morgatto. The Brazilian won at the SKUSA Winter Series finale to clinch a second straight series title. Victory has eluded the 2024 SKUSA Pro Tour champion in his title defense, placing third and fifth in the first two rounds, however he sits fifth in the championship chase heading into the finale. Victory in Charlotte for the Stars Championship Series is the other win this season, and a runner-up at New Castle has him leading that championship chase with two rounds remaining. Morgatto remains the #1 driver in the EKN Driver Rankings.

ALT:

Michael Avansino (Ron White Racing / CRG)
Jay Urwin (PSL Karting / Birelart)

Senior

Austin Garrison
Speed Concepts Racing

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The 2024 United States Pro Kart Series champion continues to be one of the best drivers in the USA each time on the grid. Three podium results at the SKUSA Winter Series began the season strong. The duel in Texas resulted in a runner-up and his first career SKUSA Pro Tour victory in the X30 Pro category. A penalty in Ohio at the SpringNationals left him with only one runner-up result, hurting his championship chase as he now trails in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings by 66 points with two rounds remaining at New Castle. Garrison sits #2 in the EKN TaG Driver Rankings.

Pauly Massimino
Brandon Jarsocrak Racing

(Photo: Studio52.us)

2025 will be a year to remember for Pauly Massimino. After a tough start in at the SKUSA Winter Series, he opened the United States Pro Kart Series season with a runner-up finish in X30 Pro. Pauly did not get the result he wanted at Trackhouse but the trip up to Road America made history. Massimino beat out one of the stronger fields of 2025, recording his first X30 Pro victory since he began running the category in 2018. It’s been a double duty year as well for Massimino, currently the USPKS KA100 Senior championship leader with one win, earning a victory in two starts at the SKUSA Pro Tour as well. Massimino is sure to move up in the EKN TaG Driver Rankings with his USPKS win, sitting #6 at the beginning of June.

Ryan Norberg
Rolison Performance Group

(Photo: Studio52.us)

The consistent element over the last decade is to see Ryan Norberg at the front in X30 Pro competition. 2016 was his first SKUSA Pro Tour championship season, and the Florida driver is on the verge of earning a seventh title during that span. Norberg was runner-up at the SKUSA Winter Series at his home track to British driver Joe Turney. He is 2 for 4 at the SKUSA Pro Tour thus far, leading the championship by 66 points with two rounds remaining at New Castle. On the United States Pro Kart Series side of things, Norberg went perfect at Daytona, only lost one heat race at Trackhouse, but came up short in the main event at Road America after sweeping the action to that point. His third place finish at the Wisconsin GP helped him to clinch the championship one round early, claiming a fourth title in the last five years. And he remains #1 on the EKN TaG Driver Rankings.

ALT:

Keagan Kaminski (Formula Works / GFC)
James Overbeck (Brandon Jarsocrak Racing / Tony Kart)

Junior

Travis Pettit
TB Kart USA / Speed Concepts Racing

(Photo: Studio52.us)

It has been a rise to the front of the Junior fields in 2025 for the New Jersey driver. Pettit began the year aboard the TB Kart, coming away from the SKUSA Winter Series with a best result of second in KA100 Junior in a double duty effort. In May, he made the move to the CS55 with Speed Concepts Racing. At the end of the month, he came away with a win in both X30 Junior and KA100 Junior at the SpringNationals in Ohio – earning him the EKN Driver of the Month honor. He followed that up with his first United States Pro Kart Series victory of the season at Road America, moving up to the championship lead in KA100 Junior. Travis is top-five in both title chases for the SKUSA Pro Tour as well.

Theo Salomao
Orsolon Racing

(Photo: Studio52.us)

The 13-year-old from Brazil put himself on the USA map for karting this winter. Three podiums including a victory helped him to second in the KA100 Junior championship at the SKUSA Winter Series while two podiums in three rounds at the Florida Winter Tour landed him fourth in the ROK VLR Junior title chase. His breakout performance was at the United States Pro Kart Series opener in Daytona, where Theo ran double-duty. After sweeping the action in KA100 Junior for his first series victory, he triumphed to double up in the win column on the day in his X30 Junior debut. That performance earned him the EKN Driver of the Month for March. Two tough weekends at Trackhouse and Road America have kept him off the podium since, sitting fourth in KA100 Junior standings and third in X30 Junior.

Alexander Vanchev
Rolison Performance Group

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The leader in the clubhouse for victories in Junior competition in 2025 is Vanchev. The Florida driver picked up four at the SKUSA Winter Series to double up in the championship, and another four at the Florida Winter Tour en route to a ROK VLR Junior title while fourth in ROK GP Junior standings. Those results contributed to him earning EKN Driver of the Month for February. Alexander leads both SKUSA Pro Tour championships with three wins in X30 Junior and two in KA100 Junior heading into the SummerNationals. He has gone winless in his two weekends at the United States Pro Kart Series but was leading the X30 Junior championship chase prior to the Road America weekend that he did not attend.

ALT:

Tristan Murphy (Ryan Perry Motorsport / Tony Kart)
Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA)

Cadet

Enzo DiGennaro
Parolin Motorsport USA

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The winter months were the highlight of the 2025 season thus far for the 11-year-old from New York state. DiGennaro claimed the SKUSA Winter Series with a win in the finale weekend while clinching the Rotax Winter Trophy title and ticket to the 2025 Rotax Grand Finals with two wins in four rounds in Orlando. His last win came at the SKUSA Pro Tour WinterNationals in Texas, as he recorded three podiums in the first four rounds to sit second in the championship chase heading into New Castle. Only one podium in the three rounds for the United States Pro Kart Series has him sitting third in the standings with one event remaining.

Jayden Francisco
Ryan Perry Motorsport

Jayden Francisco (Photo: Studio52.us)

The Canadian is spending much of his 2025 season competing in the USA, moving up to the Mini ranks for much of the year thus far. Francisco began the season with the Florida Winter Tour championship in Mini ROK, gaining one victory in three rounds. Also in February, he traveled to Phoenix for the RMC USA West event, claiming one win and the ticket to the 2025 Rotax Grand Finals in Micro MAX. Four straight podium finishes, including a win in Texas has Jayden leading the SKUSA Pro Tour championship with two rounds remaining. He also leads the United States Pro Kart Series championship with three straight top-two results, including a win at the series opener in Daytona.

Wynn Godschalk
Team Benik

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

No driver has traveled around the globe than the Curaçao native who resides in Florida. Godschalk ran a limited schedule here in the USA early, focusing on competition in Europe. He has podium results in WSK competition, including clinching the WSK Euro Series Mini U10 championship. He has a win at the Champions of the Future Academy program as well, in the title chase for the U10 category. Here in the USA, Godschalk has only been able to complete all the rounds in the SKUSA Pro Tour program, sweeping the top step of the podium at the SpringNationals to put him third in the championship with the SummerNationals remaining.

ALT:

Josh Bergman (Kidix Driver Performance / Kart Republic)
Maxwell Macha (Sodi Racing USA / Parolin Motorsport USA)

Masters

Scott Hargrove
Catalyst Driver Development

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

You name it, Hargrove has drove it. A top karter from the Vancouver, British Columbia region, Hargrove made his way up the karting ranks before getting a Skip Barber Racing School scholarship. That led to moving up into the Road to Indy program through the USF2000, earning that series title in 2013 to earn scholarship to compete in Pro Mazda Championship. Finishing second in the standings, he was invited to Porsche Young Driver Academy. He competed in GT3, Indy Lights, GT World Challenge, and WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Now back in the karting ranks, Hargrove claimed his first SKUSA Pro Tour Master Shifter victory at the WinterNationals in Texas. He was on track for a fourth straight podium results before a mechanical DNF placed him on the sidelines in Round Four. Hargrove leads the championship heading into the SummerNationals.

Scott Presti
Presti Racing / Croc Promotion

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

It is a similar path for the Connecticut native now residing in Naples, Florida. Presti began in karting before making his way into car racing. Returning to his roots, Scott established Presti Racing and in 2025, became a Croc Promotion dealer for the brand. Presti is the only two-time winner over the four rounds of the 2025 SKUSA Pro Tour in Master Shifter. The first was a promotion after the provisional winner was removed from the results. Unfortunately, he had a possible second win taken away for a technical infraction on Saturday at the SpringNationals. He redeemed himself on Sunday with the outright victory. Before drops, he’s third in the standings trailing by 84 points but has two wins and a runner-up.

Joe Ruch
SHIFTRZ / Maranello

(Photo: EKN)

Remaining one of the top Master Shifter drivers in the country, the Greenfield, Indiana native picked up four wins on his travels to the west coast. Joining SHIFTRZ team, Ruch took on Challenge of the Americas to begin the 2025 season. Ruch went perfect over the first two events and four rounds of racing in Tucson and at K1 circuit. He was able to lock up the championship with a runner-up result in Sonoma, claiming his first series title. The former Stars Championship Series champion has not yet returned behind the wheel since April, with his anticipated return coming at New Castle for the SummerNationals.

ALT:

Scott Barnes (Maranello USA)
Martin Stone (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic)

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