(Photo: EKN)

As we gear up for the 2025 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SummerNationals, which is set to take place on July 25-27 at the New Castle Motorsports Park, EKN wanted to look back at the inaugural edition of the race at the New Castle, Indiana facility. The 2015 SKUSA SummerNationals was the first Superkarts! USA Pro Tour event at New Castle, only the second SKUSA race there since its opening in 2004. The series, presented that year by Fikse Wheels, welcomed 237 entries over the eight categories competing around the 1-mile course.

Complete coverage can be found on the EKN Event Page

Saturday Report: HERE

Sunday Report: HERE

Patrik Hajek earned his one and only SKUSA Pro Tour victory at the 2015 SummerNationals (Photo: EKN)

Looking back at the weekend, notable names stand out. In the headline S1 Pro Stock Moto division were two names that will be on site at New Castle for the upcoming 2025 SKUSA SummerNationals. Czech driver Patrik Hajek was racing with Praga North America and gave Formula K chassis its first SKUSA victory with the win in the Saturday final. The first three rounds of the SKUSA Pro Tour were won by international drivers, including eventual season champion Rick Dreezen (PSL / Ricciardo Kart), who swept the SpringNationals. Hajek would go on to win the 2018 FIA Karting KZ World Championship with Kosmic. Today, Hajek is working with Rolison Performance Group as a driver coach and mechanic. He returned to the driver’s seat last year, placing fourth in the Master Shifter division at the SKUSA SuperNationals 27.

2015 Sunday winner Billy Musgrave is gunning for his third career win at the SKUSA SummerNationals in 2025. Musgrave finished fourth on Saturday and claimed his first triumph at the event on Sunday, competing on a Praga chassis. It wasn’t until 2024 that Musgrave stood on top of the podium again at the SummerNats, earning his big victory last July. Musgrave, now wheeling his own Factory Karts brand, heads into this year’s event 19 points out of the championship lead, vying for his first career title on the SKUSA Pro Tour.

Billy Musgrave earned his first ever SKUSA Pro Tour victory at the 2015 SKUSA SummerNationals (Photo: EKN)

The driver to double up in the TaG Master category in 2015 was Chris Giumarra. The New Jersey native was able to sweep the action on Saturday for his first SKUSA Pro Tour victory and then came from a DQ in a heat race to score a second victory on the weekend. Runner-up both days was two-time SpringNationals winner Nick Tucker, who would eventually be the 2015 champion. Tucker is now the owner of Nitro Kart and Nitro Motorsports and has built an incredibly successful driver development program.

Giumarra is also working in driver development, as the owner of ‘Chris G Coaching’. The lifestyle/driver coach can be seen at the karting paddock throughout the season, working with drivers to prepare them mentally and physically for competition.

Chris Giumarra swept the TaG Master main events at the 2015 SKUSA SummerNationals (Photo: EKN)

Chris remembers that weekend like it was yesterday, “The track was changing every session like crazy. We stayed up on pretty well. It was like 100 degrees and 90% humidity. I was on point with my fitness and I remember overly hydrating throughout the day to stay fresh. Ate two pickles before the main events each day, and it worked! Plus, I won an RC truck too!  The PCR was on rails. I loved driving for Csaba Budjoso and Checkered Motorsports that year.”

One of the most unique situations in the history of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour came at 2015 SummerNationals in the TaG Junior category. The field was loaded with notable names in the sport of karting and stars of motorsports today – including current Speed Concepts Racing driver Brandon Lemke and INDYCAR driver David Malukas. Lemke, driving for Franklin Motorsports on the Merlin chassis, was runner-up on Saturday behind Zach Holden (Top Kart USA). Malukas, the defending SKUSA Pro Tour champion competing with J3 Competition on the CompKart, was fourth on Saturday. The trio battled to the checkered flag for the Sunday victory. Holden went off track at I-70 corner, allowing for a drag race between Malukas and Lemke. At the line, it appeared Lemke had held on, but Malukas was scored first by the scoring system, reaching the line first by a mere one thousandth of a second. Malukas received the trophy at the podium ceremony with Lemke taking home the second place hardware.

“I remember how close the championship was, but I didn’t really care I just wanted to win the races,” Lemke told EKN looking back to the 2015 weekend. “It was also a big relief knowing I had Giovanni Bromante as a teammate and he was able to help me out a lot so that made the weekend easier for sure. Zach Holden was of course going to be fast. USPKS was going so well that year and I really didn’t think anything of it for SKUSA. I remember how much rubber there was on the track. I haven’t been to another event since then that had that much rubber. Chunks coming up in every single corner and your shoe would actually come off if it wasn’t tight enough when walking the track. There were a ton of cameras around on and off the track, and we were coming off the Kart Life show that followed us throughout 2014. After the race, I was confused because I knew I was ahead on track. I looked over and saw his nose at my sidepod, but he had good top end so if the straight was 10 feet longer he would’ve had it. I came in and they said I was second. I just took the decision.”

TaG Junior podium on Saturday featuring Brandon Lemke, Zach Holden, and David Malukas (Photo: EKN)

Fast forward a week, and EKN’s own Rob Howden was recording his audio commentary to go over the CBS Sports Network broadcast for the SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals. Footage from the Greenlight TV crew showed in full view that Lemke’s kart reached the line first ahead of Malukas. Superkarts! USA issued a statement a month after the race, awarding Lemke with the victory and moving Malukas to the second spot. The championship was decided at the SKUSA SuperNationals XIX by JUST ONE POINT between the two drivers as Lemke secured his only career SKUSA Pro Tour title.

“I remember watching the show segments for the first time to build my notes for the commentary and was just floored when the TaG Junior race coverage showed a camera shot from the sidelines right at start-finish as David and Branden crossed the line,” Howden recalls. “I immediately called Tom (Kutscher) and let him know that Lemke was indeed the winner. He made the right call to change the result.”

More history will be made on July 25-27 with the 11th straight SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals held at the New Castle Motorsports Park. Follow EKN for complete coverage from New Castle Motorsports.

Share on Facebook

Tweet