Adrien Renaudin finishes 2025 as the EKN 'Driver of the Year' in Shifterkart (Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca)

The final standings for the 2025 eKartingNews.com Shifterkart Driver Rankings presented by Stilo USA have been tabulated. A total of 141 drivers took part in the 34 qualifying events across the United States over the last 12 months of the 2025 season. This year proved to be one of the most competitive seasons in shifterkart racing across the country with several drivers taking home victories, championships going down to the wire, and the EKN standings changing with each month. The season concludes with the Shifterkart Driver of the Year honor earned by Velocity Racing / Sodi Kart driver Adrien Renaudin.

The 2018 FIA Karting KZ2 European Champion from France made his USA debut in 2025, joining Velocity Racing for the SKUSA Pro Tour WinterNationals at the Speedsportz Racing Park in March. An unfortunate mechanical DNF at the start of the Final was his lone retirement over eight races here in the USA. A string of top-five finishes and a top-10 at his SKUSA SuperNationals debut in Las Vegas propelled him to the top of the standings and the Driver of the Year honor.

Dropping down to the second spot to close out 2025 was the September #1 AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA). It was another ‘what could have been’ season for Myers where he again showed to be among the quickest each and every weekend, disappointingly earning just one win in the season. The season ended again at the SKUSA SuperNationals with another stellar drive to the podium from mid-pack on the grid after an issue in a heat race.

Up to third to close out 2025 is Gavin Bayliff (TKG Birelart USA). The Ohio driver completed his best season in the shifterkart ranks, earning a first career SKUSA Pro Tour victory at the WinterNationals. His overall consistency and top-15 result at the SuperNationals helped to put him on the EKN Driver Rankings podium for 2025.

Matheus Morgatto ended 2024 as the EKN Driver of the Year and, a season later, wound up fourth in the EKN Driver Rankings for 2025. Morgatto was able to defend his SKUSA Winter Series title with a victory at the series finale, however, he did not complete the double with a second SKUSA Pro Tour championship. Morgatto finished fifth in the SKUSA standings, however he did come away with the Stars Championship Series title. Following his start at the FIA Karting KZ World Championship event, the Brazilian left PSL Karting / Birelart and moved to Velocity Racing / Sodi Kart. In his debut with the team and new chassis, the 2022 FIA Karting World Champion saw his SuperNationals 28 come to an end before the checkered flag once again, this time due to opening lap contact. A top-five result in Las Vegas would have guaranteed a second straight EKN Driver of the Year honor for Morgatto.

Also making his top-five debut to close out the 2025 season is Justin White (Maranello USA). Up two spots to fifth from the September standings, White celebrated his best season in the shifterkart ranks. 2025 began with three podium finishes at the SKUSA Winter Series, including his first career victory. White was just outside the top-10 in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings despite two top-10 results. The impressive 11th place result at SuperNationals 28 boosted him up in the EKN Driver Rankings.

Down three spots to sixth is the 2025 SKUSA Pro Tour Champion Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts). Musgrave held the top spot in the EKN Driver Rankings in July, however, slipped down the order after losing top results from 2024 from the calculations. The California native did have wins on the year, including ProKart Challenge and Texas Sprint Racing Series victories, however, he did not win on the SKUSA Pro Tour where the points earned are substantial. While the now six-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner claimed a second straight in the Master Shifter division in Las Vegas, he replaced his seventh-place finish at the SuperNationals from last year with a P17 result this year, which also played a factor in the drop in his rankings position.

The top-10 to close out 2025 is full of remarkable performances. Canadian Massimo Valiante (Italian Motors / Italkart) jumped up into the top-10 to close out the year with an impressive podium result at SuperNationals 28. The year began with two podium finishes at Challenge of the Americas opener in Tucson, and then Valiante continued cutting his teeth at the Northwest Karting Association program with seven podium results in eight rounds. Putting together a competitive week at ROK Vegas with a runner-up result, Massimo followed it up with a breakthrough fifth-place podium finish at the SuperNationals. This comes after not transferring into the main event on SuperSunday the past two starts.

This is no change in position to close out the year for Jacob Gulick and Charlie Stines. Gulick (GFC Karting) improved his score following victories at the ProKart Challenge finale and ROK Vegas, however remained in the same eighth position in the EKN Driver Rankings. Stines (Factory Fury / GP Kart) kept his score the same after finishing outside the top-20 at SuperNationals 28. Stines shocked the paddock at the SKUSA WinterNationals with the top qualifier honor and went on to finish the SKUSA Pro Tour standings in ninth position – the same position he sits in the EKN Driver Rankings.

Completing the top-10 is Michael Avansino (Ron White Racing / CRG). The NorCal driver notched a title at Challenge of the Americas, however, he was not able to capture the same magic he had at the SKUSA Pro Tour in 2024 to help him finish sixth in the EKN Driver Rankings. Avansino saw his season cut short early following a wreck at the FIA Karting KZ2 World Championship, snapping his collar bone to put him on the sidelines for the rest of the year.

Falling out of the top-10 to end 2025 is Kyle Wick (GFC Karting). Sitting fourth in September, the DQ after placing top-five at SuperNationals 28 left him without a result and dropped him down to 24th in the standings with only six races counted toward the EKN Driver Rankings.

The top-10 in the EKN Shifterkart Driver Rankings features 10 different teams, nine different chassis brands, and four different countries (Brazil, Canada, France, USA)

Shifterkart #1 – Adrien Renaudin
Paris, France

(Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)

In his first season competing in the USA, Adrien Renaudin earns the EKN ‘Driver of the Year’ honor through the EKN Driver Rankings. Things did not start well for the French driver, recording a DNF at the SKUSA WinterNationals. Long term, that DNF cost him a championship podium position with zero points from the Final in Texas. Despite two wins at the Stars Championship Series, a DNF in the opening heat race at Stars Earthquake event cost him the series title. Renaudin’s string of seven races to close out the 2025 season helped propel him to the top of the standings in what was one of the most competitive seasons in USA karting.

Point Breakdown

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Shifterkart #2 – AJ Myers
Mount Ulla, North Carolina

(Photo: EKN)

A three-time EKN Driver Rankings #1 driver, Myers misses out on a fourth ‘Driver of the Year’ honor by a mere 36 points. He improved his score by seven points from September but lost the top spot. The Magik Kart USA driver was short for a fourth SKUSA Pro Tour title by 50 points, finishing second in the championship standings. The gap was only 25 points in missing out on the title at the Stars Championship Series as well. Myers did travel to the FIA Karting KZ World Championships, placing inside the top-20 as the top driver from the USA. The SuperNationals once again was a recovery effort as Myers, driving from 21st on the SuperSunday grid to fourth on the podium. AJ recorded his sixth podium since 2014 and is still seeking that elusive first SuperNationals win.

Point Breakdown

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Shifterkart #3 – Gavin Bayliff
Batavia, Ohio

(Photo: EKN)

2025 was a career best for Gavin Bayliff. The TKG Birelart USA driver recorded three podium finishes in his first four starts on the Birelart brand at the SKUSA Winter Series. Bayliff went on to gain his first career victory at the SKUSA WinterNationals in one of the most talked-about final laps of the season. He remained a top contender throughout the season, however, a DNF at the SKUSA SpringNationals cost him a strong finish in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings. Gavin bookended the year with a career best finish at the SuperNationals, which helped him move up to the third spot in the EKN Driver Rankings.

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 Shifterkart Driver Rankings presented by Stilo USA – as of December 17, 2025

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