eKartingNews.com is proud to present our Preview Series for the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 29. Leading up to the on-track action of the 2026 edition of the marquee SKUSA event, EKN will preview each of the 11 categories that will compete on the temporary circuit located outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas from November 11-15.

Trackside coverage is set to begin on Tuesday, November 10 as the EKN crew sets up our SuperNationals 29 home, roaming the LVMS grounds with Paddock Insider and social media content. Coverage continues into Wednesday as karts hit the track for the first time. EKN Live begins on Thursday, November 12 as qualifying is conducted for both the morning classes and the afternoon divisions. Listen LIVE to the heat races throughout Friday, November 13 and into Situation Saturday, November 14, including the four Last Chance Qualifiers held on the day. That sets everything up for SuperSunday, with the main events for SuperNationals 29 audio streamed live on eKartingNews.com/live and eKartingNews.com/radio.

Complete coverage of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals 29 can be found at the EKN EVENT PAGE.

PRO SHIFTER

Senna Van Walstijn claimed the Pro Shifter victory inside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)

Since day one, shifterkart racing has been the headline at the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals. A collection of 28 editions of the race have led up to the 29th running, which welcomes a total of 62 drivers battling to become a winner on SuperSunday, adding their name to the record books to go alongside Barron, Elliott, Gidley, Speed and many others. Six drivers have won twice or more in that period, including one driver racing this year along with three former class winners seeking to add their name to that list.

Defending race winner Senna Van Walstijn (Velocity / Sodi Kart) is back, looking to become only the third driver to go back-to-back on SuperSunday in the headline shifter division (Scott Speed in 2000-2001; Paolo de Conto in 2016-2017). The Dutch driver is coming off a disappointing FIA Karting KZ World Championships as the defending winner, getting spun around early while battling for a podium position. Runner-up to Senna last year in Vegas was 2022 SuperNationals winner Pedro Hiltbrand (PSL / Birelart). The former FIA Karting World Champion was the driver who made contact with Van Walstijn at Le Mans during the main event in September. Will this carry over into Vegas?

Daniel Formal returns to the SuperNationals two years after his fourth victory in Vegas (Photo: EKN)

Hiltbrand has the chance to add his name to the list of multiple winners in the headline category, as does Daniel Formal (GFC Karting). The 2026 SKUSA Pro Tour vice-champion comes in with three third-place finishes on the season. SuperNationals 29 will mark his return to the event after missing the last two editions following his fourth victory back in 2023. The ‘drive for five’ at the SuperNationals is underway for the Costa Rican.

Third last year was Markus Kajak (McCrone / Formula K), who was only a few laps away in 2024 from taking the top spot on the podium. Two podiums in four starts at the SuperNationals makes the 2026 FIA Karting KZ2 World Cup champion among the top contenders once again. Fourth in 2025 was the ‘Magik Man’ AJ Myers. The North Carolina driver fought back from an engine issue in the heat races to stand on the podium for a fifth time in seven SuperSunday races. Myers finished the year on the Magik Kart, placing ninth in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings. AJ remains winless in Vegas, however, this year he moves over to Trinity Karting Group on the Birelart machine, making his debut with the combination. All five podium finishers from 2025 are back, including fifth-place finisher Massimo Valiante (Italkart Factory). It was a breakthrough performance for the Canadian, who was unable to qualify for the main event the two previous years.

SKUSA Pro Tour champion Matheus Morgatto set for his third start in Pro Shifter (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Three others from the top-10 in 2025 are back as well. EKN ‘Driver of the Year’ for 2025 – Adrien Renaudin (Carblos / Sodi Kart) – was seventh a year ago. In two starts on the SKUSA Pro Tour this year, Renaudin’s best finish was a runner-up at the WinterNationals. Canadian Remo Ruscitti (Italkart Factory) made zero major races in 2026 after finishing eighth one year ago, but he’s always shown great pace. French driver Corentin Rousseau is making the move to PSL Karting / Birelart for 2026 after finishing ninth with Italkart team last year. He withdrew from the WinterNationals in his only USA start of 2026.

The driver to beat throughout 2026 in the USA is SKUSA Pro Tour champion Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodi Kart). Morgatto went on to sweep the three main events on the season. The last two runs at the SuperNationals have ended on the sidelines, including the 2024 edition where he made contact with Kajak passing for the lead with a few laps remaining. Third in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings was former champion Marijn Kremers. Racing under the Carblos Racing Engines banner, the Dutch driver had a best finish of runner-up at the SpringNationals. Kremers will be making the move from Maranello over to the Charles Leclerc chassis – the brand he competed on internationally.

Billy Musgrave enters the SuperNationals as the all-time win list leader at 6 (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

Missing from the entry list is Jay Urwin (PSL / Birelart), the fourth place finisher on the SKUSA Pro Tour and second in the EKN Driver Rankings. The Kiwi will not be in Vegas this year. The rest of the top-10 from the SKUSA Pro Tour standings will be on-track, including Kyle Wick (GFC Karting), Gavin Bayliff (TKG / Birelart), Billy Musgrave (Factory Karts), Jacob Gulick (GFC Karting) and Josh Conquer (Factory / PTK). Wick has a best SuperNats result of fifth back in 2018. Bayliff is making his fourth SuperNationals start, and sits third in the EKN Shifterkart Driver Rankings, coming off a 12th last year in Vegas.

Musgrave is the all-time win list leader with six triumphs at the SKUSA SuperNationals. His first win came in 2012 in S2 before winning three times in Pro Shifter from 2017 to 2019. Two wins in the Master Shifter category over the last two editions of the SuperNationals have him leading the list at six victories. The Factory Karts ‘Godfather’ is running only Pro Shifter this year. Gulick is making his sixth SuperNationals start with last year’s 18th standing as his best result. Conquer is one of seven Canadians in the field, earning that SKUSA Pro Tour 2027 ticket by finishing 10th in the championship in 2026. He will be one of three drivers piloting the new Paul Tracy Kart by Factory Karts in Vegas.

FIA Karting KZ2 World Cup winner Markus Kajak seeks redemption in Vegas

Other former winners in the field include Mathias Ramirez (SCR / Birelart) and Ron White (RWR / CRG). Ramirez – the S2 winner in 2016 – is making his first SuperNationals start since placing 12th in 2021. White is the third driver with a chance to earn a second victory in the headline category. The 49-year-old won back in 2002, meaning that half of this year’s field hadn’t even been born yet when he stood on top of the podium outside the Rio. White’s last start was in 2022, finishing 13th.

A total of five former FIA Karting World Champions is in the Pro Shifter field. Along with Hiltbrand, Kremers, Morgatto and Van Walstijn is Giuseppe Palomba. The 2024 FIA Karting KZ World Champion was scheduled to compete that year, however, was unable to make the trip and last year’s SuperNationals debut ended with a DNF. The Italian is joining Italkart Factory team after running with Maranello last year. Other international drivers to watch include Emilien Denner (McCrone / Formula K) – runner-up at the KZ World Championship, Maksim Orlov (Velocity / Sodi Kart) – fourth at the KZ World Championship, Arthur Lehouch (McCrone / Formula K) – runner-up at the KZ2 World Cup, Ricardo Longhi (PSL / CL Kart) – seventh at the KZ World Championship, Sem Knopjes (PSL / Birelart) – 2025 Rotax Grand Finals DD2 champion and 10th at the KZ2 World Cup, Aussie Sam Dicker (Italkart Factory), Dutch driver Jayden Thien (GFC / TB Kart) and Noah Wolfe (Italkart Factory).

SuperNats Stats

5 – Former world champions in the field (Shifter and Single Speed)

6 – Former winners in the field

14 – Different countries represented in the field

27 – Drivers from the top 50 in the EKN Shifter Driver Rankings presented by Stilo USA

31 – Drivers from outside the USA

37 – Drivers returning from last year

62 – Total drivers in the field for SuperNationals 29

Pro Shifter – Provisional Entry List

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