It’s that time of year again. November marks the favourite month for many North American karting teams, drivers and enthusiasts as the worlds best converge on Las Vegas, Nevada for the annual SKUSA SuperNationals, the largest karting event on this side of the pond and where factory race teams send actual support, chasing the massive glory that comes with being a SuperNationals champion.
The event is explosive in so many ways. Over 500 entries spread out over nine classes means that the daily schedule is split into two parts; morning and afternoon, allowing drivers to enjoy the eccentric atmosphere that is Las Vegas whilst not sitting around hours between practice and race sessions. Featuring a lineup of SKUSA’s core classes, both the TaG and Stock Moto shifter divisions bring together drivers competing for their respective SKUSA Pro Tour titles, while the addition of the KZ2 class draws the truly international competition that takes the event to the next level.
There is something about walking out of the RIO All Suites Hotel and Casino doors to the sight of the temporary SKUSA SuperNationals setup. For race fans of any discipline, the sights, sounds and pure excitement sends chills through your body. The atmosphere that is the SKUSA SuperNationals is electric, incomparable and something North American karting doesn’t not simply have enough of. With the news that 2014 will be the final year for the SuperNats at the RIO it adds a little more to the event, but also already has us anticipating the new location closer to ‘The Strip’ in 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
For five days straight, from early morning to late at night the sights and sounds of kart racing takes over the RIO parking lots. Engines can be heard from miles away while on SuperSunday fans flock to every inch of the fencing and grandstands to catch a view of the action as the racing never ever disappoints. For some the SuperNationals is the breakout and the kickoff to their next season while others have closed out some remarkable years by taking the step on the top of the SKUSA podium. The payouts are incredible and SKUSA does a great job and maintaining the image they have built as being the most badass race in North America.
With all of this being said, unfortunately CKN will not be trackside in 2014. With a conflicting schedule to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Valencia, Spain we were forced into choosing one or the other. It is so unfortunate that these two events cannot have even a week in-between them, but through the past five years the organizers of both have placed both these events on back-to-back weekends.
So we have arranged to work with our friends Kart360.com to help bring you the action from Sin City. On Wednesday and Thursday we will preview each of the classes and the Canadian contingent that will be competing and from Friday through Sunday we will work closely with K360 On Location to bring you race reports and updates as they happen on our event page. You may not even notice we aren’t in attendance. Our social feeds will be busy as well, giving those at home a view from our connections on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
And just as the SKUSA crew tips their hat on Sunday evening in Las Vegas to close out another successful year, we will be taking over in Valencia, Spain to bring you the second half of what is the biggest month of the year for kart racers around the world.
