A record-breaking 528 entries coming from well over 500 drivers highlighted last November’s running of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals XV, which was held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This year’s event is just 44 days away, and the 16th running of the world’s largest karting event is set to once again break the entry records when the track goes hot on November 14. A total of nine categories will be offered during the five-day event, and before now the class maximums were set at either 40 or 80 drivers. Due to incredible interest in the race, TaG Senior will now break through this pre-set limit – as SKUSA has elected to open up the category to welcome up to 120 drivers for the 2012 event.
Each and every year since the TaG Senior class was first offered back in 2004, it’s been one of the most attended categories of the SuperNationals. In 2008, Superkarts! USA opened the class to 100 drivers in its return to the Rio parking lot. Now for 2012, the class has been extended to a record-breaking 120 spots, which will very likely be filled as the waiting list for the category is extensive. With the larger number of entries, the class will be split into three groups for practice and qualifying. Each driver will still have three heat races to contest to qualify for the A Main on SuperSunday, with the entire field being split into six different groups. The top 34 drivers following the heat races will transfer directly into the A Main. Drivers ranked 35th-69th after the heat races will transfer into the B Main, and the remaining drivers will be slotted into a C Main. The top six finishers from the C Main will move into the B Main, where once again the top six drivers will earn a position in the Main Event on SuperSunday. Should any of the ProKart Challenge regional champions or the top three in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings not qualify for the main event, they will have a guaranteed starting position at the tail of the field.
As of today, almost 450 confirmed entries have been processed for SKUSA SuperNationals XVI. The S2 Semi-Pro and TaG Master categories are already sold out at 40 entries each, while TaG Junior is full at 80 drivers. S4 Master Stock Moto has reopened due to some recent cancellations, and a few spots remain before it will top out at 80 drivers. TaG Cadet is very similar, as only a handful of spots are still available. The KZ2, S1 Pro Stock Moto, and S5 Junior Stock Moto classes are still open for registration as well. KZ2 is expected to grid a full field at 40 entries, while both S1 and S5 are projected to top 30 entries, which is exciting for both of these growing categories. Only one month remains for pre-registration in all open classes at www.skusastore.com and with all TaG Seniors on the wait list already notified, the class has been re-opened and expected to sell out at 120 drivers prior to this deadline of November 1st.
The daily schedule for the SKUSA SuperNationals XVI will again feature the separation of categories into morning and afternoon shifts. S4 Master Stock Moto, S5 Junior Stock Moto, KZ2, and TaG Senior make up the morning classes, while TaG Cadet, TaG Junior, TaG Master, S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto and S1 Pro Stock Moto fill out the afternoon slots. Wednesday and Thursday will give each class a total of eight rounds of practice. Qualifying and the opening heat races will take place on Friday, with the final two rounds of heats set for Saturday. Those classes needing a Last Chance Qualifier and the B and C Main events for TaG Senior will also run on Saturday, so that the grids for SuperSunday will all be set by the end of Saturday’s action. Following morning warm-ups and the opening ceremonies, the main events will kick off at 10:45 am PST with TaG Senior firing things up in style. Following the feature events on SuperSunday, podium celebrations will take place once again inside the Rio Hotel convention area for everyone in attendance to enjoy. Later that night, the annual AfterParty will bring the racers, crews, and spectators to the VooDoo Lounge at the top of the Rio, overlooking the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip.
Beginning Monday, October 8, pit spot and tent reservations will be accepted at the SKUSA head office. All details, including a pit map, detailed pricing and directions on how to request a pit spot will be posted shortly. Although rooms still remain in the blocked section reserved for the special SKUSA rate at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, the special room block pricing expires on Friday, October 12. After that, any remaining rooms will go back to normal hotel pricing, which is easily three times the special SKUSA rate. If you still haven’t secured your hotel rooms for this event, head over to the following link (http://www.superkartsusa.com/national/skusa-supernationals/hotel-and-accommodations.html) to reserve rooms online or via the Rio toll free phone number.
For any and all information regarding Superkarts! USA, head to www.superkartsusa.com. For information on the SuperNationals event specifically, click on the SUPERNATS XVI link at the top of the homepage.
