Las Vegas: karting in the spotlight a week before F1

The 26th edition of the emblematic Superkarts! USA SuperNationals takes place this year from 8th to 12th November at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, while preparations for the Formula 1 Grand Prix are in full swing in the city centre. The organisers of America’s biggest karting event had to leave the traditional Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino car park. It wasn’t an easy task to find enough available asphalt as F1 rolled into town. The Las Vegas Strip is being transformed into a racetrack for the November 18th-20th event. The explosion in the cost of hotel rooms and demand has put SKUSA in a situation where a change of date and venue was the only option. In 2021, Tom Kutscher and his team had already had to make a last-minute move to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but this time the change could be anticipated and a three-year collaboration agreement was reached.

The SuperNationals has been an essential end-of-season event in international karting for many years now. Long gone are the days when European drivers had to choose between this unusual competition and a CIK-FIA programme, when CIK licensees were forbidden to compete in the United States.

A number of great European champions were able to win in Las Vegas in the KZ2 / Pro Shifter category: Marco Ardigo ITA (Tony Kart/Vortex) in 2007, 2010 and 2012, Jonathan Thonon BEL in 2008, Bas Lammers NLD (Intrepid/TM) in 2009, Anthony Abbasse FRA (Sodi/TM) in 2011 and 2013, Paolo De Conto ITA (CRG/TM) in 2014, 2016 and 2017, Matteo Vigano ITA (Birel ART/TM) in 2021, Pedro Hiltbrand ESP (Birel ART/TM) in 2022.

In 2023, the Europeans will be on hand to challenge the best American drivers in the Pro Shifter, where 60% of the 71 competitors come from outside the USA to try and pocket the $10,000 cheque that rewards the winner. The top seeds are: Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel ART/TM), Matteo Vigano (Birel ART/TM), Riccardo Longhi (Birel ART/TM), Danilo Albanese (KR/Iame), Paolo Ippolito (KR/Iame), Emilien Denner (Sodi/TM), Markus Kajak (Italkart/TM), David Trefilov (Maranello/TM), Niels Tröger (Maranello/TM), David Liwinski (Italkart/TM) and Davide Fore’ (Italkart/TM).

The Superkarts! USA SuperNationals brings together a total of over 500 drivers in seven categories from November 8th, 2023 until the Main Event Finals on Sunday 12th. Stay tuned to www.superkartsusa.com.

Info KARTCOM Selection