2020 eKartingNews.com Driver Rankings – TaG – Final

Deukmedjian and Mars finish tied for first ever co-#1 drivers to end season

The final club and regional events of the 2020 season have finally concluded here in the United States for the sport of karting. It was a busy season with the COVID-19 pandemic that saw numerous events rescheduled, with nearly all of the races on the EKN Driver Rankings schedule conducted as the industry and those in the sport endured one of the most challenging years in history. As we look to turn the calendar over to 2021, we review the end results of the 2020 season, including the EKN TaG Driver Rankings. For the first time ever in the 16-year history of the program on the website, the standings end in a tie with Arias Deukmedjian and Luca Mars finishing the last 12 months with the same total over their best seven-point results.

Two drivers who have consistently been toward the front of the TaG fields in 2020 include Deukmedjian and Mars. Deukmedjian (KSNA / Kart Republic / Will Power Kart) finished 31st last year in the standings, running selected events in his rookie season at the Senior level. The 2018 SKUSA Pro Tour X30 Junior champion had a breakout year in 2020, beginning with a victory at the SKUSA Winter Series finale. Once racing resumed after the COVID-19 shutdown, Arias won at the USPKS series opener. He then went on to earn four podium finishes at the SKUSA Pro Tour, including a victory, ending up with the SKUSA #3 plate. Deukmedjian added another victory at the USPKS, finishing the standings in fifth. The Florida driver traveled to Europe at the end of 2020 to compete at the FIA Karting World Championships with Kart Republic.

Mars (SCR / Redspeed) ended his Junior career strong last year, representing the USA at the Academy Trophy and overcoming a broken wrist. 2020 was his rookie Senior season and made it memorable. The season began with a vice-championship at the Florida Winter Tour in Senior ROK while finishing seventh in the SKUSA Winter Series standings. Like Deukmedjian, Mars stood out as a top contender at the SKUSA Summer Festival. In a six-round, two weekend marathon Mars hit the ‘cycle’ finishing in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. The victory marked his first SKUSA Pro Tour triumph in X30 Senior, finishing the championship in second for the SKUSA #2 plate in 2021. Add in a United States Rotax Grand Nationals victory, finishing sixth in USPKS standings and P9 at ROK the RIO, Mars was in contention all of 2020.

Shuffling continued for the top-three, as Bryson Morris (RPG / Kosmic) leaped up to the third spot to close out 2020. The 2020 SKUSA Pro Tour champion in X30 Senior and KA100 Senior began the year with a best finish of seventh at the SKUSA Winter Series. Following the COVID-19 lockdown, Morris earned his first podium result at the USPKS 2020 opener. He then pulled the trigger with three wins in the five rounds he contested at the SKUSA Pro Tour to earn the championship in his rookie season. A rib injury put him on the sidelines for the remainder of 2020, which hurt his chances at fighting for the #1 position in the EKN TaG Driver Rankings.

Falling out of the top-three is four-time SKUSA champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic). Norberg lost his SuperNats 23 result from last year, unable to replace it with a large enough point result to keep him in the top-three. The 2020 season, while not what he set out for, was not a disappointment. He began with a championship at the SKUSA Winter Series without earning a race win. Norberg came up short of a fifth straight SKUSA Pro Tour championship with a string of four top-five results to end up fifth in the standings. Add in his return to the USPKS program where he ended up third in the championship hunt. The season completed the with a P3 at ROK the RIO as the attention turns to 2021.

Holding strong in the fifth position is Mike Doty Racing / Kosmic driver Brandon Jarsocrak. The 2015 EKN Driver Rankings #1 driver remains a consistent threat in TaG competition. His focus was on the United States Pro Kart Series, as he earned a fourth-straight championship in X30 Pro. Jarsocrak used two victories at the series finale to claim the title. The ‘Shillington Slingshot’ finished sixth in the SKUSA Pro Tour. Ironically, 2020 was the first time since 2015 that neither Norberg or Jarsocrak won a SKUSA Pro Tour main event.

Sixth through eighth shuffled thanks to Hannah Greenemeier losing her end results from 2019, dropping to eighth. Indy Pro 2000 driver Braden Eves (KSNA / Will Power Kart) and former US Rotax Grand Nationals champion Phillip Arscott (KSNA / Will Power Kart) moved up thanks to their performances at New Castle Motorsports Park for both the USPKS and SKUSA Pro Tour. Each took home a victory and podium results. Greenemeier (RPG / Kosmic) started the year out with her first ever victory at the SKUSA Winter Series. Her best finish at the SKUSA Pro Tour was sixth, placing there twice, while earning a third-place result at the USPKS finale. Hannah also finished 31st in the EKN Shifterkart Driver Rankings.

Pauly Massimino (MDR / Kosmic) and Thomas Nepveu (PSL / Birel ART) swapped positions to close out 2020 and the top-10. Massimino – the 2019 SKUSA SuperNats KA100 Senior winner – competed in 12 races, six with SKUSA and six with USPKS. The North Carolina driver finished top-10 twice at SKUSA, including a runner-up at the finale. Massimino was in the championship hunt for the USPKS, finishing runner-up to Jarsocrak for his best career result. Nepveu had a similar season, recording a best finish of third at the SKUSA Winter Series, winning at the ROK Fest East event, three top-10 results at the SKUSA Pro Tour, and a fifth place finish at his USPKS debut at GoPro.

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