The event was inaugurated in November 1997 under the management of Jim Murley, who took control of a prior shifter kart race organized by enthusiast JR Clasen and transformed it into a nationally organized championship. The inaugural SuperNationals was held at Race Kart City Raceway — later known as the Las Vegas Karting Center — and drew over 180 entries across multiple categories. Alex Barron won the highly competitive 125cc Moto class, one of the event's premier divisions.
Over the following decades the SuperNationals grew steadily in scale and prestige. It has been hosted at five different Las Vegas venues: Las Vegas Karting Complex (the original Race Kart City Raceway), Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas Convention Center, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino hosted the most editions with twelve consecutive runnings before the event relocated. SKUSA subsequently signed a three-year agreement to host the event through 2025 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
By 2023 the field had grown to over 500 competitors across seven categories, and the 2024 edition — SKUSA SuperNationals XXVII — offered more than US$44,000 in cash prizes.
The SuperNationals has served as a proving ground and occasional playground for some of the most accomplished professional racing drivers in the world. Among the Formula One drivers who have entered the event are two Formula One World Drivers' Champions: Michael Schumacher, who competed in 2009, and Max Verstappen, who raced in 2012 at the age of fifteen. Additional Formula One competitors include Sergio Pérez (2016), Charles Leclerc (2012), George Russell (2011), Lance Stroll (2012), and Logan Sargeant (2011).
Beyond Formula One, the event has attracted prominent figures from North American open-wheel racing and other disciplines. Will Power entered in 2022, Sébastien Bourdais competed in 2013, Dan Wheldon raced in 2009, Alexander Rossi entered in 2016, and Josef Newgarden participated in 2021.
The SuperNationals runs a multi-class format spanning different kart categories, historically including shifter kart classes as well as single-speed sprint kart divisions. The premier classes attract the highest concentration of professional and factory-supported drivers, while junior and cadet classes provide competitive pathways for younger talent progressing through the karting ladder.
The event typically spans several days, with practice, qualifying heats, and pre-finals culminating in championship main events across all classes. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway venue permits temporary circuit layouts that can accommodate the event's scale, which by the mid-2020s had become one of the most logistically ambitious kart racing events in the world.
The SKUSA SuperNationals occupies a unique position in North American motorsport as the single event most likely to place a karting grid alongside established world champions and top-tier professional racers. Its longevity — running annually since 1997 without interruption — and its consistent ability to attract internationally recognized talent have cemented its status as the de facto showcase event for kart racing on the continent.
The event's location in Las Vegas, combined with its late-autumn date and substantial prize fund, has helped it develop a festival atmosphere that extends beyond purely competitive karting, drawing spectators, industry figures, and manufacturers who use the occasion to assess emerging talent.