Multi-time New Zealand champion and representative Matthew Hamilton was the quickest of the Kiwis with the top time in his class before rain interrupted practice at the 17th annual SuperKarts USA (SKUSA) SuperNationals meeting in Las Vegas this week.

Hamilton, from Christchurch, topped the time sheets in the S4 Masters Stock Moto class, having set a best time of 45.368 seconds round the 1.3km converted car park circuit on the first day of official practice.

That time remains the best in the S4 Masters Stock Moto class as rain – and not enough wet weather tyres to go around – threw a spanner in the works on the second day.

Hamilton is one of nine Kiwi karters contesting this year’s SuperNationals meeting with Auckland’s Jordan Morris next best with the 19th quickest time in the S2 Stock Moto class.

Fellow young guns Marcus Armstrong (ninth quickest in the third practice session) and Logan Brown (14th) were nominally faster in their class (S5 Stock Moto) but the organisers did not compile a full list of placings across all three sessions.

Auckland-based international Daniel Bray, one of the favourites to win the premier S1 Stock Moto class, found himself in the same boat, setting competitive times (ninth in the third practice session and 12th in the fourth) but with no official ranking across all 28 competitors.

Other class placings after the first day of practice were Mark Swetman from the Bay of Plenty (27th in S4 Masters Stock Moto), Snow Mooney from Auckland (43rd in S4 Masters Stock Moto), Warren Parris from Auckland (62nd in S4 Masters Stock Moto) and Josh Bethune from Dunedin (65th in TaG Cadet).

Rain showers continued to sweep across the the downtown Las Vegas circuit today (Thursday US time) and they are expected to continue into Friday and Saturday before clearing by Sunday (local time).

The annual SKUSA SuperNationals event is the biggest annual kart race meeting in the world with over 600 drivers entered this year.

As well as the top kart racers from the US, Europe and Oceanian (including a record 36 this year from Australia) the event has attracted entries from top single-seater and tin-top racers like Australian IndyCar star Will Power, four-time ChampCar champion Sebastien Bourdais from France and NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray, AJ Allmendinger and Scott Speed.