There were slim pickings for the four Kiwis competing at the 18th annual SuperKarts USA (SKUSA) SuperNationals meeting in Las Vegas over the weekend, with Tiffany Chittenden the only one to get to and finish a Final.

The expat Brit ended up 18th in the S4 Masters class after a tough introduction to karting American-style but an event which started reasonably well for the Kiwi foursome.

Fellow Christchurch karter Matt Hamilton, who won the S4 Masters class Final at his first attempt last year, and who has been commuting back and forth to the United States to contest this year’s SuperKarts USA (SKUSA) Pro-Tour, had an excellent start to the meeting but pole in his qualifying group and wins in his first two heats was as good as it got.

Hamilton had just taken the lead in the third heat when he was forced to pit with his kart’s rear bumper flapping (after contact), then made it from 20th at the start of the Final to sixth on the second lap before an incident ended his race.

Daniel Bray didn’t qualify quite as well (eighth) in the premier KZ2 class, but was also looking good for a top six finish in the KZ2 Final (after starting 13th) before being taken out on the 13th lap.

“I was up to fifth and had just caught (Bas) Lammers but got a hit from behind which broke the rear bumper,” he said.

The youngest member of the Kiwi crew, 11-year-old Billy Frazer was also left wondering if a black cat had crossed his path.

The young Aucklander did well to qualify 23rd in the group in the Tag Cadet class but was an early casualty of contact in his first heat, then came back to finish 22nd in his second, 21st (out of 38) in his third and an event-best 18th in the Last Chance Qualifier.

Unfortunately that was not enough to get him a start in the Final but it certainly gave the youngster a taste for racing against the world’s best (including former world motorcycle champion Mick Doohan’s son Jack who finished third in the class Final on Sunday.)

“Having a blast,” his Dad James messaged from the track on Saturday. “Just not having a lot of luck.”

With the meeting, which with over 600 entries each year is the biggest on the world karting calendar, over for another year Frazer returns home this week, Bray heads south to Mexico to prepare for a major meeting there, and Hamilton and Chittenden are off to Spain where Chittenden will contest the DD2 Masters class at this year’s Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final meeting this week.