Auckland international Daniel Bray and fast-rising young Christchurch driver Marcus Armstrong spearhead a strong antipodean presence at SuperKarts USA’s annual SuperNationals kart race meeting in Las Vegas this weekend.

Works GP Karts/Aluminos team leader Bray, 25, is the reigning SKUSA Pro Tour S1 class champion after sealing victory with a third placed finish in the Las Vegas final last year and heads into this weekend’s 2012 series final third in the 2012 S1 points standings behind top US drivers Fritz Leesmann and Joey Wimsett.

Armstrong, meanwhile, is one of New Zealand’s top Junior karters and the 12-year-old will make his gearbox class debut at this weekend’s meeting as a member of Bray’s GP Karts/Aluminos team in the S5 class.

Also taking on America and Europe’s best at the MG Tires-backed 16th annual SuperNationals event are seven Australian drivers.

Leading that group is 2012 CIK Stars of Karting series KZ2 class champion Chris Hays who will compete in the KZ2 class. Joining him is recent New Zealand visitor Jason Faint from Gladstone in Queensland who will contest the S2 category, Thomas Schou, Thomas Howe, and brothers Jake and Kurt Kostecki from Western Australia who will compete in TaG Junior, and reigning Australian Junior Heavy class champion James Allen who will run in TaG Senior.

Having dominated the S1 class from the first round of the SKUSA Pro Tour last year, then been one of the pace-setters and heat race winners at the KZ2 World Cup meeting in Italy earlier this year, Bray remains up-beat about his chances this weekend – despite being in third place in the points.

“Mathematically it is still possible (to win the 2012 title) so that’s what we are going there to do.”

Bray also has high hopes for Armstrong, who joined him to test with the GP Karts/Aluminos team in Northern California last week and quickly adapted to the gearbox-equipped kart he will run this weekend.

“His body took a bit of a pounding from the extra grip and speed of the shifter kart but we expected that.”

Though the event is held in the same – huge – carpark outside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino every year no two temporary tracks are the same, meaning says Bray, an absolutely level playing field again this year.

“From what I’ve seen, ” he says, “it looks like it is going to be a bit faster this year with a few more straightaways and hopefully a bit more passing. But because it’s lined with barriers no matter what it will still be a very technical course with no room for error.”

Action in Las Vegas begins today (Wednesday) with practice which continues tomorrow. Friday sees qualifying and the first heats, with the remaining heats and last chance qualifiers on Saturday and the Finals across all classes on Sunday.