Motorsport: Four starts, four wins for Kiwi veteran

Cars race during the New Zealand Festival Of Motor Racing event held at Hampton Downs. Photo / Steven McNicholl

There was a fairytale finish to the final New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup revival series race at the inaugural Festival of New Zealand Motor Racing at the new Hampton Downs motor racing circuit.

Evergreen New Zealand veteran Ken Smith (Lola T430) made it four wins from four starts. Though 2007-08 MSC F5000 series winner Chris Hyde (McRae GM1) pipped him for pole position in qualifying, defending series champion Smith proved to be the man to beat in all four races.

With a capacity field of beautifully restored and race-prepared V8-engined, 70s-era cars contesting the third round of their MSC-backe 2009-10 series, the Formula 5000s provided one of the highlights of the Hampton Downs meeting with a 10,000-strong crowd enjoying wheel-to-wheel action in all four races.

As well as winning each race, 68-year-old super-veteran Smith also set the quickest race lap in three of the four races, even bettering 2009-10 title rival Hyde's pole time (1.02.945) in the third race with a new category track record 1.02.279.