Motorsport: Smith drives turbo Cougar to victory

Slippery conditions tested racers at the Mickey Thompson offroad champs. Photo / Supplied

Slippery conditions tested racers at the Mickey Thompson offroad champs

Beachlands racer Neville "Max" Smith has leapt into an early lead in this year's Mickey Thompson New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship.

Racing in slippery conditions at Meremere on the weekend, Smith drove his unlimited-class Cougar Honda turbo single-seat racing car to victory in the first heat and continued in winning form to the last race of the day, which put all surviving racers on the track for a 10-lap sprint race.

Smith, one of the founders of the Cougar brand, was able to master the greasy track despite driving one of the most powerful turbocharged cars entered.

Nick Leahy, driving one of the least powerful cars in the class, won heat after heat in his Challenger Volkswagen Cougar to end the day just four points behind Smith.

Colin Meredith, driving an Australian-designed Southern Cross two-seater race car in the unlimited class, was third on 62 points for the day, despite striking engine problems in the final all-in heat.

Defending champion Donn Attwood, in his Bu-Mac RV magnum Toyota, remained in touch despite Attwood amassed 60 points for the day, his total keeping him close enough to the front that he is well placed to continue his title defence.