SMITH CONTINUES ON WINNING WAY AT SECOND FESTIVAL OF MOTOR RACING - BRUCE MCLAREN MEETING

Defending MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series champion Ken Smith (Lola T430) continued on his winning way on the first day of competition at the second New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meeting - Bruce McLaren at Pukekohe's Pukekohe Park Raceway this afternoon.

After claiming a four-wins-from-four starts clean sweep at the third round of the 2009/10 series at the first NZ Festival of Motor Racing - Bruce McLaren meeting at the new Hampton Downs circuit last weekend, Smith - the only driver in the 30-strong MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series to have raced the Chevrolet 302 cu. in. V8 single-seater cars first time round - was again the pace-setter at Pukekohe, topping the time sheets in qualifying on Friday afternoon and winning the first two races of the weekend today very much as he liked.

In both he led from start to finish, in the first leading the field across the line behind the Safety Car after visiting Monaco-based British driver Peter Dunn (March 73A) left the track late in the race, and in the second getting a jump on fellow front run starter Mark Dwyer (Lola T332) and 2009/10 series points leader Steve Ross (McRae GM1) before easing away to cross the finish line with an eleven second advantage over this season's Lady Wigram Trophy winner, Roger Williams (Lola T332).

It was yet another impressive performance from evergreen 68-year-old Smith, who - predictably - was enjoying every minute of it.

"I just love this car, " he said of the Lola T430 he has contested the past two MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series in, "Really, it is an unbelievable car. Every lap I am hard on it, eleven tenths, whether someone is with me or not. "

Evidence of that was plain to see in the time sheets with Smith comfortably fastest in qualifying - where he set a best time of 55.078, three-quarters of a second quicker than the 55.794 of closest rival Chris Hyde - and in the two races today where he was the only driver to break the 56 second barrier in the first race.

With Mark Dwyer excluded from the results of the first race for passing under the yellow flag, Steve Ross inherited second place and the Dunedin driver looked set for another runner-up spot in the second race until he selected second gear instead of fourth on the front straight on the fourth lap, forcing a closely following Mark Dwyer to taking avoiding action, before compounding the error by spinning as he exited the corner onto the back straight.

Fortunately Dwyer by that stage had got past and there was no one close behind Ross when he spun, meaning the Dunedin man could get back onto the track and work his way back up to fifth place at the flag.

Dwyer, meanwhile, circulated in second place until the last lap when he was slowed and eventually stopped by a broken half shaft, meaning the runner-up spot was handed to Roger Williams with Napier's Sefton Gibb (Lola T332) third and the closely following former series champion Ian Clements (Lola T332) fourth.

First Class A class car across the line in both races today was the Surtees TS8 of British visitor Michael Whatley with MSC series Class A stalwart Poul Christie (Lola T190) second in the category in the first race and Whatley's compatriot Greg Thornton (Surtees TS11) taking over that spot in the second after a retirement in the first race.

Today's races were the first two of four on the programme at the second New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meeting - Bruce McLaren meeting this weekend with two more tomorrow, another eight lap sprint race in the morning and a 15 lap final for the Tasman Grand Prix trophy in the afternoon.

The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney's Specialized Bulk Transport, Pacifica, Toll Holdings, Smith & Davies, Avon Tyres and Exide.

Ken Smith leading Mark Dwyer and the rest of the field in the second race - Fast Company/Alex Mitchell