I’ll race to the death, says Kiwi speedster
He is 75, stands just 158cm tall, drives a car capable of 280kmh – and says he’ll race cars til he drops.
New Zealand’s Ken Smith has been involved with motorsport for 59 years straight and is taking part in this weekend’s Grand Prix at Taupo’s Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park.
‘‘I’ll give up racing when I stop breathing,’’ Smith said. ‘‘I just love it.’’
He is still one of the most competitive drivers out there this weekend, for what has become an absolute showcase of New Zealand’s motorsport history. This year’s event also doubles as the 50th celebration of New Zealand’s only F1 Grand Prix win, by Denny Hulme.
The racing is a real blast from the past with classic racing cars – such as the 5-litre Formula 5000 Chevy in which Peter Gethin beat his F1 rivals in the 1973 Race of Champions (the only time the feat was achieved) – being shipped in from all over the world. The collection includes the first ever visit to New Zealand of a number of from the 1960s and 780s.
Marcus Pye, a veritable godfather of Formula 1 racing journalism, has covered more than 1000 events around the world over the past 30 years, and rates New Zealand as his favourite destination.
He said he was relishing the weekend’s ‘‘big battle’’ between the top drivers, including 26-year-old Englishman Michael Lyons, and Kiwi veteran Smith, whom Pye describes as a phenomenal driver.
‘‘‘He’s passionate about driving. You don’t climb into a car that goes 175mph at 75 years old unless you are passionate about it.’’
Walking through the pits of the Taupo motorsport park with Pye, he soon bumps into Greg Thornton, a previous winner of the Race of Champions and the man who will take the wheel of Gethin’s Formula 5000 racer.
‘‘You can come to this event and mix with enthusiasts,’’ Pye said.
‘‘You can’t do that in other formula racing. Here, the drivers, the mechanics, everyone, is keen to talk. I’m just so pleased to be here.’’ F1 cars sort of other