Ken Smith (racing driver)

Last updated

Ken Smith
MBE
NationalityNew Zealander
Full nameKenneth James Smith
Born (1941-08-11) 11 August 1941 (age 83)

Kenneth James Smith MBE (born 11 August 1941) is a New Zealand motor racing driver, who won the New Zealand Grand Prix in 1976, 1990, and 2004. [1] [2]

Contents

Smith first competed in motor racing in 1958, winning the New Zealand Hill Climb championship when he was 16. He progressed to single seater racing in 1962, first driving a Lola March T, Formula Junior car. Later he raced in Formula Ford, Formula 5000, Formula Pacific, Formula Mondial, and Toyota Racing Series among others [3] [4]

Smith won the Gold Star Drivers Award in the 1975–1976, 1983–1984, 1984–1985, 1986–1987 and 1989–1990 seasons. [5] In 2011 Smith won the Formula 5000 Revival championship for the third time. [6] As well as his victories in New Zealand, Smith also won the Penang Grand Prix three times, the Selangor Grand Prix twice, and the Malaysian Grand Prix once. [7]

In 2021, Smith took part in his 50th New Zealand Grand Prix at age 79, during his 63rd consecutive season of racing. [8] [9]

Honours and awards

Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to motorsport, [10] and in 1995 was inducted into the New Zealand Motorsport Hall of Fame. [11] In 2008 he received the Motorsport Personality of the Year award. [12] In 2010 he received a Motorsport New Zealand Special Award given in recognition of his pivotal role in motorsport. [13]

Racing Record

NZ F5000 Tasman Revival Series

YearEntrantChassisEngine123456789101112131415161718PositionPoints
2014/15Ken Smith Motorsport Lola T332 Chevrolet SAN
R1

SAN
R2

SAN
R3

SMSP
R1

SMSP
R2

SMSP
R3

HAM
R1

1
HAM
R2

1
HAM
R3

1
HAM2
R1

1
HAM2
R2

1
HAM2
R3

1
RUA
R1

RUA
R2

RUA
R3

MAN
R1

1
MAN
R2

1
MAN
R3

1
N/A0**
2015/16Ken Smith Motorsport Lola T332 Chevrolet MAN
R1

1
MAN
R2

1
MAN
R3

1
HAM
R1

1
HAM
R2

1
HAM
R3

1
RUA
R1

1
RUA
R2

1
RUA
R3

1
MAN2
R1

1
MAN2
R2

1
MAN2
R3

1
PHI
R1

2
PHI
R2

2
PHI
R3

3
PHI
R4

3
1st ?
2016/17Ken Smith Motorsport Lola T332 Chevrolet BAR
R1

BAR
R2

BAR
R3

SAN
R1

SAN
R2

SAN
R3

HAM
R1

1
HAM
R2

1
HAM
R3

1
TAU
R1

1
TAU
R2

3
TAU
R3

1
RUA
R1

1
RUA
R2

1
RUA
R3

2
N/A0**
2017/18Ken Smith Motorsport Lola T332 Chevrolet PUK
R1

DNS
PUK
R2

DNF
PUK
R3

DNS
MAN
R1

MAN
R2

MAN
R3

TAU
R1

1
TAU
R2

2
TAU
R3

2
HAM
R1

1
HAM
R2

1
HAM
R3

1
RUA
R1

DNF
RUA
R2

DNS
RUA
R3

DNS
PHI
R1

PHI
R2

PHI
R3

12th272
2018/19Ken Smith Motorsport Lola T332 Chevrolet PUK
R1

1
PUK
R2

1
PUK
R3

1
TAU
R1

1
TAU
R2

1
TAU
R3

1
HAM
R1

HAM
R2

HAM
R3

RUA
R1

RUA
R2

RUA
R3

HAM
R1

HAM
R2

HAM
R3

1st208

Complete Toyota Racing Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam123456789101112131415161718192021DCPoints
2007–08 Ken Smith Motorsport PUK
1

5
PUK
2

10
PUK
3

12
RUA
1

13
RUA
2

11
RUA
3

13
MAN
1

16
MAN
2

12
MAN
3

11
TAU
1

16
TAU
2

15
TAU
3

15
MAN
1

8
MAN
2

8
MAN
3

11
TIM
1

8
TIM
2

8
TIM
3

12
TER
1

10
TER
2

10
TER
3

9
9th652
2008–09 Ken Smith Motorsport RUA
1
RUA
2
RUA
3
TIM
1
TIM
2
TIM
3
TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
MAN
1

DNS
MAN
2

6
MAN
3

7
PUK
1

Ret
PUK
2

7
PUK
3

Ret
16th129
2010 Ken Smith Motorsport TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
TIM
1
TIM
2
TIM
3
HMP
1

9
HMP
2

7
HMP
3

12
MAN
1

9
MAN
2

8
MAN
3

10
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
13th214
2011 M2 Competition TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
TIM
1
TIM
2
TIM
3
HMP
1
HMP
2
HMP
3
MAN
1

15
MAN
2

13
MAN
3

11
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
17th78
2012 ETEC Motorsport TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
TIM
1
TIM
2
TIM
3
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
HMP
1
HMP
2
HMP
3
MAN
1

17
MAN
2

17
MAN
3

13
21st62
2013 Giles Motorsport TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
TIM
1
TIM
2
TIM
3
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
HMP
1
HMP
2
HMP
3
MAN
1

19
MAN
2

10
MAN
3

16
22nd67
2018 Victory Motor Racing RUA
1
RUA
2
RUA
3
TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
HMP
1
HMP
2
HMP
3
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
MAN
1

13
MAN
2

13
MAN
3

12
14th80
2019 Giles Motorsport HIG
1
HIG
2
HIG
3
TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
HMP
1
HMP
2
HMP
3
HMP
4
TAU
1
TAU
2
TAU
3
TAU
4
MAN
1

13
MAN
2

13
MAN
3

8
17th27
2020 Giles Motorsport HIG
1
HIG
2
HIG
3
TER
1
TER
2
TER
3
HMP
1
HMP
2
HMP
3
PUK
1
PUK
2
PUK
3
MAN
1

17
MAN
2

19
MAN
3

15
21st10
2021 Giles Motorsport HD1
1

15
HD1
2

Ret
HD1
3

15
HD2
1
HD2
2
MAN
1
MAN
2
MAN
3
MAN
3
16th12

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Hulme</span> New Zealand racing driver (1936–1992)

Denis Clive Hulme was a New Zealand racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1965 to 1974. Nicknamed "The Bear", Hulme won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1967 with Brabham, and won eight Grands Prix across 10 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Amon</span> New Zealand racing driver (1943–2016)

Christopher Arthur Amon was a New Zealand racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1963 to 1976. Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win a Formula One Grand Prix, Amon won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 with Ford, as well as the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967 with Ferrari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham McRae</span> New Zealand racing driver (1940–2021)

Graham Peter McRae was a racing driver from New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pukekohe Park Raceway</span> Motorsport track in New Zealand

Pukekohe Park Raceway was a former FIA Grade 3 car racing track that was situated on the outside of the Pukekohe Park Thoroughbred Racetrack, located in the surrounds of Pukekohe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendon Hartley</span> New Zealand racing driver (born 1989)

Brendon Morris Hartley is a New Zealand racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota. Hartley competed in Formula One from 2017 to 2018. In endurance racing, Hartley has won a joint-record four FIA World Endurance Championship titles—tied with Sébastien Buemi—and is a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formula Regional Oceania Championship</span> Single-Seater Racing Championship

The Formula Regional Oceania Championship is New Zealand's premier formula racing category. The series includes races for every major trophy in New Zealand circuit racing including the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy. The cars are also the category for the New Zealand Grand Prix – one of only two races in the world with FIA approval to use the Grand Prix nomenclature outside Formula One. The series was formerly known as the Toyota Racing Series until 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Grand Prix</span> Annual motor racing event in New Zealand

The New Zealand Grand Prix, sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix, is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand. First held in 1950, it is best known for hosting rounds of the Tasman Series in the 1960s and 1970s. It is currently run as the signature race of the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Gaunt</span> New Zealand racing driver

Daniel Thomas Gaunt is a New Zealand racing driver and owner of Game Over Auckland.

The 2011 Toyota Racing Series was the seventh running of the Toyota Racing Series. The Toyota Racing Series is New Zealand's premier open-wheeler motorsport category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 New Zealand Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2011 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Manfeild Autocourse near Feilding on 13 February 2011. It was the fifty-sixth New Zealand Grand Prix and was open to Toyota Racing Series cars. The event was also the third race of the fourth round of the 2011 Toyota Racing Series.

The 2013 Toyota Racing Series was the ninth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier motorsport category for open-wheel cars, held in New Zealand. The series, which consisted of five meetings of three races, began on 12 January at Teretonga Park in Invercargill, and ended on 10 February with the 58th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, at Manfeild Autocourse in Feilding.

The 2014 Toyota Racing Series was the tenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheeler motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series, which consists of five meetings of three races, began on 11 January at Teretonga Park in Invercargill and ended on 9 February with the 59th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, at Manfeild Autocourse in Feilding.

The 2015 Toyota Racing Series was the eleventh running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheeler motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series, which consisted of sixteen races at five meetings, began on 14 January at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch, and ended on 15 February with the 60th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, at Manfeild Autocourse in Feilding.

The 2016 Toyota Racing Series was the twelfth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series, which consisted of fifteen races at five meetings, began on 16 January at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch, and ended on 14 February with the 61st running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, at Manfeild Autocourse in Feilding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motor sport in New Zealand</span>

Motor sport in New Zealand can be traced back to a least 1901 when the Pioneer Cycle Club held a three-mile handicap race which included both motor bikes and cars. Since then it has developed and now almost all types of motor sport events are represented.

The 2019 Castrol Toyota Racing Series was the fifteenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series consisted of fifteen races at five meetings. It began on 10 January at Highlands Motorsport Park, in Cromwell, and concluded on 10 February with the 64th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, at Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding.

The 2021 Castrol Toyota Racing Series was the seventeenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series consisted of nine races at three meetings. It began on 24 January at Hampton Downs, in Waikato, and concluded on 14 February at Manfeild, Feilding. The season opener also hosted the 66th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix. The 2021 Toyota Racing Series was the first season in which no individual race teams were running and all drivers were under a Toyota Racing banner. This was due to the COVID situation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaleb Ngatoa</span> New Zealand motor racing driver

Kaleb Ngatoa, is a New Zealand Māori motor racing driver.

The 2022 Castrol Toyota Racing Series was to be the eighteenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand. The season was planned to consist of only one two-race weekend at Hampton Downs, with the second race of the weekend hosting the 67th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, but was cancelled eventually.

The 2023 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship was the inaugural season of the Formula Regional Oceania Championship. It was originally planned to be the eighteenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand, before the series was rebranded to become a fully FIA-certified Formula Regional championship. It was held over five consecutive weekends in January and February 2023.

References

  1. "Ken Smith Still Has Winning Formula". Stuff.co.nz. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  2. "New Zealand Grand Prix". Toyota Racing Series . Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  3. "Ken Smith". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  4. "Toyota Racing Series". Toyota Racing Series . Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  5. "Gold Star Race Champions - Single Seater". Motorsport New Zealand. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  6. "Smith Secures Third Consecutive Formula 5000 Revival Crown". Motorsport New Zealand. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  7. "Titles". Ken Smith. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  8. "Tributes paid to Smith ahead of 50th NZGP start".
  9. Bartholomaeus, Stefan (14 January 2021). "KEN SMITH SET FOR 50TH NZ GP START" . Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  10. "No. 50950". The London Gazette (4th supplement). 13 June 1987. p. 32.
  11. "'You' Night Attracts Scott Dixon". scoop.co.nz . Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  12. "Motorsport New Zealand Media Awards". Motorsport New Zealand. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  13. "Motorsport New Zealand Special Award". Motorsport New Zealand. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
Sporting positions
Preceded by New Zealand Grand Prix Winner
1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by New Zealand Grand Prix Winner
1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by New Zealand Grand Prix Winner
2004
Succeeded by
Simon Gamble