Mixed Fortunes for KSM duo at NZ Festival of Motor Sport

Mixed Fortunes for KSM duo at NZ Festival of Motor Sport opener

It was mixed fortunes for Ken Smith Motorsport drivers Ken Smith and Andrew Higgins at a weather-affected opening round of the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing featuring Chris Amon last weekend at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park.

It was going to be a busy two weeks for the pair, who between them had six cars entered for the two-round festival, Smith driving his regular Lola T430 Formula 5000 car, as well as a Dallara Formula 3 car in the Super Historic class, a Lola T664 in the Historic Formula Ford class and a Toyota Corona in the 1980’s Touring Car class. Higgins was entered in his Lola T400 Formula 5000 as well as debuting the ex-Craig Baird double NZGP winning Reynard Formula Atlantic car in the Super Historic class.

Smith picked up where he left off in the MSC Tasman Revival Formula 5000 Series, grabbing pole position in qualifying in dry conditions on Friday afternoon, just pipping recent NZ resident Mark Dwyer and UK visitor Michael Lyons. Higgins was sidelined part way through qualifying with a cooling issue in his Lola, the team having worked long hours to install Smith’s spare engine after discovering major engine issues with his original engine at the last minute. After investigating the problem after the session, it was elected to park the car for the weekend rather than risk damaging another engine.

The first Formula 1 race was held in wet and worsening conditions on Saturday afternoon, Smith struggled with a partially sticking throttle as Dwyer took the lead at the first corner, Smith then took the challenge to Dwyer until Dwyer spun at high speed over the hump up the front straight, somehow missing the walls and continuing in 3rd place. The race was stopped later that lap after Canadian Jay Esterer hit the wall in his McRae GM1, on the restart it was decided there was too much water and the race finished under safety car, Smith winning from Dwyer and Lyons.

In the Super Historic class, Smith had qualified 3rd in the little F3 car, Higgins 8th in the 13-strong field after using the qualifying session as a shakedown, the fully restored car returning to a NZ track for the first time since 1993. Smith soon took the lead, Higgins moved up through the field until they were 1-2 starting the last lap. They entered the last corner nose to tail, Higgins attempting the outside line but finding it too wet, but he got a run on Smith up the hill towards the chequered flag, and proving there were no team orders, was forced to put a wheel on the grass but muscled his way through and they crossed the line side by side, Higgins being credited with the win by 0.001 seconds.

The second race was wet, Smith dicing with Grant Martin’s Swift DB4 for the lead, Higgins got up to 3rd until he spun with a brake bias issue and dropped back, Smith pressured Martin into a spin at the final corner with 2 laps to go and drove away for the win, Higgins driving back through the field to 2nd for the second 1-2 for KSM for the weekend.

In the Historic Formula Ford class, veteran Smith qualified 3rd in a big field of 27 cars, and won a thrilling first race by just 0.007 seconds from Phil Foulkes, but elected not to start the second race which was held in appalling wet conditions. The touring car races weren’t so successful, a computer issue stopping the car in qualifying and preventing Smith from finishing either race.

After torrential rain meant that Sunday’s racing was abandoned, the team now looks forward to the second round of the NZ Festival of Motor Racing this weekend, where Higgins will be back in the Formula 5000 class with a rebuilt engine, and Smith planning to replace the F3 car with a Swift DB4 in the Super Historic class.

Ken Smith Motorsport is supported by Tridon NZ, Motul Oil, No. 8 Industries, Classic Cover Insurance, JWB Group and Straight Cut Graphix.

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