Nationality New Zealander Name Ken Smith | Role Racing driver | |
 | ||
Born 11 August 1942 (age 81) ( 1942-08-11 ) 1987 Member of the Order of the British Empire | ||
Kenneth James Smith (born 11 August 1942) is a New Zealand motor racing driver, who won the New Zealand Grand Prix in 1976, 1990, and 2004.
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
Smith won the Gold Star Drivers Award in the 1975–1976, 1983–1984, 1984–1985, 1986–1987 and 1989–1990 seasons. In 2011 Smith won the Formula 5000 Revival championship for the third time. 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.
F5000 crash jay esterer ken smith manfield
Honours and awards
Smith was awarded the MBE in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to motorsport, and in 1995 was inducted into the New Zealand Motorsport Hall of Fame. In 2008 he received the Motorsport Personality of the Year award. In 2010 he received a Motorsport New Zealand Special Award given in recognition of his pivotal role in motorsport.