It will be a sad moment for legendary driver Kenny Smith when he will have to watch the New Zealand Grand Prix as a spectator at Manfeild on Sunday.
Unless there is some sort of miracle, the 72-year-old Aucklander won’t be in a Toyota Racing Series (TRS) car for the first time in 48 grands prix.
The oldest man to race in any grand prix anywhere in the world, Smith had had his heart set on driving in 50 GPs, and even 55, after having contested the past 47, joking he was the only one stupid enough at his age to keep racing.
“I haven’t got a car at the moment and I might be struggling,” he said. “It really brasses me off; it’s devastating.
“Each year they’ve had a grand prix I’ve been there.
“There are so many drivers from overseas this year who wanted to drive, they didn’t have any more cars.”
Smith, in his 56th consecutive season of racing, is also the only driver to have contested all nine years of the TRS. He had a triple bypass heart operation in 1987 and has won three grand prix, in 1976, 1990 and as a 62-year-old in 2004.
There has always been a car for him, but this year there were only two not being raced and Smith couldn’t persuade the owner to let him drive one of them.
He was disappointed about that because over the years he has helped so many young drivers into cars.
“If a car comes up I’ll still jump into it. But if that’s the way it’s got to be, I will drive Formula Ford regardless.”
He showed the young guys a trick when, despite his arthritis, he won a Formula Ford race at Hampton Downs last weekend. Should he win the last Formula Ford race on Sunday, he will be able to present himself with the Maurie Smith Memorial Trophy, dedicated to his father.
He will also be presenting the Dorothy Smith Memorial Cup after the final TRS race for the overall winner of round five. That trophy is in honour of his mother who collapsed at Manfeild five years ago and died aged 92.
One of the TRS cars was smashed in an accident at Timaru and that meant one less to choose from.
While upset he will miss out, it won’t put Smith off, even with new TRS tubs coming in next summer.
“We’ll be back. Maybe the only way to be certain to drive is to buy one of my own.”
He said if the purchase price isn’t stupid, he will be tempted next year to put a youngster in the car and drive it himself at the GP.
He did own a TRS car but sold it back to Toyota a few years ago.
His love for motor racing shows no sign of waning. This year he has won eight of 11 races, in Formula 5000 and Formula Ford, and in one race his F5000 blew a conrod out of the sump.
Smith has also bought one of the new TR86 sports coupes and has Christchurch driver Tom Alexander in the seat.
Am hoping for a miracle – GO Kenny!