Morrinsville farmer Murray Hobbs has won his first New Zealand stockcar championship.
The Rotorua-contracted Hobbs, who has been racing for 20 years and won two stockcar grand prix titles in that time, secured the championship by two points from Palmerston North's two-time winner Barry Podjursky in Napier on Saturday night.
Hobbs, aged 42, driving a Toyota-powered car, won the first of the three championship heats off grid 5, finished sixth in the second off grid 18 and seventh in the third off grid 18.
He was delighted with his success in front of 10,500 fans.
"This is absolutely awesome. The smiles on the pit crew say it all. I knew we had the potential and it's just great to get it."
Roydon Collingwood of Stratford finished third, one point behind Podjursky, but his placing is under protest and a decision on it will not be made until the weekend.
- NZPA
Stockcars: Veteran racer wins national champs
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