Motorsport: Clark cheers on Kiwi ace - but no sign of Paris

Helen Clark

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Motor racing fans hoping for a glimpse of glamorous socialite Paris Hilton at the Taupo racetrack had to make do with Helen Clark instead.

The rumoured arrival of Hilton came to nothing, but New Zealand's Prime Minister watched Jonny Reid win yesterday's sprint race, and shoot to the top of the A1 series table by finishing fourth in the feature race. "This is my first time at A1GP and I found it incredibly exciting," said Helen Clark.

"I can't say I've been a close follower of it [motorsport] but I've been aware of the motor race heritage New Zealand's got. I so admired the skill of Jonny and how he kept his nerve after a pretty tricky start. The team's got to take credit for the flawless pit stops."

New Zealand is the first country to host an international motor sport event using a 30 per cent biofuel mix. The Government has promised a $750,000 grant to the series for showing leadership in making motorsport more eco-friendly.

"New Zealand's got a leadership position on these [green] issues," said the Prime Minister. "And I was blown away when A1GP asked me to make the announcement, and it's a powerful signal that fast cars can run on these fuels."

John Bongard, CEO of Fisher and Paykel, announced that the company is sponsoring Black Beauty for another three years.

"When we first started it was a bit of a leap into the unknown," said Bongard.

"What appealed to us was the nation vs nation. We're a small innovative nation and it's like Kiwis taking on the world.

"We're out there fighting above our weight and it fits with our company's ethos. If you don't innovate you're dead, and Kiwis are good at getting to the top ... I'm so proud of Jonny, he's a great ambassador for the sport."