Go speed racer go!

YOUNG Hervey Bay resident Connor Smith is a kid going places and fast. After starting out in kart racing, he won the Queensland Title at just nine years of age. He quickly transitioned into racing Junior Sprint Cars, racing around the track in a Daihatsu Charade at speeds that would scare most adults. He finished third in last year’s Maryborough Club Championships within his class, racing against competitors much older. Recently however, twelve year old Connor has taken to flying across the water instead of the land. Jetsprint or Sprint Boat Racing is a form of motorboat racing in which Jetboats race individually against the clock through a twisting series of channels in less than a metre of water. “Lawrie and Karen from Drop Bear Racing are based

in Hervey Bay and run an LS boat in the Australia V8 Superboat Championship. They introduced Connor to the sport and pardon the pun, but he has taken to it, like a duck to water,” Connor’s dad Anthony said. “They organised for Connor to get a drive in the Junior Development Series, and he immediately placed second against the reigning Australian Champion. He drives a 215hp boat with a supercharged

motor.” “We then travelled to Keith in South Australia, where a World Class Jet Sprint Track is located, and he placed second again. After just three meetings, he is now leading the Australian V8 Superboat Championship in the Junior Division.” Most impressively, because of his age and experience, Connor is racing with a restrictor on his boat to lower his speed, which others do not have. “Connor is the only Hervey Bay child that we know of who is currently engaged in the sport, and we are very proud of what he has achieved. He shows a lot of commitment to the sport and absolutely loves it.” As a part of the new Maryborough Motor Sports Precinct, it is hoped that a Jet Sprint Track can be established in the future to foster more talent across the Fraser Coast.