Tiger Woods wins stock car race in New Zealand

Apr 24, 2006, 22:06 GMT

Wellington - Tiger Woods showed he can drive more than a golf ball when he won a celebrity stock-car race in New Zealand, newspapers reported Tuesday.

'One of the world's most marketable sports stars left the bubble- wrap behind, and, if there were any instructions from Tiger Woods' insurance company to take it easy on the rain-soaked mud track, he obviously took no notice,' the New Zealand Herald said.

Driving a stock car capable of 100 kilometres an hour, Woods clocked up his win in the second of three 12-lap races Monday night at a speedway meeting in the North Island town of Huntly.

He spun and lost control on a bend in the first race, ending up facing the wrong way. 'But that fearless competitive fire never died, as Woods revved and raced on, speeding past several cars and - often - narrowly avoiding contact,' the paper said.

His car then barely limped to the finish, the Herald said, but it was a different story in the second race, which he won, 'wowing the crowd with some daring driving.'

Woods - in New Zealand for his caddie Steve Williams's wedding - could not repeat that performance in the third race, saying later, 'I didn't think we did that good. We lost.

'I'll feel a bit sore tomorrow.'