Former SMAP member Katsuyuki Mori wins auto race national championship

Kyodo -- Nov 04

Katsuyuki Mori, a former member of superstar pop idol group SMAP, won the national championship Tuesday in auto race, a Japanese version of motorcycle speedway which allows gambling on races.

The 46-year-old -- who left the immensely popular, now-disbanded group in 1996 -- was in tears after winning his first top-level event in the 5,100-meter race, comprising 10 laps of the Kawaguchi Circuit in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

"I owe this to my friends and all my fans. I want to share (the joy) with my father, who has been my biggest supporter," said Mori, who has competed in the sport for 24 years.

Luck was on Mori's side when he moved up from third to first place on the sixth lap, following a crash that took out both riders ahead of him.

Nov 04 (ANNnewsCH) - 元SMAPでオートレーサーの森且行さん(46)がオートレース界最高峰のレースを初めて制しました。  元SMAPの森さんが初優勝したのは埼玉県の川口オートレース場で行われたSG日本選手権です。46歳の森さんはSMAPを脱退し、1997年にオートレーサーに転身しました。森さんの日本選手権での優勝は初めてです。