Mike Pennall has taken out New Zealand's National Forklift Drivers' Championships for the third consecutive year.

Pennall won the two-day finals event by more than 200 points, and won a trip to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix next year.

Chief judge Maurice Flood, national forklift instructors' registrar for New Zealand's Occupational Safety & Health Service, said Pennall was a deserving winner.

"The competition was fierce, but Mike's consistently high standards and a cool head kept him in front," he said.

Flood said Pennall had been "under pressure" to make it to the finals (Forkliftaction.com News #176).

Despite being placed third three times, second three times, and having just won his third first prize, Flood said he would be back again next year.

"If you're excelling at what you do, why not keep doing it?" he said. "It's great to have such a dominant champion in a competition like this - it encourages all entrants to do better."