Kiwi beauty queen on course in Brazil

Miss Universe New Zealand 2011 Priyani Puketapu visits the GT Brasil raceway in Sao Paulo, Brazil at the weekend. Photo: REUTERS/Patrick Prather/Miss Universe Organization, L.P. LLLP/Handout

Miss Universe contestants arrive for a bike ride from Parque das Bicicletas to Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo. Photo: REUTERS/Richard D. Salyar/Miss Universe Organization, L.P. LLLP/Handout

Miss Canada 2011 Chelsae Durocher and Miss Cayman Islands 2011 Cristin Alexander pose at the Jockey Club in Sao Paulo. Photo: REUTERS/Richard D. Salyer/Miss Universe Organization, L.P. LLLP/Handout

Contestants (l to r) Miss Canada Chelsae Durocher, Miss Brazil Priscila Machado, Miss Australia Scherri-lee Biggs and Miss Finland Pia Pakarinen warm up before an exhibition football match. Photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

Miss Costa Rica 2011 Johanna Solano celebrates after scoring a goal during the exhibition football match. Photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

Miss Universe New Zealand has been turning on the charm with her fellow contestants at a range of sporting events in Brazil ahead of the 2011 pageant in Sao Paulo on September 12.

Wellington's Priyani Puketapu turned out at the city's Interlagos Race Track alongside contestants from Australia, France, Italy, Portugal and the US, among others, to watch as Valdene Brito and Matthew Stumpf piloted their Ford GT to victory in the Itaipava GT Brasil race at the weekend.

The contestants also donned boots for an exhibition football match, some took part in a bike ride through Sao Paulo, while others spent an afternoon at the races at the city's Jockey Club.

Miss Puketapu, who was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand in May, is studying toward a bachelor of communication, majoring in journalism.

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