Kiwi racing legend and double world touring car champion Paul Radisich is returning to NZ to take on the role of chief executive the upcoming V8 SuperTourers racing series.

Radisich replaces Mark Petch, one of the founding directors of V8SuperTourers Ltd, as the company’s front-line executive and starts his new CEO position on 1 November this year.

Radisich has been based primarily in the United Kingdom for the past three years running a business providing unique pit wall solutions for race tracks around Europe. The 48-year-old has many race and championship wins to his credit including nine years full-time competition in the Australian V8Supercar championship, the 1993 and 1994 world touring car titles and hundreds of other touring car races all over the world.

Petch continues as the fast-expanding company’s managing director while Radisich assumes all day-to-day responsibilities.

Petch says the directors of V8SuperTourers Ltd have charged Radisich with the overall role of running and promoting the company’s programme of race events, which start in February 2012. Radisich will also join TV3 motorsport presenter Shaun Summerfield on-air when coverage of the V8SuperTourers screens on the network’s Gillette Motorsport show. (more…)

Former two-time World Touring Car Cup champion Paul ‘The Rat’ Radisich makes a start this weekend for his second season of NZ V8s championship action at Taupo in the HPM Racing team Ford Falcon (3-5 October).

The first of seven rounds in the 2008/09 BNT V8s Championship season, the HPM Racing team return with Radisich following a number of race victories in last year’s first season together with team and driver.

Following an off-season ground-up rebuild of the #777 HPM Racing team Ford, Radisich completed two-days of testing two-weeks prior to the season start.

“We had a great test and I’ve got a lot of confidence in the car the team have prepared for the season,” said Radisich.

“I learned a lot from last year and that will help greatly when it comes to being front-running competitive in the championship. It’s not something you just show up for and expect to dominate.”

With the season goal of winning the outright championship title, Radisich’s dominance last season was upset by several instances where the bright yellow and black Ford came off second best in panel rubbing skirmishes.

The V8s series is well known for the on-track action and the slightly built Melbourne based Kiwi regularly ousted the competition by muscling for position.

“I guess it comes from years of competition — especially in Europe. If you don’t go for the opportunity, someone will take it from you,” described Radisich of his driving style.
Following a seventh place victory in the recent V8 Supercar enduro at Phillip Island, Radisich returns to the HSV Dealer Team for the Bathurst 1000 the weekend after Taupo.

“That’s the tough bit — going from one to the other, but I’ve always looked forward to the challenge and in some ways it can be that little bit of an edge,” added Radisich.

At 3.5km in length, the Taupo circuit is a far cry from the 1000km Bathurst race the weekend following, and with three races on the weekend programme, it will be a quiet ease-in for the 45-year old.

Following practise on Friday, the now familiar three-heat qualifying on Saturday morning precedes the Fujitsu 200 weekend opening 12 lap race.

Sunday starts with a 16 lap race in the morning and a full-reverse grid 20 lap finale from 3:30pm.

With changeable weather predicted for the Taupo weekend — the often extremes encountered at the higher altitude venue are yet another factor that Radisich will have to work with in his quest for success.

The HPM Racing team; current leaders of the BNT V8s championship have good news with driver Paul Radisich passing on his regards to well-wishers following Saturday’s injury accident at Bathurst.

The 220km/h accident started when the throttle of his Toll HSV car jammed during practice at the Bathurst 1000. Radisich suffered a badly fractured right ankle, dislocated left ankle and three broken ribs.

Recovering in Orange hospital following surgery to insert pins in to his ankle, Radisich is expectedly somber about the bad-luck incident that has dashed his leading status in New Zealand’s premier V8s race series.

Following his first round win in the New Zealand series at Taupo the weekend prior to Bathurst, his annual appearance at the great race was looking strong for a top placing following early testing form. However, emphasizing the nature of which fortunes change, Radisich’s early progress has been met with the reality he will be unable to return to his New Zealand championship for the remainder of the season.

HPM Racing team owners Simon Cressey and Greg Bellingham have fielded numerous calls from potential replacements and are currently consulting with Paul as to the way forward.

Paul ‘The Rat’ Radisich has taken an early lead in the 2008-09 BNT V8s championship after winning the three-race weekend at Taupo.

In the HPM/LG Electronics Ford, Radisich secured the win after finishing the late afternoon reverse-grid race in eighth position having started from 27th. A gruelling 20-lap race that threatened rain, Radisich became embroiled in a continual tit-for-tat tussle for position with front-running drivers Andy Booth and John McIntyre. The mid-pack finish was enough to maintain the early championship lead Radisich claimed after the morning race win, on the heels of the second place in Saturday’s season opening race.

Acknowledging the quality of the V8s racing field, Radisich said today’s full reverse-grid race was tougher, “the field is very strong — so there weren’t as many dropping back as there used to be — so the racing was much tougher.”

“It’s a nice start to the series — anytime you can come away with a lead against a field like this then you’re doing well.  Really, the day came to me — so I’d have to say I’ve been a bit lucky too,” added the 45-year old Melbourne based Kiwi.

Acknowledging the weekend result, HPM Racing team manager Greg Bellingham said it was also the culmination of a lot of hard work, “totally a team effort — from everyone.  The whole team worked really hard in the off-season and their dedication along with the commitment from Paul and Paul Grimm our data engineer, is a part of our early championship lead.  HPM and our other key sponsors have really lifted us through their commitment to support us — so getting results is the easiest way to pay them back.”

With four weeks to the second of seven rounds in the series, the series leading team will do further testing in preparation for the 2009 leg of the season before the Pukekohe round in early November (7-9).

Radisich now leaves Taupo, en-route for the Bathurst 1000 where he will drive for the HSV Dealer Team at the annual V8 Supercar event next weekend.

Over ten years since he last piloted a championship series car at Manfeild, HPM Racing team driver Paul Radisich returns to the Feilding based raceway.

A once very regular racer at the lower-North Island venue, this weekend’s NZ V8s race action will again be with Ford — this time the 777 HPM Racing Falcon.

“The last event I did there was when Ford entered the Telstar’s in the NZ Championship and I did a couple of guest appearances – in about 1995,” commented Radisich from his Melbourne home.  “I’ve got great memories of being punted in to the bank — for my sins.”

The fourth and final round in the North Island of the 2007/08 NZ V8s Championship, Radisich is in a close battle for second overall in the standings — although that isn’t where his focus is: “Just keeping clear of the carnage in the final reverse-grid race, that’ll be a big deal — from there the points should follow.”

Still very much in the hunt for the overall title, the start of the Manfeild weekend puts the championship in to second-half of the season, with a total of nine races to run over three remaining rounds.

“Manfeild is a great little track; it’s always been a fun track to drive on, particularly the in-field banking part — it’s always a good spectator track and while it’s not a technical track it is a fun track.”

“In the V8 class it would be very very close,” he predicts.  At 3.03km in length, the banked corners are a unique feature that allows higher corner speeds with a number of passing opportunities.

Back to a shiny guise following the Taupo A1GP weekend of battle, the yellow and black 777 HPM Racing Falcon received a clean bill of health from team manager Greg Bellingham.

“We believe we’ve solved the carburettor issues of Taupo — they’ve (the team have) worked very hard on it.  Although it’s still a debate whether we use the new engine or not as we haven’t used up any of our engine lives yet.  I’m looking forward to it, the team is looking forward to it – we are there to go up the ladder.”

There to bolster the Paul Radisich fan base, HPM Legrand New Zealand Sales & Marketing Manager Neil Walker says they expect over 120 corporate clients to attend the Manfeild weekend:

“We’ve got quite a big deal on with one of our local suppliers: Stewart’s Electrical, with a competition that Paul will treat the winners to hot-laps on Friday afternoon.”

Following the testing procedure of Friday, the Fujitsu 200 at Manfeild starts with qualifying in three sessions on Saturday morning and a 14-lap race in the afternoon.
The second race of the weekend starts around noon on Sunday with the full-reverse grid 22-lap race from 4pm.

The HPM Racing team are further supported by HPM Legrand, Tribro, Ricoh, Paslode, TimberWorld, LeasePlan NZ, Olex New Zealand, South Auckland Ford, Pennzoil, Tracer Interiors and Construction.

NZ V8s – Championship points (after round three) – provisional
1. J McIntyre (Nelson) 574
2. A Fogg (Auckland) 469
3. K Scott (Hamilton) 464
4. Paul Radisich (Melbourne) 449
5= A Booth (Auckland) 375
5= P Manuell (Auckland) 375

Source: HPM Racing team/Tracer Motorsport