Wilson, Radisich Now Looking Forward To Qld Raceway To Regain Lost Performance
15/6/2004 11:48 (Press Release) -
Practice Sunday - Barbagallo Raceway experienced a marked improvement in the weather conditions for today’s early practice session. In the warm up this morning both Team Betta Electrical cars were out on the track and showing good form, Car # 88 driven by Paul Radisich had been worked on overnight and a new sensor installed. Car # 888 driven by Max Wilson was also on track with the promise of a good performance and a best lap time of 0:56.4557.
Race Two - Race Two of Round 5 of the V8 Supercars series got underway in milder weather conditions today.
Team Betta Electrical cars of Paul Radisich and Max Wilson taking their place on the grid in 29th and 16th positions respectively.
Again the race start was fast and furious with Wilson negotiating the traffic to complete lap one without incident, not so however for Radisich in car # 88.
Radisich being squeezed out wide in the first corner and outed off into the sand trap at Cat Corner.
Yet another blow was dealt to Radisich two laps later, when given a drive through penalty for exceeding the speed limit of 40 kph in pit lane.
This effectively put the 88 car seven laps behind the leaders.
Wilson continued to make his way up the leader board into 9th position, when he came in contact with an oil patch on Cat Corner and had a brief excursion through the sand trap, rejoining the field in 21st position.
Radisich continued to battle with his car, however the race was lost with Radisich only managing to complete 32 laps of the 42 lap race and being dealt another blow in being recorded as a DNF due to insufficient laps being completed, further frustrating his championship points standing.
“Someone up there is not looking down on me too kindly this weekend, when you have a shocker, it’s a Real Shocker and this meet is no exception, “I can’t take a trick this weekend” - said Radisich. “I just hope I can redeem something out of the weekend in race 3” - Radisich concluded.
Wilson was also disappointed with his final outcome, saying - “It was a pretty tough race and I was going well until I hit that oil patch on Cat Corner and that cost me twelve positions”.
“By that time I couldn’t make up those positions. Now I just have to focus on the third and final race as will the entire team”.
– commented Wilson.
It was touch and go for Team Betta Electrical to have Paul Radisich’s car #88 on the grid for race 3.
After the engine’s failure to Radisich’s car in race 2, the tight program only allowed the team forty minutes to change the engine and have him back out to take his place at the back of the grid for race 3, they achieved the impossible with only seconds to spare.
The race saw Jason Bright again lead the field into the first corner.
The two Team Betta Electrical cars positioned 23rd and 25th, certainly had the job ahead of them.
Car # 88 of Radisich was first into the pits on lap3 for the mandatory tyre change, closely followed on lap 7 by Wilson in car #888.
Radisich’s car # 88 was struggling and losing distance from the rest of the field.
Wilson maintained 23rd position for some distance, then in the closing stages made a lunge passing David Besnard under brakes at Novus Corner to take his 888 Ford into 17th spot, a position he maintained to the finish line.
Radisich continued to nurse his car around to complete Race 3 crossing the line in 29th position.
“This will have to go down as the round to forget, everyone in the team has put in such an extended effort in the hope the team entries would perform, however it was not to be. We will have yo now regroup and plan for Round 6 at Queensland Raceway, July 2 – 4“, - said Radisich.
Wilson agreed with Radisich’s comments, adding, “I don’t want another round like this one, we have got to move on now and not dwell on this”.
Final results saw Jason Bright drive a copy book race to take the chequered flag for race 3, followed by Steven Richards in second spot and Marcos Ambrose finishing the 42 lap event in third position.
Crowd attendance at Barbagallo surpassed all expectations. Attendance was up by around 30 % on last years figures with 47,500 people attending Sundays event at Barbagallo and enjoying a spectacular day of racing in all categories.
RESULTS
Race Two Sunday
1
1 50 PWR Performance Products Jason Bright Holden
2 15 K Mart Racing Team Rick Kelly Holden
3 51 Kmart Racing Team Greg Murphy Holden
4 1 Pirtek Racing Marcos Ambrose Ford 29
5 34 Repco Valvoline Cummins Team 0:.4199 Garth Tander Holden0
6 11 Castrol Perkins Motorsport Steven Richards Holden
7 12 OzEmail Racing Team John Bowe Ford
8 22 Holden Racing Team Todd Kelly Holden
9 31 Super Cheap Auto Racing Steve Ellery Ford 24
10 17 Shell Helix Racing Steven Johnson Ford 5
11 29 Sirromet - Life Style Wine Paul Morris Holden
12 3 Tasman Motorsport Jason Richards Holden
13 21 OzEmail Racing Team Brad Jones Ford
14 16 PWR Performance Products Paul Weel Holden
15 2 Holden Racing Team Mark Skaife Holden
16 20 Larkham Orcon Racing Mark Winterbottom Ford
17 9 Caltex Havoline Race Team Russell Ingall Ford 9
18 14 WPS Mark Noske Ford
19 7 Castrol Perkins Motorsport Tony Longhurst Holden
20 8 Castrol Perkins Motorsport Paul Dumbrell Holden
21 5 Ford Performance Racing Glenn Seton Ford 22
22 75 Toll Racing Anthony Tratt Holden 32
23 888 Team Betta Electrical Max Wilson Ford 15
24 45 Roadships/Alphawest/World Ind Dale Brede Holden
DNF 88 Team Betta Electrical Paul Radisich Ford
DNF 23 WPS David Besnard Ford 17
DNF 10 Larkham Orrcon Racing Jason Bargwanna Ford 27
DNF 021 Team Kiwi Racing Craig Baird Holden
DNF 6 Ford Performance Racing Craig Lowndes Ford 19
DNF 18 Shell Helix Racing Warren Luff Ford 13
DNF 44 Roadships/Alphawest/World Ind Simon Wills Holden
DNF 33 Repco Valvoline Cummins Team Cameron McConville 7 Holden
RESULTS
Race Three Sunday
1. 50 PWR Performance Products Jason Bright 00.3070 Holden:
2. 11 Castrol Perkins Motorsport Steven Richards Holden
3. 1 Pirtek Racing Marcos Ambrose Ford 22
4. 15 Kmart Racing Team Rick Kelly Holden
5. 16 PWR Performance Products Paul Weel Holden 31
6. 34 Repco Valvoline Cummins Team 0:.4199 Garth Tander Holden0
7. 12 OzEmail Racing Team John Bowe Ford 8
8. 31 Super Cheap Auto Racing Steve Ellery Ford 17
9. 2 Holden Racing Team Mark Skaife Holden
10. 22 Holden Racing Team Todd Kelly Holden
11. 17 Shell Helix Racing Steven Johnson Ford 21
12. 21 OzEmail Racing Team Brad Jones Ford 16
13. 9 Caltex Havoline Race Team Russell Ingall Ford 18
14. 3 Tasman Motorsport Jason Richards Holden 9
15. 20 Larkham Orcon Racing Mark Winterbottom Ford
16. 51 Kmart Racing Team Greg Murphy Holden 15
17. 888 Team Betta Electrical Max Wilson Ford28
18. 33 Repco Valvoline Cummins Team Cameron McConville Holden
19. 10 Larkham Orrcon Racing Jason Bargwanna Ford 20
20. 7 Castrol Perkins Motorsport Tony Longhurst Holden
21. 44 Roadships/Alphawest/World Ind Simon Wills Holden
22. 23 WPS David Besnard Ford 17
23. 18 Shell Helix Racing Warren Luff Ford 13
24. 75 Toll Racing Anthony Tratt Holden 32
25. 14 WPS Mark Noske Ford
26. 29 Sirromet - Life Style Wine Paul Morris Holden
27. 8 Castrol Perkins Motorsport Paul Dumbrell Holden
28. 45 Roadships/Alphawest/World Ind Dale Brede Holden
29. 88 Team Betta Electrical Paul Radisich Ford
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