R12S PREV - Kiwi horsepower odds-on to win
8/11/2001 18:02 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
They stole our most coveted cup on Tuesday, and now the Kiwis are coming home to snatch the V8 International spoils as well.
The New Zealand contingent of V8 Superstars are converging on Pukekohe Park Raceway near Auckland this weekend for the first-ever offshore round of the Shell Championship Series, and all are keen to impress in front of their knowledgeable, Supercar-starved home crowd.
The penultimate round of the championship will also see Mark Skaife’s coronation as the 2001 Shell Series champion. Skaife holds an unassailable lead over Russell Ingall, and needs just a handful of points to seal a second consecutive title.
But this is an all-black party, and the Kiwis are likely to star. None more so than one very popular Rat.
New Zealand’s best Touring Car export, Paul ‘the Rat’ Radisich returns to his former home track as the sentimental favourite.
"Taking the whole V8 Supercar show to New Zealand is going to be a lot of fun and I know already from a couple of recent visits that there's huge interest in it over there," the Auckland-raised driver said.
Failures in the big-points races meant Radisich was forced to abort his championship campaign earlier this year, but the tenacious Kiwi is hungry for more race wins.
"I think the cars are going to be very spectacular on the Pukekohe track and I am sure the layout will suit our cars well, so I am very optimistic about a strong result.
“Winning in front of the home-town crowd would really make it something special.”
The last time the V8 Supercars ventured across the Tasman, for an exhibition race at Pukekohe in 1996, Greg Murphy was the big winner, taking pole position and a clean-sweep of race wins.
Murphy knows the challenge is considerably tougher this time around, but a longing to again stand on the Pukekohe podium has the K-Mart Racing ace boldly declaring “I’m coming home to win!”
"You couldn't have felt any better than what I did back at Pukekohe in '96 and I'm just hoping everything works out the same way again this weekend," he said.
25-year-old Simon Wills also has the opportunity to compete on home soil after John Bowe’s baffling demise from the CAT Racing team.
Wills, who will pilot a John Briggs Falcon full-time next season, promises to relish the opportunity at a track he knows like the back of his hand.
Steven Richards, too, has strong links with the land of the long white cloud. The Richards dynasty originated in New Zealand, though Steven has never raced at the fast, flowing 2.8km circuit.
“I’m looking forward to finally coming back to New Zealand and taking part in a major event,” the Ford Tickford Racing driver said.
Compatriot Jason Richards (no relation) is another patriot, and will display the silver fern proudly at Pukekohe this weekend.
Richards, part of New Zealand’s very own Supercar outfit, the defiant Team Kiwi Racing, says the race will be the biggest of his career.
"I do not believe we will have ever have had as many supporters for Angus (teammate Angus Fogg, driving alongside Richards in a second TKR Commodore this weekend) or myself as we will have at Pukekohe," he said.
Whoever wins, New Zealand motorsport is likely to be the big winner. A Rugby-like crowd of some 40,000 is expected to jam into the upgraded complex on Sunday for their first taste of Shell Series racing.
Three 100km races are scheduled for the weekend, one on Saturday afternoon and two on Sunday. Drivers will make a mandatory tyre change in each race.
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