Radisich wins season opener for BNT V8s at Taupo
Sunday 5 October 2008, 7:56PM
By The MotorSport Company
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Paul Radisich, the Melbourne-based Kiwi racing star contesting his second season in the BNT V8s Championship, has scored maximum points in the series’ opener in Taupo.
In an action-packed three-race round, the BNT V8s delivered highly competitive racing with defending champion John McIntyre fastest in official qualifying, but former V8s champion Kayne Scott took the first race win and McIntyre set a new lap record after losing track position early in the race. Radisich won the second rain-effected contest then Angus Fogg, in his first season with his own LG Electronics-backed team, took out a demanding reverse grid 20-lapper.
So, one driver on pole, three different race winners and just twenty points separating the top four drivers after three intense races all point towards the BNT V8s’ 2008-09 championship being one of the best yet.
“We’ve had a very pleasing weekend,” said Radisich. “I think we’re about a second off the outright pace we can achieve and you have to be mechanically sympathetic to these cars compared to a V8 Supercar, but it’s good and we’re in the right place at the top of the points’ table.”
McIntyre was optimistic about the pace his brand-new Castrol Ford has, despite not being able finish higher than second. “Twenty points to the top of the table is nothing. We had the pace, we just didn’t have the luck at times [McIntyre came out of two opening laps further down the field than where he’d started],” said the Nelson-based 31-year-old who’s aiming for a record-breaking three consecutive New Zealand V8 titles this season.
Scott complimented other drivers on their racing behaviour, particularly during the reverse grid race which can often involve a lot of panel damage. “We have a lot of past champions – even the rookies like Baird, Williams and Bristow. They have a lot of experience and you just can’t drag away from anyone when you get past in that reverse grid race – it was incredibly hard to get passed Baird and so was [David] Besnard.”
A two-time V8 champion Booth was also pleased with his brand-new Big Ben Pies Holden. “For the first meeting, the car’s shown its potential. We’ve taken some big guesses with the set-up so two third places and a seventh is all good for the championship points. We’re aiming on a good day’s testing at Pukekohe before the next round.”
The rookie drivers in this season’s BNT V8s can be duly pleased with their opening round efforts. Pukekohe’s Michael Bristow is lying sixth, the 21-year-old former V8s development series champion in his first full season in the top V8 series with the Tex Onsite Ford. He’s a champion many times over, but Gold Coast-based Kiwi Craig Baird hasn’t driven a New Zealand-specification V8 for a full season before. Baird has taken over the United Video Ford run by father-in-law Garry Pedersen and came through an eventful weekend to lie eighth on the points’ table. Former Production Racing Series champion Dale Williams finished a very credible sixth in the SCG Stabicraft Ford. Christchurch’s Eddie Bell is another contesting his first full V8s season; he’s now ninth behind Baird.
The BNT V8s (formerly New Zealand V8s) head to Pukekohe Park for round two over the weekend of 8 and 9 November where they will contest the same three-part qualifying and three-race programme.
The new-look BNT V8s website – www.nzv8s.co.nz – is now live and features options for ticket purchases and detailed event and driver information.
Qualifying in more detail
Defending New Zealand V8s champion John McIntyre took pole for the championship’s opening race. With a fastest time of 1:35.273 McIntyre came through the three qualifying sessions to take the pole position from former V8 champion Kayne Scott who had been fastest in the first two sessions.
All 28 BNT V8s competitors run during an initial 20 minute session with the fastest 20 going through to the second 15 minute session. The top ten shoot-out comprised all the big names in the fiercely-competitive BNT V8s: Scott, McIntyre, Andy Booth, Angus Fogg, Paul Manuell, Paul Radisich, Paul Pedersen, Andy Knight, Andrew Anderson and Craig Baird. Disappointed to miss the top ten were early fast-runners Dale Williams and David Besnard in the SCG Racing Fords, Tim Edgell in the Chesters Ford and Andrew Porter in the Hydraulink Ford.
With heavy cloud and the possibility of rain, the BNT V8s completed their qualifying on the 3.5km Taupo circuit with, first, Manuell getting a clear run for the quickest time of the session, then Booth and then McIntyre. The intensity of battle was clear with several drivers overshooting the end of the long main straight as they strove to brake as late as possible.
McIntyre and Scott lined up on the front row for race one, with Fogg and Radisich behind them to make an all-Ford top four. Anderson and Booth create a Holden third row, with Pedersen and Manuell in row four. Two rookies in the BNT V8s class, Knight and Baird, completed the top ten.
Race one in more detail
Scott won an action-packed first race of the new V8s season with the Hamilton driver delighted to score maximum points in the Fujitsu Ford in the event called the Fujitsu 200.
The driver known as ‘Johnny Mac’ and Scott led the 28-strong field cleanly away from the rolling start. The funnelling effect as the field thundered into the narrowing turn one and resultant battle for track position around turn two’s drifting left-hander resulted in McIntyre being forced off the track. A stewards’ inquiry was held to examine the actions of several drivers with Angus Fogg and Paul Manuell penalised with a 50 second time penalty added to their total race time. This demoted Manuell from eleventh across the line to 21st while Fogg maintained his 23rd finishing position.
“I basically said thanks guys,” explained Scott who had a clear track in front of him after McIntyre’s departure, allowing a trouble-free run to the chequered flag and the maximum of 75 championship points.
Behind Scott, Paul Radisich, in the HPM Ford, made a couple of strong attempts to catch the leader, but decided to race for second place.
“It was a bit of luck for me when the guys came together in turn two,” said the experienced Melbourne-based Kiwi who started fourth on the grid. “I was at full lock to try and avoid them, but managed to get past. The accident has to happen somewhere here – it’s really just a matter of whether it’s at turn one or turn two.”
Fogg ran in third place for two laps, battling hard with two-time V8s champion Andy Booth and ultimately losing the place to Booth as his driver’s door swung open due to damage sustained earlier. Fogg then had to bring the LG Electronics Ford into the pits for repairs, eventually crossing the line in 23rd place.
Coming home in third place, Booth was also pleased to start the season with a podium place. “Especially with our brand-new Big Ben Pies Holden, we’d have liked more testing – you always do – and we’ve had to work hard to get this car set up as there’s very little which transfers over from the old car which was six seasons’ old. We’re still getting our head around the changes and expect the car will be faster yet.”
Andrew Anderson, the West Auckland driver whose Holden is built in the same AV8 Motorsport workshop as Booth’s, drove strongly for a well-deserved fourth place.
Dropped to 13th place after the first lap incident, McIntyre was quick to attack, working back up through the field to eventually finish fifth. McIntyre’s tussles with Craig Baird, the many-time Porsche GT3 Cup champion who’s racing full-time in the BNT V8s for the first time this season, and David Besnard, the Australian V8 Supercar driver who has re-signed with Taupo’s SCG Racing, made for some of the best racing of the afternoon. Bold moves took McIntyre past these other top competitors and the two-time V8s champion bettered the official lap record for the Taupo circuit that he set earlier this year of 1:36.928 with a new time of 1:36.607.
In the Hydraulink Ford, Andrew Porter held onto fifth place behind Anderson for over half the race, until the hard-charging McIntyre swept passed him, leaving Porter to finish sixth for a strong start to the Auckland driver’s championship season.
Baird was seventh – an unfamiliar place for the multiple champion, but as he said during testing for this weekend’s opening round of the BNT V8s Championship “...I’m a rookie in this class. We can change things on the United Video Ford that Mark Pedersen has campaigned so well for the last several seasons, but I’m still learning whether or not I’m changing things the right way, but that’s how you learn.”
Besnard was eighth with another pair making their full-season debut – former development V8s series winner Michael Bristow and former Mini champion Eddie Bell – wrapping up the top ten placings.
Race two in more detail
Paul Radisich took a hard-fought victory during an increasingly wet second race for the BNT V8s in Taupo this morning.
The Melbourne-based Kiwi made it virtually a start-to-finish win, having started on the front row of the grid beside yesterday’s race winner and former champion Kayne Scott.
With the start order determined by the finishing order from the weekend’s first race, Scott and Radisich lined up on the front row with Booth and Anderson in row two, demonstrating that the leading Holdens are mixing it with the best of the Fords in the BNT V8s this season. Defending champion John McIntyre was on row three with Andrew Porter beside him.
The race was declared wet by the event director following rain during the morning, so competitors were required to fit the wet-specification Dunlop tyres and watched to see whether rain showers lurking over nearby hills would hit during the 16-lap race.
From the rolling start David Besnard took the Taupo Pak N Save Ford from eighth to fourth, while defending champion John McIntyre was pushed from fifth to eighth during the fierce jostling for position in the first two corners. As the field thundered down the long back straight for the first time, Radisich pulled out on Scott as they braked for the hard left-hander at the end of the straight to take the lead. Andy Booth also bought the Big Ben Pies Holden past Scott’s Fujitsu Ford so across the line for the first time, the top five were Radisich, Booth, Besnard, Scott and Andrew Porter while McIntyre had clawed back into sixth.
McIntyre blitzed past Scott on turn two, Scott’s Ford seemingly not as quick as others on the wet-weather Dunlops, then the defending champion set out after Besnard, attacking again and again before snatching third from ‘Bezzie’ on the seventh lap.
With Radisich holding a comfortable lead, second-place Booth was then in McIntyre’s sights. ‘Johnny Mac’s’ first attempt to pass Booth at the end of the long main straight didn’t quite work, the Castrol Ford passing the Holden, but not making the tight left-hander. Next time around, McIntyre nailed it and set out to haul in ‘the Rat’.
Just a little further back, rising V8 star Michael Bristow was engaged in very entertaining battles with Andrew Anderson and Kiwi racing star Craig Baird and another BNT V8s rookie Dale Williams. And from the disadvantage of starting in 23rd, LG Electronics Ford driver Angus Fogg climbed through the field to twelfth and eventually ninth.
The gap between Radisich and McIntyre became visibly smaller and for the last two laps, McIntyre must have filled the rear-view mirrors of Radisich’s HPM Ford. But Radisich’s experience held true with the former world touring car champion crossing the finish line just seconds ahead of McIntyre. Booth took another podium finish in the brand-new Big Ben Pies Holden with Baird and Scott completing the top five.
Race three in more detail
With the starting order for race three determined by combining points earned in races one and two, then reversing the ranking, Cambridge’s Nick Ross was on pole with Aucklander Shaun Turton beside him. Rain passed nearby but the track remained dry as the track commentators Brian Kelly and Chudleigh Haggett voiced the opinion that Tim Edgell in row two and Andy Knight in row three were the ones to watch.
Ross got the field away to a clean start, although Turton was an early casualty of the close-fought battle around the first corner. Edgell was quickly through into second with Besnard one of the quickest, bursting through from 20th to 11th in just one lap.
From 16th Fogg was making his presence known, swiftly working up to fourth by the fourth lap behind former International Motorsport team-mate Paul Pedersen who has returned to the V8s series full-time this season while Knight had replaced Edgell in second place behind Ross. Knight whipped past Ross in the hairpin to take the lead at the end of the fourth lap while Pedersen and Fogg duelled for second. Fogg ultimately won the drag race against Pedersen and then took advantage of apparent issues with Knight’s Milwaukee Ford to take the lead.
Meanwhile Besnard, Baird, Scott, Booth, McIntyre and Radisich were working closer to the front with some tremendously intense battles amongst the Booth/McIntyre/Radisich trio delighting the crowd braving Taupo’s wind and intermittent rain.
Behind Fogg and Pedersen, Bell was doing a fantastic job holding Scott out of third. The former Mini champion was clearly very competitive in the ex-Clark Proctor Ford. Scott said it was hard to get past Besnard for fourth, and Baird slowed and dropped out of sixth place, apparently out of fuel. Having started in 24th, McIntyre finished sixth ahead of Booth, Radisich, Bristow and Ross.
ENDS/
Free to use images. Please credit SportProMedia/Euan Cameron
2008-09 BNT V8s Championship – Qualifying, Round 1, Taupo
1, John McIntyre (Nelson) Ford Falcon, 1:35.273
2, Kayne Scott (Hamilton) Ford Falcon, 1:35.658
3, Angus Fogg (Auckland) Ford Falcon, 1:36.206
4, Paul Radisich (Melbourne) Ford Falcon, 1:36.464
5, Andrew Anderson (Auckland) Holden Commodore, 1:36.588
6, Andy Booth (Auckland) Holden Commodore, 1:36.622
7, Paul Pedersen (Rotorua) Ford Falcon, 1:36.698
8, Paul Manuell (Pukekohe) Holden Commodore, 1:36.841
9, Andy Knight (Christchurch) Ford Falcon, 1:37.177
10, Craig Baird (Gold Coast) Ford Falcon, 1:37.196
11, Andrew Porter (Auckland) Ford Falcon, 1:37.371
12, Tim Edgell (Auckland) Ford Falcon, 1:37.404
13, David Besnard (Brisbane) Ford Falcon, 1:37.747
14, Michael Bristow (Auckland) Ford Falcon, 1:37.794
15, Dale Williams (Auckland) Ford Falcon, 1:38.044
16, John Penny (Taupo) Holden Commodore, 1:38.208
17, Eddie Bell (Christchurch) Ford Falcon, 1:38.276
18, Nick Ross (Cambridge) Holden Commodore, 1:38.818
19, Simon Richards (Hamilton) Ford Falcon, 1:39.170
20, Alan McCarrison (Auckland) Ford Falcon, 1:40.054
21, Adam Brook (Christchurch) Ford Falcon, 1:39.023
22, Inky Tulloch (Gore) Ford Falcon, 1:39.131
23, John Hepburn (Timaru) Holden Commodore, 1:39.945
24, Cam Hardy (Hamilton) Holden Commodore, 1:40.111
25, Boyd Norwood (Palmerston North) Ford Falcon, 1:40.280
26, Shaun Turton (Pukekohe) Holden Commodore, 1:40.403
27, Chris Adams (Dunedin) Holden Commodore, 1:41.521
28, Julia Huzziff (Auckland) Holden Commodore, 1:41.904
2008-09 BNT V8s Championship – Race 1 (12 laps) Taupo
Provisional place, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned
1, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 75
2, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 67
3, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 60
4, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 54
5, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 49
6, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 45
7, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 42
8, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 39
9, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 36
10, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore, 33
11, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 30
12, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 28
13, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 26
14, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 24
15, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 22
16, Boyd Norwood, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon, 20
17, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore, 18
18, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 16
19, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 14
20, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore, 12
21, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 10
22, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore, 9
23, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 8
24, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 7
25, Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon, 6
26, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 5
DNF, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 0
DNF, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore, 0
2008-09 BNT V8s Championship – Race 2 (16 laps) Taupo
Place, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned
1, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 75
2, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 67
3, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 60
4, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 54
5, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 49
6, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 45
7, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 42
8, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 39
9, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 36
10, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 33
11, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 30
12, Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon, 28
13, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 26
14, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 24
15, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 22
16, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 20
17, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore, 18
18, Boyd Norwood, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon, 16
19, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 14
20, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 12
21, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 10
22, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore, 9
N/C, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 0
DNF, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 0
DNF, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore, 0
DNF, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 0
DNF, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore, 0
DNF, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore, 0
2008-09 BNT V8s Championship – Race 3 (20 laps, reverse grid) Taupo
Place, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned
1, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 75
2, Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon, 67
3, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore, 60
4, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 54
5, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 49
6, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 45
7, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 42
8, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 39
9, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 36
10, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore, 33
11, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 30
12, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 28
13, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 26
14, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 24
15, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 22
16, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 20
17, Boyd Norwood, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon, 18
18, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore, 16
19, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 14
20, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 12
21, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 10
22, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 9
23, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 8
DNF, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 0
DNF, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore, 0
DNF, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 0
DNF, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore, 0
DNS, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 0
2008-09 BNT V8s Championship – Provisional points after round 1 in Taupo
Place, Driver, Hometown, Car, Total provisional points
1, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 181
2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 178
3, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 162
4, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 161
5, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 122
6, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 114
7, Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon, 101
8, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 96
9, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore, 93
10, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 90
11, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 88
12, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 87
13, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 82
14, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 81
15, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 62
16=, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 58
16=, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 58
18, Boyd Norwood, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon, 54
19, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 53
20, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 49
21=, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 48
21=, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 48
23, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore, 46
24, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore, 33
25, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 22
26=, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 18
26=, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore, 18
26=, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore, 18
2008-09 BNT V8s Championship calendar
Round 1 (Fujitsu 200), Taupo Motorsport Park, 3-5 October 2008
Round 2, Pukekohe Park, 7-9 November 2008
Round 3, Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway (Christchurch), 28-30 November 2008
Round 4, Timaru International Motor Raceway, 9-11 January 2009
Round 5, Teretonga Park (Invercargill), 16-18 January 2009
Round 6, Manfeild Park (Fielding), 27 February - 1 March 2009
Round 7, Pukekohe Park, 20-22 March 2009
[Non-championship trophy round, Hamilton 400 V8 Supercars, 17-20 April 2009]