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Front Page » Racing

Fords Kiwi Combo Eyes Final Pukekohe Podium

Staff, Tuesday April 17, 2007.

Page 1 of 1

New Zealand’s own Team Kiwi Racing (TKR) will make its Ford debut on home soil this weekend, in the last ever V8 Supercar event at Pukekohe Raceway before a shift to Hamilton next year.

Recently given a clean bill of health to drive after last year’s Bathurst incident, Auckland born Paul Radisich is positively itching for a top result at round three of the 2007 Championship.

‘The Rat’ posted competitive lap times at round two as he settled into the new Ford TKR race-car. Adjusting quickly to the #021 BF Falcon the kiwi driver finished 18th despite minimal time behind the wheel.

“TKR has the strongest Kiwi connection out of all the V8 teams,” said Paul Radisich.

“The public would love to see the TKR car running at the front and that’s exactly what we’ll be trying for this weekend.

“I am feeling very good heading into the event. After the crash at Bathurst last year, everything is finally starting to come together. Every week that goes by things are improving.

“We are getting used to the package and gaining an increasing understanding of what is required to achieve results.

“We are aiming for a podium at Pukekohe – at the very least we expect to run inside the top ten. That’s our plan, and there’s no better place to come away with a result than at home.”

Radisich will battle it out on the 2.8 kilometre circuit for the first time in a Ford since racing a BA Falcon with Team Betta Electrical in 2004. ‘The Rat’ raced for TKR in 2005 and 2006 although the cars run were red.

“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve driven a Falcon at Pukekohe and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve always had a strong association with Ford – I’m essentially known as a Ford driver – so it will be great to compete at the last ever Pukekohe driving a Falcon and flying the NZ flag high.

“The circuit holds great memories for me. I could think of nothing better than a Kiwi car, team, and driver to finish on the podium at the final race ever.

“It’s definitely extra incentive to achieve a top three finish. It certainly would be a fitting way to close the chapter on Pukekohe.”

Two months after announcing that TKR would switch brands in 2007, the dream looked over after a massive accident at Bathurst totalled TKR’s V8 Supercar and left Radisich with a broken ankle and sternum. Ford NZ and the NZ public rallied to get the team back on its feet.

Team owner David John is feeling especially confident as TKR prepares to race in its own backyard.

“It’s been almost seven months since Bathurst, so it’s now time for us to get some runs on the board and what better place to do it than in front of our home crowd.

“We are the only Kiwi based team, racing in NZ lifts our emotional mindset. We all know that potentially we might not have been in the game this year if it were not for the NZ public.

“TKR has always had a close relationship with the people of NZ. This is a big opportunity for us to thank them for their support.

“And of course Ford NZ has been sensational. We now have the benefit of a Ford package, and our results so far this year have clearly shown its superiority.”

“We now can easily run inside the top ten, and with Paul back to health we are sure to see TKR go to another level.”

TKR tours NZ frequently, showcasing its drivers, cars and rigs to various towns and keeping firmly in touch with the NZ public.

Further Ford V8 Kiwi connections include:

New Zealander Paul Cruickshank, now runs Paul Cruickshank Racing (PCR) out of Queensland Australia. John Bowe is steering PCR’s 2007 Falcon BF in his V8 Supercar retirement year. He will this weekend put his hefty incident at Pukekohe in 2006 behind him and capitalise on the improvement he has made with PCR so far this year.
Ford Performance Racing driver Steven Richards was born in the Auckland suburb of Otahuhu and sees Pukekohe as something of a sentimental home race.
Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) is determined to take out a home town win. Team founders Ross and Jimmy Stone were born 15 kilometres from Pukekohe Raceway in Onewhero. 2005 V8 Supercar Champion and SBR driver Russell Ingall is especially itching to get to the top of the podium after coming close in 2005 and 2006 with a second and a third respectively.

The NZ V8 Supercar event is one of the most popular in the Championship, with more than 103,000 fans visiting the round last season.

The Ford line-up of V8 Supercar drivers will hit the track for their last stint ever at Pukekohe Raceway for round three of the 2007 Championship series, 20 – 22 April.

SEVEN NETWORK BROADCAST TIMES ROUND 3 SYDNEY MELBOURNE BRISBANE ADELAIDE PERTH 21 April, Saturday 14:00- 17:30 14:00- 17:30 14:00- 17:30 14:00- 17:30 14:00- 17:30 22 April, Sunday 12:00- 15:00 12:00- 15:00 12:00- 15:30 12:00- 15:00 9:00- 12:00

2007 CHAMPIONSHIP TOP TEN

1. #1 Rick Kelly, TOLL HSV, Holden Commodore
2. #16 Garth Tander, TOLL HSV, Holden Commodore
3. #22 Todd Kelly, HOLDEN RACING TEAM, Holden Commodore
4. #2 Mark Skaife, HOLDEN RACING TEAM, Holden Commodore
5. #17 Steven Johnson, JIM BEAM RACING, Ford BF Falcon
6. #4 James Courtney, JELD-WEN MOTORSPORT, Ford BF Falcon
7. #88 Jamie Whincup, TEAMVODAFONE, Ford BF Falcon
8. #5 Mark Winterbottom, ORRCON FORD CREDIT FPR, Ford BF Falcon
9. #18 Will Davison, JIM BEAM RACING, Ford BF Falcon
10. #888 Craig Lowndes, TEAMVODAPHONE, Ford BF Falcon

2007 OFFICIAL FORD DRIVER LINE UP

#4 James Courtney, JELD-WEN MOTORSPORT #5 Mark Winterbottom, ORRCON FORD CREDIT FPR #6 Steven Richards, CASTROL FPR #9 Russell Ingall, CALTEX RACING #12 Andrew Jones, TEAM BOC #14 Brad Jones, TEAM BOC #17 Steven Johnson, JIM BEAM RACING #18 Will Davison, JIM BEAM RACING #21 Paul Radisich, TEAM KIWI RACING #25 Jason Bright, FUJITSU RACING #26 Alan Gurr, IRWIN RACING #88 Jamie Whincup, TEAMVODAFONE #111 John Bowe, GLENFORDS RACING #888 Craig Lowndes, TEAMVODAPHONE<

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