Radisich on the podium at Timaru

Today’s opening race of NZ V8s action has seen HPM Racing team driver Paul Radisich finish on the podium in a rain shortened race at the Timaru International Raceway. Turning to sodden conditions for the fifth round in the 2007/08 championship season, Radisich started the 777 HPM Racing team car from third position for the expected 14-lap race after qualifying early this afternoon.

As rain gradually set in during the three-heat qualifying session, Radisich was banking on a team strategy that put him back on the front-running pace. “I was just going round to keep the temperature in the tyres and hope at least one lap would be a little better than the others. So I was just trying to push on without firing the car off. It would rain a bit more, ease off – so it was up and down,” Radisich explained, having made the top-10 qualifying cut.

Declared a wet race, a no-passing block for the first three corners put Radisich to the outside for the drag down the back straight: “I really found there was no grip out there,” Radisich said. “Plus in the rain you can’t challenge to overtake – if you go off-line you’re in an even wetter part of the track and you risk everything. So it was just a matter of trying to keep out of trouble. We didn’t have the pace to match the guys in the front so all I could do was consolidate and at least finish third.”

With a safety car period mid-way through the race, Radisich had the rest of the following pack close on the tail of his HPM Ford – pressuring him for the remainder of the race. “It’s a tough technical little track,” he added. At 2.4km in length, it is also the shortest on the six round calendar.

Setting fourth fastest lap time during the race puts Radisich on the outside of tomorrow morning’s 18-lap race – potentially advantageous position at the predominantly left-turn circuit.

The final race in the penultimate round is the full-reverse grid 22-lap feature scheduled for late Sunday afternoon.