Pitt stop: Old race foes link up for crack at Ruapuna

By BOB PEARCE

When Paul Radisich and Craig Baird team up in a Ford Falcon for the LK500 at Ruapuna on Sunday, it will be the first time the former bitter rivals have shared a race car.

But don't expect friction. The pair have mellowed since the days when they had battles on and off New Zealand tracks in their single-seaters.

"I'm looking forward to it," Baird said. "Paul and I are neighbours on the Gold Coast these days and we've become quite good mates."

They have another shared interest. Baird has a one-year-old daughter; Radisich's first child, Amelia, was born 10 days ago.

Both will be hoping for more luck at Ruapuna than they had in the Bathurst 1000.

The Falcon that Baird shared with Mark Noske was an early casualty and Radisich soon followed him when his Johnson Ford expired smokily with Steve Johnson at the wheel.

So who's going to have the first drive on Sunday? - "Paul can go first," Baird said. "He can do all the hard work."

Others making the transition from the V8 Supercars of Bathurst to the more modest New Zealand V8s and two-litre cars at Ruapuna will be Ashley Stichbury and Aussie Paul Morris and the Team Kiwi duo of Jason Richards and Angus Fogg.

Stichbury and Morris finished 12th, two laps behind the winners Mark Skaife and Tony Longhurst. At Ruapuna, Stichbury will share a Falcon with Andy McElrea and Morris will team with Kevin Bell in a BMW.

Richards and Fogg, 16th on Sunday, will be at the wheel of the Nissan Primera in which Richards won last season's national touring car title.

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Aucklander Simon Wills did not have an easy day in the Bathurst 1000, teamed with John Bowe, but he seems assured of a place in the Briggs Motorsport team, which is expanding to a four-car squad.

Two of the Fords will be run in the colours of new sponsor Betta Electrical, while at least one will remain with Cat Racing.

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The Bathurst 1000 is an icon of Australian motorsport, but it is struggling for financial support.

The race is a joint venture between the City of Bathurst, the V8 owners and promoter International Management Group.

To coincide with the federal election, Bathurst City is mounting a Save Bathurst campaign, urging voters to pressure politicians to come up with $20 million to upgrade the facilities, which are more appropriate to a horse race meeting in the bush.

There was no naming sponsor this year, despite the fact that the meeting is a ratings winner for Channel 10.

Television has called the tune on the date for the annual extravaganza. The organisers had hoped to return to the long Labour Day weekend next year.

But Channel 10 has acquired rights to the Aussie Rules Grand Final on that Saturday and the Bathurst 1000 will be on October 6. That will provide a dilemma for TVNZ, which holds the rights to Rally NZ, which will finish on that day.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand V8 Supercar round is pencilled in for about the same November date as this year. IMG has not yet named a venue, but Pukekohe must be favoured to continue.

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Most former Formula One champions gravitate back to the track as team owners, commentators or paddock celebrities. Not Damon Hill.

He has rarely been to the races since his retirement and these days is more likely to be indulging in his other passion, music. He does gigs with a group called Damon Hill and the Conrods, which has at times included Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton.

Hill's guitar playing can be heard as backing for the number Demolition Man on Def Leppard's album Euphoria.

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Two New Zealand motorsport legends who have made their mark in the United States will be driving in the Dunlop Targa, which begins south of Auckland on October 23.

Steve Horne, best known as an Indycar team owner, will be at the wheel of a Honda Integra 1800cc coupe.

Steve Millen, who competed successfully in almost every form of motorsport here and in the United States, will drive a 2001 Ford Falcon XR6. It should be a more comfortable ride than the Ralt RT1 in which he won the New Zealand, Malaysian and Penang Grand Prix in 1979-80.

It is interesting to recall that in 1982 Millen, in a Ralt RT4, was battling with Roberto Moreno, who won a recent Champ Car race in Canada.

This year's Targa, which starts at the Hotel du Vin at Mangatawhiri and finishes on the Waikareao Bypass at Tauranga on October 28, has 160 entries.

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Heads had to roll after the debacle which saw the Champ Car debut at Rockingham in England delayed and almost cancelled when the new circuit became unusable after steady rain.

A shortened race went ahead eventually and was rated a great success, but Cart's vice-president in charge of competition, Kirk Russell, who had supervised preparations, was sacked after 25 years with the organisation.