By BOB PEARCE
After narrowly missing victory at Bathurst two years in a row, Paul Radisich is determined to make it third time lucky at Mt Panorama in the V8 Supercar 1000km classic on Sunday.
The New Zealander will line up with Steve Johnson in a Ford Falcon XR8 as the Johnson
team opt to combine the talents of their best drivers.
In contrast, the Holden Racing Team have separated their championship-leading duo, with Mark Skaife paired with Tony Longhurst and Jason Bright with Tomas Mezera.
Last year in pouring rain, Radisich, combining with Bright, finished just 2.4s behind the winning Holden of Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna.
The previous year, he dominated the event until a brush with a backmarker damaged a tyre and put him out almost within sight of the finish.
"There's no question the race is ours for the taking," Radisich said. "We already know how good our cars are at Bathurst, and we have really got our act together in the pits now, so I expect we will set the pace on and off the track.
"Our championship challenge is important, too, but the best possible result for Steve is to win Bathurst and take the double points. That would set him up very nicely for the end of the year."
Skaife leads the championship with 2498 points, followed by Bright (2371), Russell Ingall (2281), Johnson (2217), Greg Murphy (1842) and Radisich (1836).
There are two rounds after Bathurst, Pukekohe on November 11 and Sandown on December 2.
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Auckland-based Team Kiwi have opted to run only one Commodore at Bathurst, for Jason Richards and Angus Fogg.
Team principal David John said there were funds available to run a second car, but it was important to concentrate all the team's resources to achieve a good result for the single car.
Last year in their debut, Team Kiwi finished 16th. A similar result this time would clear the way for them to avoid prequalifying for championship rounds next year.
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Greg Murphy has one of the best strike rates of any driver competing at Bathurst.
The Kiwi made his debut in 1994, won in 1996 and 1999, and was third last year. This time he is paired with Todd Kelly in a Holden.
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When veteran John Bowe teams with Aucklander Simon Wills at Bathurst, it should bring back memories of the Tasmanian's first race over the mountain.
In 1985, Bowe drove a Volvo 240T with another Kiwi, Robbie Francevic. Since then he has competed each year, for two wins.
The legendary Peter Brock competed every year from 1969-1997. Expatriate Kiwi Jim Richards will this week complete his 28th year in a row.
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Ashley Stichbury took to his bed last Sunday after confirmation of his drive at Bathurst with Paul Morris - with good reason.
In the space of a couple of weeks, he had hopped back and forth across the Tasman testing to win the drive while coping with the birth of his first son, Zac, and holding down his job with the Giltrap Group.
He and Morris will be on the move again after Bathurst, heading to the LK500 at Christchurch where Stichbury will team with Andy McElrea in a Ford Falcon, while Morris will drive a BMW with Kevin Bell.
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Nineteen-year-old Jody Vincent and 23-year-old Jason Liefting are one of the youngest teams in the LK500 on October 14.
But they will be at the wheel of a proven winner, the VK Commodore in which Ashley Stichbury and Peter Van Breugel won last year's event at Pukekohe.
Vincent, who previously campaigned a Nissan Sentra, will drive the car in the remaining V8 championship races.
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Marty Roestenburg won his fourth Bay Rally in the Rotoehu Forest, capturing five of the seven stages.
Roestenburg's winning margin in his Mitsubishi was 2m 17s from Vanessa Evans in a similar car, with Michael Dixon's Subaru third.
Glenn Smith, who won the first two stages before crashing out, won the Top Half series, with Roestenburg second.
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New Zealand took third place in the Motocross des Nations at Namur in Belgium, equalling their best result.
Josh Coppins (250cc), Shayne King (500cc), who rode with a broken bone in his ankle, and Daryl Hurley (125cc) finished on 47 points behind France (28) and Belgium (37).
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The Auckland-designed and built BSL motorcycle, which has been developed over the past two years with a view to competing in the world 500cc championship, came through its latest test session with promising results.
The team tested at Sepang, where the Malaysian Grand Prix will be held, and got down to a lap time of 2m 16s, about 2s off the pace necessary to qualify. The top speed was consistently at 272-275 km/h.
The bike performed well in the oppressive heat, but rider Steve Briggs was laid low by illness and most of the riding was done by mechanic Scott Buckley.
The team plan to test before the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island this month and are talking to several Europeans about taking the ride.
By BOB PEARCE
After narrowly missing victory at Bathurst two years in a row, Paul Radisich is determined to make it third time lucky at Mt Panorama in the V8 Supercar 1000km classic on Sunday.
The New Zealander will line up with Steve Johnson in a Ford Falcon XR8 as the Johnson
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