New Zealand's only team in the Australian V8 Supercar series believe they are genuine contenders in the series of major endurance races starting this weekend.
Team Kiwi Racing (TKR) go into this weekend's Betta Electrical 500 at Sandown, near Melbourne, in 12th place overall in the championship.
The goal isto use the 500km two-driver endurance race as the final shakedown before next month's Super Cheap Auto 1000 at Bathurst, where they are confident of challenging for outright honours.
The reason for the confidence is the impact this year of their development partnership with Paul Morris Motorsport (PMM), including a new race, with both teams sharing information and skills.
This has enabled TKR to attract two-time world touring car Champion Paul Radisich to the team.
The two one-car teams have decided to join forces for the endurance races in a novel initiative, sharing the signage on the Holden Commodores, with Radisich and Morris teaming up in one car while John Faulkner, an endurance racing veteran, will join PMM test driver Alan Gurr in the other car.
"This championship is so tough. The difference between the front of the field and rear is just so close," TKR owner David John said.
"The endurance races are just long sprint races now and we believe that without two fulltime V8 Supercar drivers there's no way a team is likely to figure at the pointy end of the field at the end of the day when it counts. "
John believes the driver combination has the ability to produce a successful combination so TKR will aim for outright honours at Bathurst, where for the past five years they'd hoped for a top-10 result.
"Paul Radisich has twice finished second at Bathurst and Paul Morris has also finished on the podium there. They both know the car well and both are experienced at such a daunting race track as Bathurst."
A challenge is to combine the physical differences between the 1.86m, 95kg Morris and the 1.70m, 65kg Radisich.
"We have constructed a high tech, lightweight tortoise-shell mould that fits inside the seat. It's been moulded specifically for Paul Radisich and solves the problem really well."
