Paul Radisich

9/10/1962

Record updated 09-Oct-06

Kiwi who raced in F3 before moving to Indy Lights. Switched to touring cars, driving for Ford and Peugeot, before moving into the V8 Surpercar series in Australia.

Paul Radisich is a New Zealand racing driver of Croat origin. He started racing in motocross before switching to single seaters when he was 17. In 1983 he was runner up in the New Zealand Formula Atlantic series, earning the Driver To Europe award. In 1985 and 1986 he raced in British Formula 3, alongside Damon Hill, but ran short of funds and was forced to return home.

A stint in Indy Lights and Super Vee in America followed before he made his Bathurst debut in a BMW M3 in 1988. It was the start of a new era in ‘The Rat’s’ career as he become a tin-top expert of note, being signed to drive for Peter Brock’s Mobil team in 1989 and following that with endurance stints with Dick Johnson Racing.

Radisich was signed as a works Ford driver for the British Touring Car Championship in 1993 driving a Ford Mondeo prepared by Andy Rouse. He finished third in the series, despite missing the opening rounds. He also won the Touring Car World Cup event at Monza. He finished third again the following year in the BTCC as well as winning the Donnington Touring Car World Cup event. Paul spent a totla of five years racing for the works Ford squad in the BTCC, but as the Mondeo became increasingly uncompetitive, he moved to Peugeot for 1998.

But when the French manufacturer pulled out, he left the series and went to the V8 Supercar series in Australia andd in 1999 he joined Dick Johnson Racing replacing the departed John Bowe. He remained with Dick Johnson Racing until the end of 2002.

In 2003 he joined Briggs Motorsport which in turn became Triple Eight Race Engineering for 2004. In total he has 3 race wins and 7 other podium results in the championship. He finished 14th overall in 2005, helping the team to their first ever podium finish at the Shanghai International Circuit in China, when he finished third. He continued to race with TKR racing in 2006.

In the 2006 Supercheap Auto 1000 race at Bathurst he had a major crash at around 200kph in The Chase. While overtaking Nathan Pretty he ran wide and failed to stop in time, crashing headlong into a tyre wall. The car flipped onto it's roof and rescue teams had to cut the top off the car in order to get him out. He was taken to a nearby hospital before being flown to Sydney for further scans. He was reported to be in a serious but stable condition and was conscious.



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