Motorsport: Hurt Radisich cannot forget Porter [+audio]

SYDNEY - Injured New Zealand V8 Supercar driver Paul Radisich's thoughts keep returning to Mark Porter's family, after the Hamilton-born driver's death in the Bathurst 1000 on the weekend.

Radisich broke his sternum and an ankle in a high-speed crash during the race, but said from his Sydney hospital bed his thoughts were with Porter's family.

Gold Coast-based Porter had been on life support after a bad crash during a second tier race at the Mt Panorama course last Friday and died late Sunday afternoon.

"I was very upset to hear the news about Mark," Radisich told NZPA.

"I knew him well and our thoughts are with his family, particularly his wife and young boy. It's quite devastating."

Radisich, whose injuries after his crash into a tyre wall include a badly bruised windpipe, was finding it hard to breathe and was on painkillers.

But he said he knew he was fortunate his own injuries were not more serious.

He was forced into the dirt by another car halfway through the big race and had no way of slowing the car as it crashed heavily into the tyre wall at about 200km/h, finishing on its side.

The car was wrecked, with officials having to cut the roll cage to extricate Radisich.

"It could have been a lot worse," he said.

"It was lucky we went in on the left side. I took the impact on the Hans device (to protect drivers from whiplash) -- the impact has to go somewhere and it's better to have it in the chest than in the neck."

Radisich could not recall the crash, but remembered going wide and tucking his legs up just before the impact with the wall, Team Kiwi Racing (TKR) manager David John said.

It was Radisich's 100th start in the Australian V8 Supercar championship.

"I'm very sore. They are going to hold me here for two to four days to make sure there are no complications from the fractured sternum."

He said the crash would not diminish his racing spirit.

"It's what we do. You never want these things to happen, but it can as we know."

John said that with the Holden wrecked, TKR's participation in the remaining four races in the Australian V8 Supercar series was unlikely.

"It looks like we won't be there for the rest of the year. We don't have enough money to buy a new car, it would cost A$500,000 ($570,840)."

He said he had issues to work through with championship governing body, V8 Supercars Australia.

"Under our licence agreement you do have to turn up for every race meeting otherwise it's a A$250,000 fine for every meeting you miss.

"There are four races left and we should get dispensation for missing one, but I am trying to work through that at the moment."

TKR are switching to Ford next year.

- NZPA