Motorsport: It's just Rad luck

After 15 disappointments, Paul Radisich would dearly love to make it sweet 16 this year. Sandra Mu / Getty Images

Paul Radisich can't even call himself the unluckiest driver at Bathurst. He concedes that dubious honour to Glen Seton.

But the Melbourne-based Kiwi, who celebrates his 44th birthday on Monday, has had more than his fair share of disappointments in his 15 attempts at winning the Australian classic.

Typical was his experience last year. The race was run on his birthday, but there was no present - Paul Morris, his partner in a Morris Motorsport-Team Kiwi joint effort, crashed their Holden before Radisich got a chance to join the race.

In 15 starts he has finished second twice. Seton has had 22 starts for three seconds and both have had the experience of having victory snatched from their grasp in the closing minutes of the six hours it takes to cover 1000km over Mt Panorama.

Radisich first raced at Bathurst in 1988 in a small BMW which finished second in its class in the mixed bag of marques allowed in those days.

Two years later, he was back in a Ford Sierra from Dick Johnson's team with Englishman Jeff Allam. "We were leading when Jeff came in for our last scheduled stop. Dick's car had dropped out earlier and, in those days, you could swap between cars in the same team so he decided he would do the last stint.

"When he tried to jump in the car he couldn't fit in. The seat jammed on the runner and they couldn't get it back.

"We spent exactly 12s trying to get the seat back before I got in instead and we lost the race by 12s. The theory is that if he hadn't tried to jump in we'd have won the race."

In 1999 there wasn't even the consolation of a podium finish when Radisich was back in a Ford Falcon Supercar for the Johnson team.

He and Steve Ellery were always near the front - but the glory went to two other Kiwis, Greg Murphy and Steven Richards.

"We led the race all day, except for pitstops and, on the last stint, we managed to pass Murph and Richards and I was pulling away over the top of the mountain when a tyre exploded.

"We got back to the pit but we'd picked up some dirt and it only lasted about six laps before the engine failed.

"I was stranded. I jumped a fence into a paddock and there was a horse there. It must have been brain-dead from the noise.

"I got some grass and gave it its only meal for the day. I'm not sure what the moral of that story is, though!

"That year was one of the biggest disappointments of my racing career. We had the fastest car. We had everything in shape and it let us down with the last 15 laps to go.

"Over the years I've won a lot of things and, in this one, second seems to be the best I can do."

That other second placing came six years ago, when he teamed with Jason Bright in a race won by Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna.

On Sunday, Radisich will be paired with young Aucklander Fabian Coulthard in the Team Kiwi Holden and he's optimistic without getting his hopes up too high.

"We don't have the car or the pace to be an outright contender.

"But we have the consistency and the reliability and with a little bit of luck on the day we can be in there for a podium.

"Fabian did a very good job at Sandown and I'm confident he can do the same at Bathurst.

"We're not planning any heroics. We'll look after the car and when I get back in the car for the run to the flag, that's when we want the car to be 100 per cent. That would be a great way to finish off."

To finish a career? - "You never know. You should never say never."


Milestones

* Most Bathurst wins

9 Peter Brock
7 Jim Richards
6 Larry Perkins
5 Mark Skaife
4 Allan Moffat, Greg Murphy
3 Dick Johnson

* Last 10 Bathurst V8 wins

2005: Mark Skaife/Todd Kelly (Holden)
2004: Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly (Holden)
2003: Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly (Holden)
2002: Mark Skaife/Jim Richards (Holden)
2001: Mark Skaife/Tony Longhurst (Holden)
2000: Garth Tander/Jason Bargwanna (Holden)
1999: Greg Murphy/Steven Richards (Holden)
1998: Jason Bright/Steven Richards (Ford)
1997: Larry Perkins/Russell Ingall (Holden)
1996: Craig Lowndes/Greg Murphy (Holden)

* Standings after 8 rounds

1. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 2218
2. Rick Kelly (Holden) 2191
3. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 1983
4. Garth Tander(Holden) 1848
5. Jamie Whincup (Ford) 1724
6. Russell Ingall(Ford) 1722
7. Jason Bright (Ford) 1714
8. Steven Johnson (Ford) 1693
9 Steven Richards (Holden) 1582
10. Mark Skaife (Holden) 1418