Motorsport: Radisich lines up for 100th championship race

Team Kiwi's Paul Radisich will join a select group when he starts in his 100th championship motor race in the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday.

Radisich is aiming for a top-10 finish or better when he teams up with fellow New Zealander Fabian Coulthard in the black Holden at the famous Mt Panorama circuit.

The two-time touring car world champion didn't start his V8 supercar career until he was 36 but has been a regular since his debut in 1999.

He becomes just the 22nd driver to start in 100 V8 supercar championship rounds and only the fourth New Zealander to achieve the honour after Jim Richards (130), his son Steven Richards (121) and Greg Murphy (110).

"It's a real honour. I hope it's not a sign that I am ready to be sent out to pasture," Radisich said.

"I could not think of a more special place or special time to achieve this honour than at Bathurst and on the occasion when we are celebrating the career and life of Peter Brock.

"He supported me and I will always be grateful for that. It is going to be very strange this weekend not to have him around."

Radisich said he believed the TKR Holden would be a strong race package for the weekend and was impressed with the efforts of his young co-driver Coulthard.

"We have not had quite the season we were hoping for but the car has been solid. We know that it will be an extremely strong race car on Sunday.

"The team are working very hard to help us have a solid qualifying performance. It is not as important at Bathurst like the other races but we want to find some pace this week as well."

It is also the final time that Team Kiwi, New Zealand's sole team in the V8 championship, will campaign the Holden at Mt Panorama, having signed a deal to run a factory-backed Ford in next year's championship.

Qualifying and top-10 shootouts start on Saturday with the 162-lap race starting at 11am on Sunday.

It follows a special tribute for Brock with a parade by many of his winning Bathurst cars driven by former co-drivers and members of the Brock family.

The winner of the race will receive the new Peter Brock Trophy.

- NZPA