KEY POINTS:
Team Kiwi Racing's driver, Paul Radisich, quit the team yesterday but owner David John is adamant he will have a car in this weekend's round of the V8 Supercar series in Sydney.
John said he had four or five drivers in mind and a car available for the
fifth round, at Eastern Creek. He would not say whether it was a Ford or a Holden.
Radisich said he had terminated his contract with TKR after the team's fallout with Ford Performance Racing (FPR), which ran the car on behalf of TKR.
"TKR is in breach of contract and I have, therefore, terminated my contract with immediate effect," he said. He would not comment further.
"I couldn't care less if Paul wants to go somewhere else," John said. "If that's his decision, how loyal is he to all the people who have busted their butts to get him back on the grid after last year's Bathurst result?"
The single-car TKR have been in a financial bind since last year's Bathurst 1000 when Radisich crashed their Holden Commodore into a tyre wall at about 200km/h.
The roof had to be cut off to get Radisich out and the car was written off.
TKR switched from Holden to Ford at the beginning of this season and Radisich has driven the team to 16th on the overall standings after four rounds despite missing the first round.
John said there were plenty of drivers around. "We've got four or five - anyone will jump into a V8 Supercar."
He said Radisich had not shown any commitment by quitting when the team needed him. "It shows a total lack of appreciation for everybody else who bent over backwards to ensure that he was the driver in the car after Bathurst."
On Monday, FPR commercial director Rod Barrett said FPR had terminated its contract with TKR.
"It's regarding an agreement between TKR and FPR we've had during the year to run their car and, unfortunately, TKR haven't met the obligations and we've had to terminate the contract," Barrett said.
It is believed FPR were owed hundreds of thousands of dollars but John said TKR did not owe them a cent.
John said he spoke to Radisich on Monday night before his decision to quit.
"He said to me he was disappointed with the FPR deal and would come back to us to talk about it, but now he's put it out on the media that he's terminated his contract."
Radisich had been TKR's driver for more than two years.
- NZPA