Young driver wins

Press, 13 December 1982, Page 48

Young driver wins

PA Auckland Paul Radisich. of Auckland. yesterday achieved the most important results of his short, single-seater motor racing career when he won both heats of the Formula Pacific national championship at Pukekohe. The 20-vear-old Henderson driver got the better of his more experienced opposition in the first heat in his Ralt RT4 and then benefited from their mistakes in the second. He led home Graeme Lawrence (Hamilton) and Dave McMillan (Auckland) in the first race and bettered Lawrence again in the second. Radisich was lucky to make the start of the first heat, for his engine ran a bearing in the morning warm-up. His team rushed back into Auckland for the spare engine which, was fitted just in time for him to make the

grid. A Californian. Norm Hunter, led the first seven laps of the first race until Radisich outbraked him into the hairpin, having already disposed of Lawrence in a similar manner on the fourth lap. Hunter dropped back to fourth behind the three New Zealanders with a slow puncture and eventually spun off the circuit. In the reserve grid start second heat a Wellingtonian. Tom Donovan, led initially, but Hunter had worked his way to the front by the third lap. followed by Lawrence and Radisich. who had started from the back of the grid having set the fastest lap of the day in. the first heat. McMillan only got to the 100 metres before slamming into the crash barrier on the outside of the circuit As cars

jockeyed for position as they accelerated away from the grid. McMillan's Citizen Ralt edged on to the grass and he lost control, ending up embedded in the barrier. He walked away from the car uninjured. On the fifth lap Lawrence missed his braking, going into the esses and ended up on the grass and Hunter’s pit crew inadvertently gave him a pit sign, promoting Radisich from third to first. Although Lawrence closed the gap on Radisich. he could not get near enough to mount a serious challenge for the lead. Lou Scholium, of Auckland, won the first heat of the Motorcraft Formula Ford championship from Steve Richards (Hamilton) and Mark Brownsey (Tokoroa). but Richards took the second heat from Scholium and John Crawford (Christchurch,