What Radisich would have done

[V6.]

I always wondered if Radisich could have driven for Audi in 99. At bathurst in 97 he drove for Peugeot and then drove for them in 98. In 98 he was tight liped about where he was going. He then drove for Audi at bathusrt in 98.

If they hadnt have left would he have been their driver or am i talking ?

[daz90]

i think it would have been possible and maybe the reason he left the btcc was because audi pulled out. but he was doomed as soon as he went to the pugs, he should have stayed at ford and then in 99/00 he would have had a chance of winning the title.

[BSchneiderFan]

What he SHOULD have done was go to Germany with Audi, drive for Abt Sportsline and win the STW before the ADAC pulled the plug on it.

[touringlegend]

I heard this a while back, not sure how true it is, but didn't Paul have a contract with Peugeot for the BTCC in 1999? Obviously that was scuppered when the pulled out at the end of '98.

[rpolinski]

Judging by his performance last year, I'd say he qualify near the back and every race either hit the wall or his team-mate, or both.

[Radisichrox]

Erm right...Given a good car he could open up a can of whoop-a$$ and blow the field away!!

[GTRMagic]

I am not convinced Mr Radisich provides the 'right' technical direction to the teams he drives for to get the cars working betetr and therefore faster.

The BTCC Rouse cars were quick on occassion, certainly a lead tipped arrow, but did not truly progress till prodrive went down a particular development path with their chassis and engines.

The Peugeots were there or thereabouts but not really threatening. Mr Radisich did not help that process a whole lot.

Then he arrives in Australia with the lauded title of dual World Touring Car Champion keeping his name in the press, and other than a Bathurst a few years ago when his team experimented with some special engine bits, hasnt really shown the grit, determination and talent we have been led to believe the guy has

Sad but true

[racer69]

He's quick if the car is right, but as 2002 showed, if the car isn't right, he can't do that much to get it further up the field (the part-timers in the 2nd car, Greg Ritter and Alan Jones, easily outperformed Radisich and Steven Johnson at Bathurst).

He did have a Peugeot BTCC deal for 1999, but they pulled out. He tested for the Volvo seat (which Radermecker got) then signed for Dick Johnson.

As far as i know he only got the Bathurst drive in the Audi because Biela and Hemroulle couldn't come back, the other Audi drivers where otherwise engaged, and Audi didn't think Neil Crompton was well enough known internationally.

[TheGrist]

You're writing him off too easily-Anybody who wins a Touring Car World title twice (the only person to) has to have *some* talent...

[David_Hill]

He was a great driver! He finished third in the BTCC in 1993 didn't he? And the cars only did half a season! In 1994 he was in the title fight with the Alfa until the penultimate round, and finished 3rd again? I reckon he was majorly underated, and given a half decent car again could do a lot with it.

[Radisichrox]

Exactly Mr. Hill

Chances are he *would have won* the title in 94 had his Ford engine not blown up halfway through the first race @ Silverstone.

[nicker less]

Yup, I always rated Radisich aswell. Only did half a season in 1993 and came 3rd. But in 94 and 95 his season, tailed off due to tyre troubles. No fault of his, the car was just not good. Radisich never hardly got a good car to show how good he was. Only '93.

[racer69]

Are you sure Radisich could have won the 1994 title? Tarquini did win the first 5 races remember.

Radisich had a half decent car over here for the last few years and really hasn't matched the hype unfortunatly

[Craner Curves]

Yes, but according to lots of people, Tarquini cheated and Radisich was robbed.

They have to accept that Tarquini and Alfa were better than Radisich and Ford. Simple as that.

[David_Hill]

I've never heard the allegations of Tarquini cheating? Do you mean the wings on the Alfa, if so, the allegations should be pointed at Alfa, not Tarquini.

[Radisichrox]

Absolutely, but its more of a case of what could've been. Besides, if Alfa would have been banned (like Toyota in WRC in 1995) Menu would have won the title on points.

[Craner Curves]

Originally posted by Radisichrox
Absolutely, but its more of a case of what could've been. Besides, if Alfa would have been banned (like Toyota in WRC in 1995) Menu would have won the title on points.

They wouldn't have been banned though. Shouldn't have been. They did everything inside the FIA Class 2 rules. It was a case of everyone else not being as clever as Alfa Corse.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by daz90
...he should have stayed at ford and then in 99/00 he would have had a chance of winning the title.

Interesting comment, but how do we know Paul left Ford on his will? Could Ford have let him go and tried someone new? With his ride gone, perhaps Peugeot was his only option in order to stay in the BTCC?

[Craner Curves]

I think he probably left. I can't see the poor Craig Baird being given the Ford drive in his place.

[Radisichrox]

Yeah, at the time he left (1997) Ford was in the doldrums and Peugeot had come off of a fairly strong year, so they were a better option.

[racer69]

He drove the Peugeot 406 at Bathurst in 1997, and the car was pretty competitive there, qualifying third and in hunt on a different pit stop strategy when the car retired with Tim Harvey at the wheel. Radisich was already talking to other teams, and this convinced him to leave Ford for Peugeot. Craig Baird's performance in the 1997 Bathurst 1000 got him the Ford drive to replace Radisich in 1998.

I think Radisich was talking with Ford/Prodrive about a return to the blue oval for 1999, but the deal didn't happen. (maybe they didn't think Reid would actually accept the deal)

[kmchow]

Originally posted by racer69
He drove the Peugeot 406 at Bathurst in 1997, and the car was pretty competitive there, qualifying third and in hunt on a different pit stop strategy when the car retired with Tim Harvey at the wheel.

Or perhaps the 406 was better suited to high speed tracks instead of the BTCC's more shorter and tighter tracks? Did the BTCC 406 have it's own aero kit or were they using the STW aero kit? Because I recall reading the STW demands higher speeds so the inappopriate kit could have hampered the 406's competitivess? Also, didn't the BTCC 406 lack the more powerful STW engine?

[Radisichrox]

Kmchow is right, I do remember seeing somewhere that they were using the German Touring Car Championship's aero kit for a while, and the funding was never there to develop the car to its potential.

[racer69]

I know the Triple 8 Vectra team used different aero kits to the one's they used in the 1997 BTCC at Bathurst in 1997 for the Brock/Warwick and Cleland/Kaye cars. As far as i know the Peugeot's raced at Bathurst in pretty much BTCC spec (not endurance prepared, the Renault's weren't either).

[touringlegend]

I think it was the fact that you can only homologate the car as one which was the problem. I believe the FIA eventually decided there was enough difference between Opel and Vauxhall to let the Vectra in the BTCC to have it's own setup.