New Zealand motorsport star Tim Edgell is locked and loaded to bring an international edge to Round 2 of the Radical Cup Australia this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The Auckland-based driver joins a 20-car grid for the second round of the championship, which kicked off with a dramatic season opener featuring an intense battle between reigning champion Peter Paddon and rising star Cooper Cutts.
Edgell, 44, is a two-time NZ V8 titleholder and a long-standing contender in the NZ Touring Cars and NZ Super Tourers. More recently, he shifted his focus to sports car racing and has already secured a national championship behind the wheel of a Radical SR10.
Edgell is in contention for the 2024/25 title, with the final round set to unfold at Hampton Downs next week.
Edgell will race a Radical SR3 prepared by Garth Walden Racing, adding further international flavour to the Sydney grid. This weekend’s event follows the four-race sprint format last used at the venue in 2024.
“We’ve been dealing with Garth (Walden) a fair bit, and this was a great chance to come and have a run in Australia and see what it’s all about,” Edgell said.
“I’ve been running an SR10 in New Zealand, so I’ll need to get my head around the SR3 and also learn the track, but I’d like to think we’ll be in the top half of the field.
“I’ve been watching the races on YouTube, and Peter Paddon and Cooper Cutts at the front look pretty impressive; it will be really good to race them and everyone else.
“Sydney looks like a challenging track, certainly not the easiest to roll into, but it also looks great for Radicals – fast and flowing, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“It’s going to be great to be in such a good, competitive grid.”
Edgell will be joined on the grid by another international entry, Ibby Hadeed from the UAE. He returns for his second Radical Cup appearance after debuting at Phillip Island.
After the opening round, Paddon leads Cutts by a narrow six-point margin, with Chris Reindler and Bryce Moore sitting just behind in the standings.
In the Radical Masters class, Terry Knowles currently leads Brad Russell, while GWR Australia is just ahead of Arise Racing in the teams’ championship.
The Sydney round also sees several familiar names returning to the fray. Colin Ivory will share the Volante Rosso entry typically driven by Greg Kenny and Melinda Price with Josh Hunt this weekend, while Mark Brame and Zig Fuhrmeister make their returns.
Proven talents Shaun Hannah, Nick Kelly, and Bill Medland also join the grid for the first time this year.
The weekend’s format mirrors the previous Sydney Motorsport Park round from October last year, featuring four 25-minute sprint races. At that event, Peter Clare and Josh Hunt secured pole, while Paddon, Cutts, and Barton Mawer split the race wins. Paddon ultimately took the round victory over Cutts and Justin Tigani.
Among the current field, teenager Alex Gardner holds the record for the most wins at the venue with three, while GWR Australia leads in team victories with four – making them the most successful outfit at their home circuit.
On-track action begins today with three practice sessions, followed by Saturday morning qualifying.
Two sprint races will run on Saturday afternoon, with the remaining two held on Sunday.
All four races will be streamed live on 7plus in Australia. New Zealand fans can tune in via the Radical Motorsport YouTube channel.
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 11:35 AM
- Race 1: Saturday 2:05 PM
- Race 2: Saturday 5:40 PM
- Race 3: Sunday 11:10 AM
- Race 4: Sunday 3:15 PM
- How to Watch: YouTube
