28-9-89 Circuit braces for Hall, Radisich duel The 40th motor racing meeting on the Wigram air base 3.44km cireuit tomorrow looks likely to be remembered for a head-on clash between American driver, Dean Hall, and the high flying New Zealand driver, Paul Radisich. While Hall is a comfortable leader in the Peter Jackson International Formula Pacific series with four races still to ran two of them tomorrow - Radisich can still mathematically clinch the title. Wigram and the Lady Wigram Trophy race, which will be the second heat tomorrow, has been won by both drivers before - Hall last year and Radisich in 1987. In spite of widespread publicity claiming that Hall was to quit the series, he arrived in the city earlier this week with his mind set on winning. "We have come back to New Zealand to finish a job that was started last season. That simply is to win races and the championshiately, the said. this time has produced a lot more problems than expectea. These problems wille collectively only small, have been com pounded and the whole thing has got out of proportion. 'Bizarre events' "I did not say after last! week's race at Manfeld that I was going home. What I did say was that we should all chapter of events should continue." Hall was quick to point out that he had no fight with Radisich. Both drivers were professional and wanted to win this series. Hall is looking forward to Sunday's race and add ing his name to the Lady Wigram Trophy for the second successive year. "I try not to like one circuit above another," he added. . "But Wigram is really so unique. The his tory is mind boggling, particulariy when you look at the names of some of the -previous winners. The track too is fast and this I really like. People say that the bumps cannot be good but really it is the same for everybody so it's no use complaining." If the battle for the overall lead is expected to be a Hall-Radisich benefit, the scrap for the minor places should be no less interesting. Only two points separate Radisich from the two Smiths - the veteran and much respected New Zealand driver, Ken Smith and" 21-year-old Mark Smith! from the United States. Ken Smith is paying a penalty for being without the new Swift DB4 car. Fis Ralt RT4 has been outdated in only 12 months but there is little doubt he is stil capabie of running with the best in the annual series. Smith won at Wigram in 1976 and a repeat of that tomorrow would be a fitting tribute to both him and the anniversary of the track. One of the more rapid improvers in the series is Japanese driver Hiro Matsushita. Matsushita has vered from a bout of the flu and with a car of the same specifications as the ! front runners and is declared likeness for fast circuits, he could well provide an upset. Expatriate Christchurch driver, Steve Dymand now resident in the U.S. with his Chev Corvette, Keran Wills in a Mazda Chev and Roger Freeth in a Rover Starlet, should hold as many guns for the others in the National Sports Sedan Championship rounds. Big budgets Sadly, the once South Island domination of this class has evaporated with the rule makers opening budgets the register up to bre more specialised car construction. Robbie Francevie with his Ford Sierra is expected to advance his lead in the New Zealand touring car championship but interest in the racing should not be diminished because of this. The efforts of BMWm3 drivers Brett Riley and Kane Scott, together with Kent Baigent and John Sax in Nissan Skylines and Gary Croft in a Sierra, have often been spectacular with some surprise results.