AUS: Series profile on Peter Bradbury

Profile of The Round: Peter Bradbury

Former Porsche Cup champion Peter Bradbury (Team MPS Security) may well be called 'Rain Man' after round two of the Australian Carrera Cup at Eastern Creek in Sydney recently.

In his first season of Carrera Cup racing, Bradbury excelled in the abysmal, wet and rainy conditions on the Sunday of racing at Eastern Creek climbing to a season-high second place in race three.

This hard charging effort has earned the 44-year-old Sydneysider the 'Profile of the Round'.

ROUND 2 WRAP

After qualifying 14th in the 18-car Porsche GT3 911 field, Bradbury encountered a few dramas in race one on the Saturday to cross the line in 17th place. A spin on the first lap after a racing incident with Tony Quinn sent him to the rear of the field. After making up a few places by the final lap, Bradbury's engine lost power and he had to coast to the finish.

Whatever the Team MPS driver had for dinner and breakfast obviously worked, with Sunday bringing a complete turnaround in performance and results. As the rain came down and drivers struggled to come to grips with the wet track on their Michelin control tyres, Bradbury fought his way up to eighth in race two, picking up an impressive nine places in the process.

With the track still damp and ominous rain clouds hovering above, race three was declared a 'wet' race. Unbelievably the rain held off and the track started to dry on the race line which caused plenty of heat and wear on the Michelin 'wet' tyres.

Then in the back half of the 12-lap race, it started pouring and the race became a battle of attrition until the safety car was brought out to guide the cars home. It was in these final few laps that Bradbury made up considerable places as others succumbed to spins, aquaplaning and off-track excursions. The McMahons Point resident ended up in second place, just coming in behind the experienced Peter Fitzgerald.

His Sunday results helped him reach a round placing of seventh -- a great effort considering he started race two on Sunday morning from 17th on the grid.

Now after two rounds of the nine-round series, Bradbury sits in ninth position with 126 points -- well entrenched within the top 10, but with greater goals still to achieve. Bradbury's round two hard charging performance also has him in the equal lead in the Fuchs Hard Charger stakes. Bradbury, James Cressey and Stephen Borness have all passed 16 cars in two rounds of Porsche GT3 911 racing in 2004.

10 QUESTIONS WITH PETER BRADBURY

How did you get involved in motor racing?
I joined the Porsche Club NSW in 1989, and after winning the club championship several times, I progressed through the Porsche Cup series.

What was your first race?
At Phillip Island in the Porsche Cup in 1993.

And first race car?
1977 Porsche 911 "S"

Who is your racing hero?
Jim Richards

What is your favourite circuit or race?
Bathurst

What is your most memorable racing moment?
Winning the 1999 Porsche Cup championship.

Describe your first ever job?
NSW Police Service -- it was a real challenge to begin with but I enjoyed the many opportunities it gave me over 16 years, including Scientific Ballistics and NSW Water Police.

List your superstitions or routines before a race?
No superstitions. Just relax, focus and drink plenty of water. Sex before a race is good if you can get it.

Who is your biggest racing rivalry with?
Mark Noske - reminiscing on an incident at Indy in the Nations Cup in 2000 after a tough battle for third place.

Why do you have an affinity with wet conditions?
I tend to go well in the wet for some reason. It probably comes down to the experience I have gathered on the skid pans in my job at the Porsche Driver Training Centre.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Car Number - 42
Team - Team MPS Security
Date of Birth - February 24 1960
Birthplace - Long Jetty NSW
Residence - McMahons Point, Sydney NSW
Height - 184cm
Weight - 94kg
Marital Status - Married to Robyn
Children -- 2: Mitchell 12, Dannielle 19
Profession / Company -- Manager / Porsche Driver Training,
Porsche Cars Australia
Occupation Involves - Management of the Porsche Driver
Training Centre in Queensland, and Porsche advanced and high performance track days at racing circuits around Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
Nickname - Brad or Pedro
Interests - Snow skiing, dirt bike riding, jet skiing, fishing/boating
Team Manager - Steve Pizzati
Car Major Sponsor - 'MPS Group' security
Car Associate Sponsors - Northern Arch: NZ-based software company specialising in banking, leasing and financial software. Flowers and Partners: finance and investment services group.
Vehicle -- 2004 Porsche GT3 911
Racing Career - Porsche Cup, V8 Supercars, Nations Cup; Carrera Cup
Progression - 1993, 1998, 1999 Porsche Cup; 2000 Nations Cup; 1997 V8 Supercars -- Bathurst; 2004 Carrera Cup
Highlights - 1999 Porsche Cup champion; 2000 5th Nations Cup; 1991-1995 Multiple Porsche club national and state champion

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