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Australian V8 Supercars

Oh well what to do aye....

I've ALWAYS enjoyed watching the V8's at the MGP. Its ALWAYS been entertaining, especially this years which was host to probably the best race I'd ever seen (race 2).
 
Definitely a pity the V8's won't be there, but I'm more interested in how the calendar for next year will pan out. From what I've read, I'm expecting a busy season before the AFL kicks off, and then some big spacings between rounds during the AFL season.
 
Did you watch RPM today?

If you didn't - they mentioned how there is a possibility that Toll HSV & HRT could merge their drivers for the enduros. How good would a Tander/Skaife combo be at Bathurst?!! It'll also be awesome to see what the Kelly bros could do pair with each other.


btw: Our favourite host, Grace - she failed to pronounce "Hungarian" correctly :no:
 
^ Yeah there's been talk of that in the press for a couple of weeks now - interesting move, but I think TEGA need to give it the okay.
 
Can someone tell me who won R2,R3 and the Round. I was out all day, missed the news and its not posted on the website.
 
Lowndes - what a champ !! I think the championship this year is all but his, even after being spun around and being dead last in race 2, he still managed to finish 2nd !!

Great to see Courtney coming good, we might see some Fords fighting for the win at Bathurst.
 
skip said:
Lowndes - what a champ !! I think the championship this year is all but his, even after being spun around and being dead last in race 2, he still managed to finish 2nd !!

Great to see Courtney coming good, we might see some Fords fighting for the win at Bathurst.
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Yeah Lowndesy is in top form this year. He reminds me of Ambrose minus the ego. The only thing that'll really pose a threat to them at Bathurst is a possible Skaife/Tander combo OR good ol' unpredictable Bathurst itself. Remember the wheel flying into the windscreen last year?
 
Kelly brothers join forces in revamp for Holden enduro pairings
Release Date: 15/08/2006

Brothers Todd and Rick Kelly will drive together in the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000 for the first time in their careers under a revamp of enduro pairings across the Holden Racing Team and the Toll HSV Dealer Team.

Rick, currently 2nd in V8 Supercar championship standings, will team up with Todd in the #15 Toll HSVDT Commodore VZ while third-placed Garth Tander will join five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Mark Skaife in his #2 Holden Racing Team Commodore VZ.

Two-time Sandown 500 and seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Jim Richards will drive in the #22 HRT Commodore teamed with young prot?g? Ryan Briscoe in the latter?s first competitive V8 Supercar drive, while the #16 HSVDT Commodore will be piloted by V8 Supercar veteran Anthony Tratt and Fujitsu Development Series up-and-comer Tony D?Alberto.

?Being paired for the enduros is something that Rick and I have talked about forever and we?re thrilled it has finally found a way to happen,? said Todd Kelly, 26, who won his first Bathurst 1000 last year alongside Skaife.

Two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Rick, 23, added: ?We have an enormous amount of respect for each other?s driving ability and total faith in each other not to make silly mistakes. To win Bathurst back-to-back was incredible, but it would be even more special to win with my brother.?

Tom Walkinshaw, whose company Walkinshaw Racing oversees the preparation of both the Holden Racing Team and the Toll HSV Dealer Team, said the revamp was principally designed to protect the championship aspirations of the leading contenders.

?Risk management says that you need to put Garth and Rick in separate cars for the enduros. The fact that they will each drive alongside a defending Bathurst champion is ideal for our needs,? he said.

He said the Richards-Briscoe combination was also an exciting prospect for HRT fans. ?It?s an intriguing pairing, to put the master in the same car with the apprentice. Jim is a proven performer at this time of year and if Ryan is as good as his CV suggests, he will be very competitive.?

Holden Motorsport Manager Simon McNamara said: ?We have two ambitions in mind at Holden this year, which is firstly to win the championship and secondly to win Bathurst.

?This plan not only gives us an each-way bet on the championship, it gives strong pairings with legitimate claims of winning Sandown and Bathurst.?

Tander said he was delighted to be driving in the enduros with Skaife. ?Mark, Rick and Todd are all top drivers, and it wouldn?t really matter which way we mix it, they are all Bathurst winners and all more than capable of doing the job,? he said.

?Mark knows exactly what to do out there ? last year at Bathurst he and Todd drove the perfect race, consistent without taking any risks. That?s exactly what we need.?

Skaife said he would do whatever was needed to achieve success. ?I will do what?s best for Holden and what is best for the championship, without jeopardising our chances at Sandown and Bathurst,? he said.

The Betta Electrical Sandown 500 will be held at Sandown International Raceway in Melbourne on September 1-3. The Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will be held at Mt Panorama, Bathurst on October 5-8.

Pairings for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000:
Holden Racing Team #2 Commodore VZ: Mark Skaife/Garth Tander
Holden Racing Team #22 Commodore VZ: Jim Richards/Ryan Briscoe
Toll HSV Dealer Team #15 Commodore VZ: Rick Kelly/Todd Kelly
Toll HSV Dealer Team #16 Commodore VZ: Anthony Tratt/Tony D?Alberto
Click to expand...

Source
 
Just as I expected :D Skaife/Tander should be one top combo, as will the Kelly bros.

Will they merge livelry?
 
Is it just me that finds that driver swap a bit unfair & not in the spirit of competition?
 
Nah its perfectly fine, within the rules and all. I'm happy they're doing it because it'll make a great story having the two brothers side by side.
 
^ :lol: Couldn't have happened to a bigger tool...

I see there's a big stink kicking up about the HRT / Toll teams' driver swaps - and fair enough too. This thing's got Walkinshaw written all over it - and that ain't a good thing.
 
Breaking news that I just heard on RPM is that there will be a board meeting on Tuesday with the possibility of the rules being changed so that HRT/Toll can't merge their drivers. Its been caused by complaints from other teams.

I can't find any internet sources on it...yet.
 
^ I was reading about that during the week - hope the swap gets banned - it's so completely out of the spirit of the competition and a pretty arrogant move. Like I said, it's got Walkinshaw written all over it.
 
I say let them race like that. Talk about really screwing up Tander's chances. Putting him on a whole different team with marginal time in the car to work on a set up both he and Skaife are comfy with... At least he and RKelly would have some data to share, chances to work with each others race engineers familiarity w/ the cars, etc.

And I highly doubt Toll and HRT are going to be open book for the other drivers.

Honestly it's a nice "thought" but what a nightmare in the end.
 
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