2009 V8 Supercars Season

[Warren Dawes]

Yo Wido, glad you got to see it, I didn't want to spoil the thrill by giving away the result, but of course I was extremely happy. I was on the edge of my seat for that last sprint to the finish, only Bathurst V8's can produce. The skill of those drivers over the last 15 laps was incredible. These high powered cars, a wet track, slick tyres, and about 12 to 15 cars nose to tail, side by side, around that amazing mountain circuit. Nail biting stuff, the best finish ever for this great race. And all that at the end of a 7 hour race.

 

[Warren Dawes]

For those interested in the Aussie V8"s.
The championship will go down to the wire again at Philip Island, with 4 cars still very close.
Jamie Whincup, Garth Tander, Craig Lowndes, and Rick Kelly (in that order) still a chance but Rick Kelly unlikely to repeat last year's win.
Interesting though, only two teams involved.

I'd love to see Craig Lowndes get it this time to make up for last year's "incident" in the deciding last race but realistically Garth Tander has been the quickest for most of the year and will be hard to beat if he doesn't have bad luck.

 

[Wido Rossen]

Final standings after 14 race weekends.

The championship whas to be decided in the last three race`s.
This whas driven on the Phillip Island track.
Garth finisht 2 of the three race`s on the top of the podium.
In race three he finisht in fourth place.
That whas enough to take the championship.
So the Toll HSV Dealer team has for the second year in a row a champion in their car.
They also have the first place in the Team standings with a 43 points margine.

1 Garth Tander 625
2 Jamie Whincup 623
3 Craig Lowndes 592
4 Rick Kelly 552
5 Mark Winterbottom 420
6 Todd Kelly 381
7 Steven Richards 380
8 Mark Skaife 379
9 James Courtney 359
10 Will Davison 343

 

[Warren Dawes]

Yep! What a finish, in the end the championship was decided by two points, and in the last race of the season (again). The closeness of the racing in this series is amazing.

Well done to Garth Tander, I think he deserved it as he won the most races throughout the year, and seemed the quickest in the sprint races. Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes were superior in the enduro events.

 

[Sébastien Degraeve]

Hi,

New season 2008!

Car Number Team Name Driver Name Model
1 Toll Holden Racing Team Garth Tander VE
2 Toll Holden Racing Team Mark Skaife VE
3 Tasman Motorsport Jason Richards VE
4 Jeld-Wen Motorsport James Courtney BF
5 Ford Performance Racing Mark Winterbottom BF
6 Ford Performance Racing Steven Richards BF
7 Jack Daniel's Racing Todd Kelly VE
8 WOW Racing Max Wilson BF - withdrawn
9 TBA Shane Van Gisbergen BF
10 WPS Jason Bargwanna BF - withdrawn
11 Jack Daniel's Racing Shane Price VE
12 Team BOC Andrew Jones VE
14 Team BOC Cameron McConville VE
15 HSV Dealer Team Rick Kelly VE
16 Autobarn Racing Team Paul Dumbrell VE
17 Jim Beam Racing Steven Johnson BF
18 Jim Beam Racing Will Davison BF
021 Team Kiwi Racing Kayne Scott BF
24 Walden Motorsport Garth Walden BF
25 Fujitsu Racing Jason Bright BF
26 IRWIN Racing Marcus Marshall BF
33 Valvoline Cummins Race Team Lee Holdsworth VE
34 Valvoline Cummins Race Team Michael Caruso VE
39 Supercheap Auto Racing Russell Ingall VE
50 PWR Performance Products Andrew Thompson VE
51 Tasman Motorsport Greg Murphy VE
55 Rod Nash Racing Tony D'Alberto VE
67 Supercheap Auto Racing Paul Morris VE
88 TeamVodafone Jamie Whincup BF
111 Glenfords Racing Fabian Coulthard BF
888 TeamVodafone Craig Lowndes BF

*Team Vodafone Triple Eight:



*Team HSV:




*Team Britek:


*Team Jack Daniel's Racing:


*Team HRT:


*Team Paul Morris Motorsport:


*Team BOC:


*James Courtney:




First race:Clipsal 500 in Adelaide from February 21-24.

 

[Robert Wiesenmüller]

* Shane van Gisbergen

* Jim Beam Racing

----

R Kelly and J Bright have the best liveries, also the Vodafone and the Jim Beam car are nice.

 

[Sébastien Degraeve]

*Team FPR:




*Team Tasman Motorsport:

 

[Wido Rossen]

WPS/WOW Racing team owner Craig Gore has announced that his team has withdrawn from the V8 Supercar Championship Series because of personal business and health commitments.

The Gold Coast-based businessman has sold his two Team Licence Agreements to undisclosed parties with the blessing of the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA) and the team’s cars and equipment are to be sold separately.

Gore will remain involved in V8 Supercars, with his financial services group Wright Patton Shakespeare continuing as naming-rights sponsor of the WPS Chrysler V8 Supercar Safety Car program for the next five years.

This is a blow to the V8.
Both drivers and specialy Jason Bargwanna are great drivers

 

[Robert Wiesenmüller]

I know only Max Wilson, but he's a good driver
Hope their spots will be filled up with other teams and the drivers find spots at least for Bathurst.

 

[Warren Dawes]

I'm sure Jason Bargwanna would be grabbed quickly by another team. He's very good, lots of experience, and still quite young.

 

[Warren Dawes]

For those who may be interested, the V8's Season kicks off this weekend in Adelaide.

 

[Wido Rossen]

Yes yes, finaly..........some good racing again on the telly.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Yes yes, finaly..........some good racing again on the telly.

What channel is broadcasting it in Holland Wido, do you know that?

 

[Wido Rossen]

Yep , it`s on Motors TV Bram.
You need digital TV.
Motors tv broadcasts all the V8 race`s, live and delayd as well.

 

[Wido Rossen]

Great weekend for Jamie, winning both race`s.
And Graig.......sorry , he should have know better.
Bad bad luck for Mark Skaife ( nice livery of the Holden )
Great result for Cameron McConville, new team,new car.
And Shine van Gisbergen,18 years and showing so mutch pottential.

Looks like a prommesing 2008 season.

result`s after round 1 (two race`s)

1. Jamie Whincup - 300 points
2. Lee Holdsworth - 258 points
3. Rick Kelly - 192 points
4. Steven Johnson - 186 points
5. Todd Kelly - 180 points
6. Shane Van Gisbergen - 180 points
7. Greg Murphy - 174 points
8. Steven Richards - 171 points
9. Jason Richards - 156 points
10. Mark Skaife - 138 points

 

[Warren Dawes]

Yep, good racing. I think the guys who will be big chances this year will be
Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, and Lee Holdsworth. I think Steven Johnson will be a big improver this year, but I would put my money on Tander to take out this series again.

"And Graig.......sorry , he should have know better."

Let's wait and see what the race directors have to say. I guess he should have known better than to try to pass a guy who was obviously holding him up, had already been penalised in the first race for aggressive driving, and who had just tried to drive him into the wall in a blocking move on the previous corner. At what point is a pass considered complete, Lowndes was already three quarters of a car length past Courtney, but Courtney continued to try to hang onto 2nd place into a dangerous bend. Courtney is a great driver, but his attitude all through this event was very aggressive and caused him to be involved in many accidents. If he had only driven sensibly, I think he would have won the event easily.

 

[Wido Rossen]

Yep, good racing. I think the guys who will be big chances this year will be
Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, and Lee Holdsworth. I think Steven Johnson will be a big improver this year, but I would put my money on Tander to take out this series again.

"And Graig.......sorry , he should have know better."

Let's wait and see what the race directors have to say. I guess he should have known better than to try to pass a guy who was obviously holding him up, had already been penalised in the first race for aggressive driving, and who had just tried to drive him into the wall in a blocking move on the previous corner. At what point is a pass considered complete, Lowndes was already three quarters of a car length past Courtney, but Courtney continued to try to hang onto 2nd place into a dangerous bend. Courtney is a great driver, but his attitude all through this event was very aggressive and caused him to be involved in many accidents. If he had only driven sensibly, I think he would have won the event easily.

Yep that`s what a mean.

Graig whas faster but the place to take James whas not ideal.
Three times in a row on the inside ( read dirty part ) of the track.
He overshot twice his apex and the third time it ended in disaster.
Therefore he should have know better.
Graig is a manigificant driver, but sometimes to unpacient and agressive.
I saw him using the kerbs mutch more then the rest of the drivers.
A specialy in ( i gues ) turn 1 (after the left-wright ad the end of the straight ).

But nice racing , hope it will stay this way all the way thrue the season

 

[Wido Rossen]

Well,just found out that a driver has been killd in the fujitsu V8 serie`s.
That is leaving a big Black mark on the start of the season.

Ashley Cooper Official Release
Release date: 25/02/2008

“It was sad to learn that Fujitsu V8 Supercar driver Ashley Cooper has passed away.

Ashley fought a strong battle but sadly his injuries were too great.

Our greatest sympathies and all of our wishes are with Ashley’s family, in particular his partner Casey and their two children Ella and Bailey.

As a group we will do absolutely everything we can to support them at this time. I visited Ashley’s parents and his partner Casey in hospital yesterday along with Clipsal 500 Chief Executive Andrew Daniels and we will continue support them along the rocky road ahead.

We ask that all members of the media respect the privacy of the family and do not contact them at this time.

A full and thorough inquiry into the accident will be conducted and led by CAMS.

We have had a preliminary look at the footage of the accident and from what it appears his car may have clipped the guard rail on entry to the corner. There is nothing that we can find that would indicate any failure of the seat, his HANS device, the straps or the roll cage.

Our sport over-complies with the highest FIA rules for closed cockpit racing and most of our teams extend even beyond our own high standards with their own safety measures.

Certainly there have been accidents that would appear far more severe than was the case here when drivers have walked away unscathed. Such is the nature of motorsport.

We will not be making any further comment at this time.”

 

[Wido Rossen]

Giovanardi to enter Bathurst 1000

Reigning British Touring Car champion Fabrizio Giovanardi will make his debut in the Bathurst 1000km this year.

The Italian, who has eight top-line touring car titles to his name in the European, British, Italian and Spanish championships, will contest the Australian V8 touring car round at Mount Panorama with Team Vodafone, who have won the event for the last two years.

Giovanardi said: "I've always wanted to race at Bathurst because it's such a pinnacle and it's a great circuit to race on."

He had planned to attend the race to watch his new teammate Matt Neal take part in the event, but his VX Racing team arranged the deal with their sister Triple Eight squad in Australia.

"I told [VXR boss] Ian Harrison I wanted to go and watch Matt but he surprised me and said I will race as well. I'm really looking forward to it because it will be my first visit to Australia and I can't wait to drive the car."

Giovanardi will partner Briton Marc Hynes in a Ford Falcon, while previous winners Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup will share the team's other car.

 

[Warren Dawes]

Just a reminder for anyone in Europe who can see this series. Round 2 this weekend at Eastern Creek, sure to be another close battle.
HRT (Mark Skaife and Garth Tander) look strong in practice and have an incredible record at Eastern Creek, so Wido, make sure you wear your new shirt this weekend.