Manufacturer | Supercars Championship Ford Super2 Series Holden |
---|---|
Team Principal | Ryan Walkinshaw (Owner) Richard Dean (Owner) Michael Andretti (Owner) Zak Brown (Owner) Bruce Stewart (CEO) Carl Faux (Team Principal) |
Race Drivers | Supercars Championship No. 2 Ryan Wood No. 25 Chaz Mostert Super2 Series No. 2 Campbell Logan No. 25 Zach Bates |
Chassis | Supercars Championship Mustang GT S650 Super2 Series ZB Commodore |
Debut | 1990 |
Drivers' Championships | 6 (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) |
Teams' Championships | 5 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009) |
Round wins | 73 |
Race wins | 191 |
Pole positions | 96 |
2023 position | 6th (3487pts) |
Walkinshaw Andretti United is an Australian motor racing team based in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. The team, initially branded as the Holden Racing Team, used to field Holden Commodores in the Supercars Championship before making the switch to Ford Mustangs for the 2023 season. The two cars are currently driven by Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert.
Formed in 1990 as the Holden Racing Team, it is one of the most successful Supercars Championship teams in the history of the category, having won the drivers' championship six times, the teams' championship five times and the series' signature race, the Bathurst 1000, eight times. In 2017, the Holden Racing Team name was transferred by Holden to Triple Eight Race Engineering and the team was renamed Mobil 1 HSV Racing. For the 2018 season, the team was rebranded Walkinshaw Andretti United, as Andretti Autosport and United Autosports become shareholders.
As part of the joint venture established in 1987 between Tom Walkinshaw and Holden to form Holden Special Vehicles, Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) was to run Holden's motor sport programme. TWR were responsible for designing the Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV, which was homologated for racing in August 1988 after Holden Special Vehicles completed the required 500.
For 1988 it was decided to contract out the racing programme to Perkins Engineering although a car built by TWR in England was raced by Tom Walkinshaw at the RAC Tourist Trophy and Bathurst 1000.
For 1989 it was planned for TWR to run the full season with two cars. Win Percy and Neil Crompton were announced as the team's drivers and a second VL Commodore built in England was tested in Holden Racing Team livery at Calder but with the likelihood of being uncompetitive against the Ford Sierra RS500s, the Australian Touring Car Championship programme was cancelled. For the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and Grand Prix support races, the programme was once again contracted to Perkins Engineering.
In 1990 the operation was brought in house with longtime TWR driver Win Percy moving to Melbourne to fill the role of both driver and team manager. Percy drove at all Australian Touring Car Championship rounds except for Mallala where Neil Crompton drove after Percy returned to England for a family bereavement. [1] Percy's highest qualifying position was sixth at Winton and highest race result a third place at Lakeside, and he finished eighth overall in the championship.
At the Sandown 500, Percy and Crompton qualified the car fourth, however did not finish the race. For the Bathurst 1000 the team entered two cars with Percy, against the wishes of Holden and Tom Walkinshaw, recruiting Allan Grice to co-drive the lead car. Crompton was joined by Brad Jones. With Percy suffering a shoulder injury, his decision to hire Grice was vindicated with the latter handling the bulk of the driving on the way to an unexpected victory, the second car finished fifth.
For 1991 the VN Commodore was homologated with Win Percy driving in all ATCC rounds except Lakeside where Allan Grice substituted while Percy competed in an event in Europe. Percy again finished eighth in the championship. At the Bathurst 1000, Percy and Grice teamed together to finish second, with the second car of Neil Crompton and Brad Jones not finishing after running out of fuel.
With Win Percy having decided to return to England, Tomas Mezera was hired. Due to a budget shortfall and the need to develop the VP Commodore for the new V8 formula, HRT only competed at the Sandown, Lakeside and Eastern Creek rounds. Two 1993 spec VP Commodores were raced at the Sandown 500 with Mezera and Brad Jones finishing third while Percy and Grice finished fifth at the Bathurst 1000. Mezera and Jones drove two cars at the Grand Prix support races.
With budget problems compounded by Castrol deciding to transfer its funding to Perkins Engineering, at the beginning of 1993 there was some doubt as to whether the team would compete in the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship. Former 1987 World 500cc champion Wayne Gardner with only one touring car start was signed as the team's driver with Tomas Mezera's participation being dependent on additional sponsorship being secured, however he would ultimately compete in all nine rounds.
At the Sandown 500 Mezera was joined by Michael Preston, with Brad Jones and Allan Grice in the second car. For the Bathurst 1000 Mezera was joined by Win Percy with Gardner and Jones driving the second car to a third-place finish. Gardner won a race at the Australian Grand Prix.
The team's season was dominated by off-track politics. Before the end of the championship chief engineer Wally Storey and team manager Neal Lowe had left the team with Mezera appointed as acting team manager. Before the Sandown 500, Gardner was suspended for two weeks from the team. HRT alleged Gardner was trying to poach the team's sponsors for his own operation, Gardner claimed that he was acting on a request by the team to help secure extra funding. Gardner secured funding from Coca-Cola for 1994, but his proposal for taking part ownership was rejected by Tom Walkinshaw and he elected to form Wayne Gardner Racing. At Bathurst, Jeff Grech commenced what would ultimately be a very successful stint as team manager.
In 1994 Peter Brock was signed to drive for the team. In spite of some resistance by some within Holden after the manufacturer's split with Brock's Holden Dealer Team in 1987, the substantial Mobil and NGK sponsorship he brought to the team made the deal irresistible. Both of these sponsors remain with the team as of 2020. The team was competitive throughout the ATCC, with Brock taking the round win at Eastern Creek and second places at Sandown, Symmons Plains, Philip Island and Oran Park on the way to a third-place finish, Mezera finished ninth.
Brock's win at Eastern Creek was the HRT's first ever ATCC round win.
For the endurance events, Brad Jones and Rickard Rydell (who was driving a Volvo 850 for TWR in the British Touring Car Championship) were earmarked to drive the second car. However, with Rydell's wife due to give birth, he was replaced by Craig Lowndes for the Sandown 500. After finishing fifth and setting the fastest lap of the four drivers, HRT elected to retain Lowndes for the Bathurst 1000. Despite Lowndes crashing in the warm up and spinning mid race, a stellar double stint from Jones saw the car finish second. The lead car crashed late in the race.
For 1995 the VR Commodore was introduced. Brock remained a championship contender at the final round at Oran Park, finishing third with Mezera fifth. Lowndes and Greg Murphy ran the second car at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 however neither finished either race. After the Grand Prix support race it was announced that Lowndes would drive for the team full-time in 1996, he would take Mezera's seat for the season ending Brock Challenge at Calder.
With the demise of tobacco sponsorship, HRT had been able to lure many key personnel from Gibson Motorsport. This helped the team dominate the 1996 season with Craig Lowndes winning the ATCC, Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000, the latter two in partnership with Greg Murphy. Brock finished the series in fourth being joined again by Tomas Mezera for the endurance races. With Lowndes headed to Europe in 1997 to compete in F3000, Murphy was hired as his replacement and debuted at two races in New Zealand at the end of the year.
The year saw a number of mechanical failures with the VS Commodores that prevented HRT from following on from the success of 1996. One highlight of the year were one-two finishes at both Symmons Plains and Wanneroo. Just before the Eastern Creek round of the series, Brock announced his retirement from full-time racing. Overall, Murphy and Brock finished the year fourth and sixth respectively. Lowndes returned to drive in the endurance events with Murphy, while Mark Skaife co-drove with Brock. Lowndes and Murphy won the Sandown 500 while despite Skaife winning pole at both events, he and Brock failed to finish.
At selected events a third car was entered under the Holden Young Lions banner with Jason Bargwanna, Todd Kelly, Mark Noske and Stephen White driving. Bargwanna and Noske drove a car in the endurance races.
For 1998 Lowndes returned to HRT and Skaife succeeded Brock. With the Holden Young Lions program sub-contracted to Gibson Motorsport, HRT returned to a two-car team except for the Calder round where Greg Murphy debuted the VT Commodore. Lowndes won the ATCC with Skaife finishing third. Lowndes and Skaife finished second at the Sandown 500. At the Bathurst 1000 despite winning pole position and leading much of the race, Lowndes and Skaife suffered a number of tyre failures finishing sixth. The second car of Greg Murphy and Mark Noske suffered a crash in late qualifying causing them to miss the shootout and cause endless problems throughout the race including the same tyre woes that Lowndes and Skaife suffered and retired on lap 86.
Lowndes again won the ATCC with Skaife third despite Lowndes having to miss the Symmons Plains round after a car destroying rollover at Calder. Endurance driver Cameron McConville deputised in Lowndes's 1996 winning VS Commodore. For the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000, Lowndes was joined by McConville finishing third and second respectively. Skaife was joined by Paul Morris finishing third at Bathurst.
A third car was entered in the endurance races under the Holden Young Lions with Todd Kelly and Mark Noske driving.
In 2000 Skaife won the championship with Lowndes finishing in third. At the Queensland 500 Lowndes and Skaife teamed together to win. The second car was driven by Todd Kelly and Nathan Pretty, however failed to finish. At the Bathurst 1000, Lowndes and Skaife finished in sixth position with Jason Plato and Yvan Muller. Kelly raced the Holden Young Lions entry at some rounds being joined by Pretty at Bathurst.
Off-track Craig Lowndes wanted out of his ten-year management contract with Tom Walkinshaw and left the team at season's end for Gibson Motorsport.
In 2001, TWR Australia expanded to become a four-car operation with the formation of the two-car K-Mart Racing Team. Because a team could only race three cars under a Racing Entitlement Contract (REC), Romano Racing's REC was leased for the two K-Mart cars with the Romano car entered as a third Holden Racing Team car under the Holden Young Lions banner. Jason Bright joined the team. At the Queensland 500 Skaife and Bright shared a car with Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera driving the second. For the Bathurst 1000 the lead drivers were split, Skaife and Longhurst winning. Skaife won the series, Bright finished third.
In 2002 Skaife again won the championship with Bright finishing fourth. HRT won the first eight rounds of the season. Jim Richards and Mezera drove the second car at the Queensland 500. At the Bathurst 1000 Skaife and Richards won with Bright and Mezera third. A third car was raced throughout the season under the Holden Young Lions banner by Rick Kelly, finishing fourth at Bathurst with Nathan Pretty.
In early 2003 Tom Walkinshaw Racing collapsed and the team was put up for sale by the administrator. Holden purchased the team, but because manufacturers were prohibited from owning teams, it was quickly sold to Mark Skaife. The K-Mart team was purchased by John and Margaret Kelly, continuing to be a customer of HRT until the end of 2008. Paul Weel Racing also became a HRT customer with Jason Bright moving to the team with Todd Kelly commencing a five-year stint as the driver of the second car. For the endurance races Jim Richards and Tony Longhurst rejoined the team. Skaife and Kelly won the Sandown 500 with Longhurst and Richards finishing in tenth. At the Bathurst 1000 Skaife and Kelly finished the race in eighth after being black flagged late in the race to repair accident damage with Richards and Longhurst fifth.
In 2004 Kelly finished the championship in seventh place and Skaife in twelfth after one of his worst seasons on record where it included a number of driver errors and reliability issues. For the endurance events Jason Plato joined Peter Brock in the second car. Skaife and Kelly finished the Bathurst 1000 in fourteenth position, two laps down after a belt from the engine broke early in the race.
In 2005 both Skaife and Kelly won rounds of the championship with Kelly winning the historic V8 Supercars China Round at Shanghai International Circuit. This victory gave HRT its 50th round win, the first team to do so. Skaife and Kelly won the Bathurst 1000. Jim Richards and James Courtney drove the second car, however failed to finish.
In 2006 Kelly finished the season in sixth place and Skaife finished in a miserable sixteenth. Both drivers did have success during with Skaife winning at Pukekohe and Wanneroo and Kelly winning at Surfers Paradise and Phillip Island. With HRT out of the title race by the time of the endurance races and the sister HSV Dealer Team having both its drivers in contention, it was controversially decided to split its drivers with Garth Tander driving with Skaife and Kelly with his brother Rick at the HSV Dealer Team. However the plan was not successful with the Skaife/Tander car finishing 26th at the Sandown 500 and crashing on lap 1 at Bathurst after a driveline failure. The second HRT car was driven by Jim Richards and Ryan Briscoe and finished in 21st at Sandown and did not finish at Bathurst.
The 2007 V8 Supercar season saw the debut of the new VE Commodore. Skaife finished sixth and Kelly seventh with post scoring race wins. Glenn Seton and Nathan Pretty were signed to drive the second car. [2] However, with Skaife requiring appendix surgery the week before the Sandown 500, a reshuffle saw Kelly and Pretty paired in one car and Seton and Tony Longhurst in the second.
In 2008 defending champion Garth Tander engineer Matthew Nielson and sponsor Toll transferred from sister team HSV Dealer Team. [3] For the endurance races Glenn Seton was joined by Craig Baird. On 29 October Skaife also announced that 2008 would be his last season in a full-time drive in V8 Supercars. At the end of the year, Skaife sold his 50% share in the team to Tom Walkinshaw.
With John and Margaret Kelly having elected to form their own team and use Perkins Engineering hardware, the team expanded to four cars in 2009, two entered under the HRT banner and two under the Walkinshaw Racing banner. One REC was purchased from WPS Racing and another was acquired from V8 Supercars Australia that had last been used by Romano Racing with Paul Dumbrell moving across with financial support from his family's Autobarn business [4] while David Reynolds joined as the second driver with sponsorship from Bundaberg Red Rum. [5] [6] Dumbrell finished 15th in the championship at seasons end with several top-six finishes while Reynolds finished 22nd, showing pace and promise but no real results.
At HRT, Will Davison took Skaife's seat. [7] Tander and Davison won the Bathurst 1000 with Davison finishing second in the series. HRT did win the team's championship.
In 2010, Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson were signed to replace Dumbrell and Reynolds with Bundaberg Red sponsoring both cars. [8] [9]
In 2010 Tander finished fifth and Davison 22nd. As a whole, the team struggled to string together a series and ended a disappointing seventh in the team's championship. For the endurance races Tander was paired with Cameron McConville and Davison with David Reynolds. For the Bathurst 1000 the team ran a retro livery in recognition of the team's 1990 Bathurst victory. [10]
With Will Davison departing for Ford Performance Racing, defending champion James Courtney joined the team. The season started with Courtney winning in Abu Dhabi. For the endurance races, Tander was joined by Nick Percat and Courtney by McConville. Tander and Percat won the Bathurst 1000. Tander finished the season fifth, Courtney tenth.
On the Walkinshaw Racing side, the team downsized to a single car for Coulthard with continued support from Bundaberg Rum, the race number was changed to No. 61.
In 2012 the team scored no wins with Tander finishing the season in seventh, Courtney tenth. Coulthard was replaced by Russell Ingall who brought Supercheap Auto sponsorship, the race number was also changed once again No. 66. [11]
The VF Commodore made its debut in 2013. At the Townsville 400 Tander led a team one-two, breaking a 20-month drought for the team. Tander was again joined by Nick Percat for the endurance events, with Courtney joined by Greg Murphy. Tander also won a race at Phillip Island, James Courtney also won a race at Winton. [12] Ingall and Supercheap Auto remained with the team in 2013.
Tander and Courtney again drove VF Commodores in 2014 with Warren Luff and Greg Murphy driving in the endurance races. [13] Ingall was replaced by Tim Slade and the car entered as No. 47. [14] The team expanded to a four car operation with a customer car fielded for James Rosenberg Racing with Nick Percat driving. [15] Adrian Burgess joined as team manager.
The full-time driver lineup was maintained for 2015. Jack Perkins replaced the retiring Greg Murphy for the endurance races and also substituted for Courtney at a few rounds after the latter was injured. Russell Ingall joined Perkins at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000. With James Rosenberg Racing returning its REC to V8 Supercars at the end of 2014, a customer car was fielded for Team 18 with Lee Holdsworth driving. [16]
With Supercheap Auto taking its sponsorship to Prodrive Racing Australia, the team downsized to two cars, the two Holden Racing Team entries. The third REC was sold to Super Black Racing while Team 18 became a stand-alone team. [17] Tander and Luff won the Sandown 500.
In 2017 the team lost its Holden factory backing to Triple Eight Race Engineering, but continued to field two VF Commodores under the Mobil 1 HSV Racing banner. [18] Scott Pye replaced Tander. [19]
The team was rebranded as Walkinshaw Andretti United in January 2018, with Andretti Autosport and United Autosports becoming 37.5% and 25% shareholders respectively in the team. Walkinshaw and Andretti now hold equal ownership with United Autosports as minority partner. [20] [21] All Holden teams, including Walkinshaw Andretti United, upgraded their entries to the new Holden ZB Commodore for the 2018 season. The team raced under the Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing banner, with Courtney's number changed to No. 25, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the team and Mobil 1's partnership. [22]
Highlights for the team during 2018 were the team scoring one win, courtesy of Scott Pye in challenging conditions at the Melbourne 400. The win was also Pye's first in the category. A second placing at Bathurst for the second year in a row and moving up to 5th in the teams championship.
WAU continued to field two ZB Commodores for Scott Pye and James Courtney, with Courtney reverting to running the teams traditional racing number of 22. Mega Fuels came in as the new main sponsor to the team, replacing Boost Mobile, which went to Garry Rogers Motorsport. [23] They endured a difficult season, with the team only having a single Top 5 result, coming from James Courtney at the first race at Winton Motor Raceway, and finished 6th in the Teams Championship. On 27 August, James Courtney announced that he would leave the team, after nine years with the team. [24] On 3 September, their main sponsor, Mega Fuels, went into receivership, making Mobil 1 their primary sponsor at Pukekohe and Winning Appliances and Appliances Online for #2 and #22 respectively from Bathurst onwards. [25] [26]
2019 Super2 Series champion Bryce Fullwood and 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert signed with the team for the 2020 season. Mostert started the year well with a podium in his second race at the Adelaide 500.
2020 was a challenging year for the team as they, along with the other teams battled the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many team members had to leave their families in Melbourne to help keep the Supercars season going.
Fullwood claimed his first podium at The Bend Motorsport Park in September. Mostert finished the year strong, combining with the experienced Warren Luff to claim a fine 3rd place at the season ending Bathurst 1000.
Fullwood and Mostert both continued on with the team for 2021. Mostert achieved his first pole position for the team at Sandown and followed it up with a win at the next event at Symmons Plains. Mostert was able to claim another win at Hidden Valley before the series took an extended break due to the various lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
On 26 October, it was announce that Nick Percat would be re-joining the team he made his debut with, replacing Bryce Fullwood who had signed with Brad Jones Racing. [27]
In May 2022, Walkinshaw Andretti United confirmed that the team will switch to Ford machinery from 2023 season onwards and thus received a same treatment as Dick Johnson Racing, Tickford Racing, Grove Racing and Blanchard Racing Team by receiving a full-factory support from Ford.
At the start of the 2007 season, a battle erupted over the ownership of HRT. Skaife had been hounded by governing body, the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA), for more than four months for paperwork proving compliance with the Teams' Licence Agreement, but had failed to show the required information. He was given until 12 March to provide the evidence, or the team could be removed from the V8 Touring Car Competition. [28]
Skaife managed to produce sufficient evidence and TEGA allowed HRT to continue racing. A commercial settlement was struck between Skaife and TEGA that ensured that Skaife, and not Holden Motor Sport owner Tom Walkinshaw, had ownership and control over the team. [29] It has been revealed that Tom Walkinshaw owned a 50% stake in Skaife Sports. [30] Subsequently, in December 2008 Skaife sold his remaining interest in HRT to Walkinshaw. [31]
Since 2016, Walkinshaw Andretti United has entered the Australian GT Championship with a factory backed Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by John Martin [32] [33] and later Liam Talbot. Talbot moved to Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in 2019 and the GT team was shut down.
Year | Car | Pos | Points |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Holden Commodore VZ | 2nd | 3379 |
2006 | Holden Commodore VZ | 7th | 4423 |
2007 | Holden Commodore VE | 3rd | 800 |
2008 | Holden Commodore VE | 4th | 4432 |
2009 | Holden Commodore VE | 1st | 5650 |
2010 | Holden Commodore VE | 7th | 3618 |
2011 | Holden Commodore VE | 4th | 4518 |
2012 | Holden Commodore VE | 4th | 4690 |
2013 | Holden Commodore VF | 5th | 4330 |
2014 | Holden Commodore VF | 3rd | 4828 |
2015 | Holden Commodore VF | 3rd | 5191 |
2016 | Holden Commodore VF | 2nd | 4434 |
2017 | Holden Commodore VF | 7th | 3270 |
2018 | Holden Commodore ZB | 5th | 4681 |
2019 | Holden Commodore ZB | 6th | 4449 |
2020 | Holden Commodore ZB | 7th | 3050 |
2021 | Holden Commodore ZB | 4th | 3985 |
2022 | Holden Commodore ZB | 4th | 4448 |
2023 | Mustang GT | 6th | 3487 |
2024 | Mustang GT | 3rd* | 3226* |
The following is a list of drivers who have driven for the team in Supercars, in order of their first appearance. Drivers who only drove for the team on a part-time basis are listed in italics.
The following is a list of drivers who have driven for the team in Super2 Series, in order of their first appearance. Drivers who only drove for the team on a part-time basis are listed in italics.
Mark Stephen SkaifeOAM is an Australian former racing driver. Skaife is a five-time champion of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, including its predecessor, the Australian Touring Car Championship, as well as a six-time Bathurst 1000 winner. On 29 October 2008, he announced his retirement from full-time touring car racing. Since retiring from driving, Skaife has worked as a commentator and presenter for the series for both the Seven Network and Fox Sports Australia.
Craig Andrew LowndesOAM is an Australian racing car driver in the Repco Supercars Championship racing for Triple Eight Race Engineering. He is also a TV commentator.
Gregory David Murphy is a New Zealand professional racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and James May presenting Top Gear Live, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from 12 to 15 February 2009, and again when the show returned in 2010.
Garth Dirk Tander is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver competing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship's Enduro Cup, co-driving for Grove Racing. He was the 2007 series champion for the HSV Dealer Team and is a five-time winner in Australia's most prestigious motor race, the Bathurst 1000.
James Anthony Courtney is an Australian racing driver competing in the Repco Supercars Championship. He currently drives the No. 7 Ford Mustang GT for Blanchard Racing Team. Courtney won the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series driving for the Dick Johnson Racing team.
Jamie David Whincup is an Australian professional racing driver competing in the Supercars Championship. He currently is team principal for Triple Eight Race Engineering. He has driven the No. 88 Holden ZB Commodore, won a record seven Supercars championship titles, four Bathurst 1000 victories, and a Bathurst 12 Hour victory. Whincup is the all-time record holder in the Supercars Championship for race wins, at 125 career wins. He is also the first driver to win the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy twice at Pukekohe Park Raceway in Auckland, New Zealand.
Todd Evan Kelly is a retired Australian professional racing driver who competed in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. He is the older brother of fellow Supercars driver and former Bathurst 1000 winner, Rick Kelly. He drove for the Holden Racing Team from 2003 until 2007, and Perkins Engineering in 2008. Since 2009, he has been with his family team Kelly Racing. He is the youngest driver to have reached 100 starts in the series.
The HSV Dealer Team, previously known as Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia and John Kelly Racing, was an Australian V8 Supercar team. The team ceased operations at the end of 2008, with Walkinshaw Racing and Kelly Racing being formed by owners and staff of the former team. The team is best known for winning the Bathurst 1000 in 2003 and 2004 and the V8 Supercars Drivers & Teams Championships in 2006 and 2007.
Perkins Engineering was a team contesting the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series, operating as an active racing team between 1986 and 2008. From 2009 onwards, the involvement of Perkins Engineering in the championship was wound back into a supply relationship with the newly formed Kelly Racing.
Jack Perkins is an Australian motor racing driver who competes in the Pirtek Enduro Cup. He currently co-drivers with James Courtney in the No. 7 Ford Mustang for Blanchard Racing Team. He is the son of retired Australian race driver and former team owner Larry Perkins, in whose team Perkins Engineering, he drove between 2006 and 2008. Initially competing as an endurance race only driver in 2006, in 2007 Perkins graduated to the full-time drive in the No. 11 Perkins Engineering car, the number made famous in Australian racing by his father.
The 2001 Shell Championship Series was an auto racing series for V8 Supercars. The championship, which was the third Shell Championship Series, began on 25 March 2001 at Phillip Island and ended on 2 December at Sandown after 13 rounds. The same events also determined the winner of the 2001 Australian Touring Car Championship as awarded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.
Anthony Lawrence Longhurst is an Australian racing driver and former Australian Champion water skier. He is most noted for his career in the Australian Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercar series. Longhurst is a two-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, winning the event in 1988 with Tomas Mezera and in 2001 with Mark Skaife, and is one of only five drivers to win Bathurst in both a Ford and a Holden.
The 2000 FAI 1000 was a race for V8 Supercars, held on 19 November 2000 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales Australia. The race was the thirteenth and final round of the 2000 Shell Championship Series. It was the fourth running of the Australia 1000, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 that occurred in 1997. It was the 43rd race that traces its lineage back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.
David Reynolds is an Australian professional racing driver. He currently drives in the Repco Supercars Championship for Team 18, racing the No. 20 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. He won the 2017 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with co-driver Luke Youlden.
The 2009 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was a motor race for V8 Supercars. It was the thirteenth running of the Australian 1000 race, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 that occurred in 1997. It is the 52nd race tracing its lineage back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.
The 2010 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was a motor race for V8 Supercars. The race, which was held on Sunday, 10 October 2010 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia was Race 18 of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was the fourteenth running of the Australian 1000 race, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 that occurred in 1997. It was also the 53rd race for which the lineage can be traced back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.
The 2011 International V8 Supercar Championship was an FIA sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the thirteenth V8 Supercar Championship Series and the fifteenth series in which V8 Supercars contested the premier Australian touring car title. It was the first since the series was elevated to the 'International category' status by the FIA. The championship began on 10 February in the Middle East at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit and finished on 4 December at the Homebush Street Circuit. It was contested over 28 races at 14 events. These events were held in all states of Australia and in the Northern Territory as well as in the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand. The 52nd Australian Touring Car Championship title was awarded to Jamie Whincup by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.
The 2011 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was an Australian touring car motor race for V8 Supercars. The race was on Sunday, 9 October 2011 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia and was Race 20 of the 2011 International V8 Supercars Championship. It was the fifteenth running of the Australian 1000 race, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 that occurred in 1997. It was also the 54th race for which the lineage can be traced back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.
The 2014 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the sixteenth running of the V8 Supercars Championship and the eighteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2015 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international auto racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the seventeenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the nineteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.