TOP 10 CONTENDING PARTNERSHIPS AT THE V8 SUPERCARS BATHURST 1000 RACE AT MOUNT PANORAMA ON OCTOBER 7.
TEAMVODAFONE (Car No.888, Holden Commodore)
CRAIG LOWNDES
DOB: 21/6/74
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 18
Best result: 1st (96, 06, 07, 08, 10)
WARREN LUFF
DOB: 21/4/76
Born: Sutherland, NSW
Bathurst starts: 11
Best result: 5th (2010)
Fresh from winning the pre-Bathurst warm-up race, the Sandown 500, five-time winner Lowndes and likeable Luff are the team to beat going to Mt Panorama. Lowndes is a master of Bathurst and on current form will be hard to beat.
TEAMVODAFONE (Car No.1, Holden Commodore)
JAMIE WHINCUP
DOB: 6/2/83
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 10
Best result: 1st (2006, 07, 08)
PAUL DUMBRELL
DOB: 1/9/82
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 11
Best result: 5th (2002, 06)
Three-time series champion Whincup is current standings leader but he wasn’t at his best at the Sandown 500. His car is still super fast and Dumbrell showed plenty of ability in his drive at Sandown to suggest if Whincup is on song another Bathurst crown awaits.
TOLL HOLDEN RACING TEAM (Car No.2, Holden Commodore)
GARTH TANDER
DOB: 31/3/77
Born: Perth, WA
Bathurst starts: 14
Best result: 1st (2000, 09, 11)
NICK PERCAT
DOB: 14/9/88
Born: Adelaide, South Australia
Bathurst starts: 1
Best result: 1st (2011)
The defending champions will again be tough to beat. Percat is more experienced than the fresh-faced rookie who stood atop the podium in 2011 while Tander is as competitive as anyone at Mt Panorama. A fourth at Sandown shows the car’s improving too.
TOLL HOLDEN RACING TEAM (Car No.22, Holden Commodore)
JAMES COURTNEY
DOB: 29/6/80
Born: Sydney, NSW
Bathurst starts: 7
Best result: 2nd (2007)
CAMERON McCONVILLE
DOB: 22/1/74
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 19
Best result: 2nd (1999, 2009)
Courtney’s one and a bit seasons at HRT have been a major disappointment by anyone’s standards so a first Bathurst victory would be a huge boost to the 2010 series champion. He’s got a good, safe partner in McConville but his car’s speed seems way off.
SUPERCHEAP AUTO RACING (Car No.66, Holden Commodore)
RUSSELL INGALL
DOB: 24/2/64
Born: London, England
Bathurst starts: 20
Best result: 1st (1995, 97)
CHRISTIAN KLIEN
DOB: 7/2/83
Born: Hohenems, Austria
Bathurst starts: 0
The Enforcer Ingall is a value bet for Bathurst. He’s shown the ability to break up the four-way championship fight at times this season and the backing of the Walkinshaw Racing team means he has last year’s champion’s data to call upon. An 11th-place finish at Sandown suggests co-driver Klien’s lack of experience in a V8 Supercar could be a weakness.
ORRCON STEEL FPR (Car No.5, Ford Falcon)
MARK WINTERBOTTOM
DOB: 20/5/81
Born: Sydney, NSW
Bathurst starts: 9
Best result: 4th (2008, 11)
STEVEN RICHARDS
DOB: 11/7/72
Born: Auckland, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 19
Best result: 1st (1998, 1999)
Winterbottom has never won a championship or a Bathurst in his V8 Supercars career but this could be the year he wins both. He’s second in the title race and a second-place Sandown suggests he’s just as competitive in the long races. With former teammate Richards as his co-driver he’s got everything he needs to be victorious.
TRADING POST FPR (Car No.6, Ford Falcon)
WILL DAVISON
DOB: 30/8/82
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 8
Best result: 1st (2009)
JOHN MCINTYRE
DOB: 10/3/77
Born: Hastings, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 6
Best result: 6th (2011)
Davison was unstoppable at the start of the year but with his wins drying up his title challenge is going backwards. A 17th place finish at Sandown was very disappointing and improvement is necessary. Still, the 2009 winner has shown he knows how to come home first if given the opportunity.
SP TOOLS RACING (Car No.9 Ford Falcon)
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN
DOB: 9/5/89
Born: Auckland, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 5
Best result: 6th (2011)
LUKE YOULDEN
DOB: 27/1/78
Born: Albury, NSW
Bathurst starts: 12
Best result: 3rd (2003)
Young New Zealander van Gisbergen had his breakthrough year in 2011 and remains the best of the rest outside the championship-chasing top four. A strong showing at Sandown means he and Youlden will be primed to pull off a big surprise at Mt Panorama.
THE BOTTLE-O RACING TEAM (Car No.55 Ford Falcon)
DAVID REYNOLDS
DOB: 3/7/85
Born: Albury, NSW
Bathurst starts: 4
Best result: 12th (2009)
DEAN CANTO
DOB: 24/9/80
Born: Sydney, NSW
Bathurst starts: 13
Best result: 5th (2001)
Country-boy Reynolds has been the big improver this year and quite often found himself mixing it up the front with the championship contenders. One day he’ll combine his talent and one-lap pace with a consistent performance, that day could be Bathurst if his impressive sixth-place at Sandown with Canto is any guide.
IRWIN RACING (Car No.4 Ford Falcon)
LEE HOLDSWORTH
DOB: 2/2/83
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 8
Best result: 3rd (2009)
CRAIG BAIRD
DOB: 22/7/70
Born: Hamilton, NZ
Bathurst starts: 17 starts
Best result: 4th (1997)
Holdsworth has taken some time to settle into his new ride for 2012 after his switch from Garry Rogers Motorsport at the end of last year. Could be one to watch after combining with New Zealand veteran Baird to claim an impressive, and confidence-raising, eighth-place finish at Sandown.