The Caterpillar Grand Finale presented the most disturbing bout of racing of the 2006 championship. Both Garth Tander and Mark Skaife were shown the unsportsmanship flag for blocking Craig Lowndes during the weekend, whilst Tander was eventually handed a black flag and drive through penalty in the second race.
The damage was done in the third race when Rick Kelly tapped Lowndes into a spin that hit Todd Kelly on the second lap, effectively handing Kelly the championship on a platter.
Lowndes was infuriated.
?Everyone has seen their tactics have not been clean all weekend," Lowndes said.
?It's the way they wanted to play. We were racing not only one car but four cars.?
?It was a simple nose-to-tail hit; we've got his paint on the back bumper, we had the pace on him, we were confident; our car was good. They couldn't race us. The only way they could beat us was if we had an issue - and we had an issue."
Even though Triple Eight Race Engineering have instigated a stewards enquiry, Kelly is almost certain to retain the championship, although it would send a chilling precedent for future championship scenarios.
However the year?s events have certainly painted a nervous picture for the 2007 championship. With the resurrection of Tom Walkinshaw?s union of the Holden Racing Team and Toll HSV Dealer Team, other Holden teams will suffer. 2006 showed how hard being isolated from the performance group can be ? exemplified through Supercheap Auto Racing, a former member of Holden Motorsport?s ?big three?, struggling to crack the top fifteen after being forced from the TWPG.
Other Holden Teams are clearly not up to the game of the four Tom Walkinshaw prepared cars. Steven Richards was the only car not to come close ? in the Perkins Engineering Jack Daniel?s Motorsport Commodore. Even though Perkins? technology is consistent and generally worthy of top-ten speed, Richards is leaving the team next year and is likely to replaced by a younger driver such as Shane Price.
