By Matthew Agius
Holden has stacked all of its eggs in one basket for the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, and looks set to conquer the championship with two of the biggest names in Australian motor racing.
Friday December 7 2007 will go down as one of the most important dates in the history of V8 Supercar racing.
In just a matter of days, three of Holden’s loyal names relocated to other teams, in moves that will appear likely to affect the racing futures of the Holden Racing Team and Toll HSV Dealer Team in dramatically different ways.
The first move to be announced was Todd Kelly’s departure from the Holden Racing Team.
Despite winning the final round of the 2007 series, which assisted Garth Tander in securing his inaugural V8 title, Kelly appeared on the outer of the flagship Holden team since late October, when rumours first surfaced concerning his status at the team.
Moving to Jack Daniel’s Racing, a lower-order but highly experienced Holden operation, Kelly’s move is bitter-sweet.
It sees him leave the most prestigious outfit in the race paddock – one with a string of championships and Bathurst victories to its name – and head to a team that finished second to last in the 2007 Teams’ Championship.
There are positives for Kelly though. He is set, for the first time in ten years, to drive for a team outside of the Clayton base of Walkinshaw Performance, the organisation that operated his previous three teams - the Holden Young Lions, Kmart Racing and the HRT.
It will also be the first time that Kelly will race as the lead driver of a major V8 Supercar operation. Having played number-two to Greg Murphy at Kmart Racing, and Mark Skaife at the Holden Racing Team, Kelly will lead up-and-coming youngster, Shane Price, at JDR.
So whilst Kelly may be disappointed to leave ‘Team Red’, he now has a whole new future in touring car racing at his feet.
The second rumour to be confirmed this morning was that of Garth Tander joining the Holden Racing Team for 2008 and beyond.
This appears to be a carefully orchestrated move from Holden and Walkinshaw Performance, to ensure the profile of the Holden Racing Team is lifted to the fore of V8 racing.
