by Matthew Agius
The V8 Supercars head to Tasmania’s Symmons Plains circuit for the penultimate round of the 2005 Championship Series – the Ferodo Triple Challenge.
Following a four-year hiatus, Symmons Plains and indeed a Tasmanian round of the championship, returned to the calendar in 2004. A partly resurfaced track and a full field of V8 Supercars witnessed Russell Ingall take honours at the expense of rampant race leaders Marcos Ambrose, Todd Kelly and Rick Kelly – who all suffered technical misfortunes. It also hosted the inaugural race win for the WPS Racing team – with David Besnard taking victory in the third and final sprint, albeit a victory with
Indeed, 2005 marks the complete resurfacing of the Taswegian circuit, with drivers and teams being able to benefit from a less-technical track setup. The current lap record of 52.72 seconds held by the Holden Racing Team’s Todd Kelly, is a reflection on the short lap distances covered (just over two kilometres) and the long straights that comprise the Launceston-based raceway.
Several important achievements will be reached this weekend, notable of which are the milestones of drivers Glenn Seton, Jason Bargwanna and Mark Skaife.
Seton – a double V8 championship victor – will drive in his two-hundredth series round, and will do so with Westpoint Racing. Starting his Touring Car career in 1984, Seton is one of the most loyal drivers in the series, having driven for Ford since the current formula championship began in 1993.
Bargwanna has driven for both Holden and Ford (currently with Larkham-Orrcon Racing) and will make his one-hundredth championship start this weekend. Beginning his career in the Holden Young Lions and later with Garry Rogers Motorsport – culminating with a Bathurst 1000 victory in 2000 with the Repco Valvoline Cummins backed team. He switched to Ford and Orrcon Racing in 2003, debuting in an AU Falcon, but later upgrading to an SBR-powered BA. He will compete with competition number #100 celebrating his century of round starts this weekend.
