The Holden Racing Team flies the Holden flag in the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series. Rated as the only chance to deliver Holden a title, drivers Todd Kelly (fourth) and Mark Skaife (fifth) will be fighting to win a championship in the year that they also secured the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
"We were fast there last year, we were on the pace from the word go and it was all looking great until I had a mechanical drama in the last race," said Kelly.
"I like the track a lot – apart from one seriously tight hairpin it flows really well and if you get through the hairpin and get the power down, you can use straight-line speed to pick up spots on the back straight.
"Anyone who thinks this championship is done and dusted is kidding themselves, you only have to look at what happened at Indy to realize we still have a lot of racing ahead of us and that the championship scenario can change in a heartbeat," he continued.
"Skaifey and I have a couple of things working in our favour – we will be looking out for each other out there, and we have excellent data available to us for both Symmons Plains and Phillip Island, where we have tested this year."
Indeed, Skaife noted of his desire to win this weekend and also battle for the championship.
"There are five drivers left in championship contention. It’s pretty certain the other three will all be looking out for themselves, so Todd and I already have a significant advantage," said Skaife.
"We each have one less contender than the others to worry about, and a potential ally out there if we need it. It’s always easier to hunt in packs than to be alone, being stalked. We both have a burning desire to win the championship, but we have agreed for the team’s sake that we won’t jeopardise each other’s run at it."
