Kelly takes out Lowndes... and the '06 championship.

By Matthew Agius

Rick Kelly has won the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series at the Caterpillar Grand Finale today, after a chaotic end to the final championship round at the Phillip Island Motorcycle Grand Prix Circuit.

The final race for the weekend proved ultimately to be the one to decide the championship with Lowndes, having finished ahead of Rick Kelly during the opening two races of the weekend, went into the final race for the weekend neck and neck with the young Toll HSV Dealer Team driver.

The final race for the weekend started interestingly, before the start, Tony Evangelou (standing in for Team Kiwi Racing) stalled during the observation lap, forcing the race to be reduced by a lap as the stricken Dexion Falcon was retrieved back to pitlane.

Both Lowndes and Kelly started the race alongside each other on the second row of the grid, whilst Tony Evangelou was joined by James Courtney for the start at the end of pitlane.

Having taken two race wins already, polesitter Todd Kelly got the better start over second-starting Mark Winterbottom but bogged down, which held up Craig Lowndes as who started behind him. Neck and neck into the first sequences of turns, Lowndes battled the elder Kelly brother, whilst Rick Kelly bought into the battle as well.

On lap two, Lowndes and Todd Kelly came together after the latter was hit in the back of the car by Rick Kelly into the high speed breaking area at the hairpin. On lap four, Rick Kelly was handed a drive though penalty for his part in the incident, however the damage to Lowndes' car, and his championship was done.

The biggest question raised after the penalty was taken, was if Craig Lowndes' Falcon was up to the task after the big crash. On lap six of thirty one, Lowndes' car was handling terribly, with no tyre grip due to damaged steering - with the compulsory pit window open, Lowndes pitted in and took his tyre stop. However the Vodafone Falcon was clearly handling poorly - with the three time champion going a lap down upon exit and suffering moreso from a twenty-four second stop.

Rick Kelly completed his stop efficiently, and came out well ahead of Lowndes in net terms. Lowndes was forced to pit again to repair his damaged tyres twice.

Lowndes eventually finished the race at the very back of the pack in twenty ninth, two laps down, whilst Kelly took out position X. Mark Winterbottom won the final race for 2006, completing a break through year for the young Ford star.

The round was won by Todd Kelly from Winterbottom and Holden Racing Team's Mark Skaife.

Kelly became the second youngest winner of an Australian Touring Car Championship, however his notoriety for taking out championship contenders was resurrected, having taken out Jason Bright from championship contention at Surfers Paradise in 2004. This was the second year that Lowndes has won the most rounds during the championship but finishes second in the standings.

The 2006 championship is now officially over and despite the controversial finish to the series title, the championship was one of the closest and most entertaining in years. The 2007 V8 Supercar Championship Series will kick off after what looks to be one of the more interesting off-seasons of recent times at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in South Australia.