2012 V8 Supercars Discussion

One more year!

sempeR wrote:One more year!

Let hope for 2!

I like drivers with character!

Russell Ingall to end V8 career after 2013 season

Russell Ingall has announced that he will end his full-time V8 Supercars career at the end of the 2013 season.

The 2005 V8 Supercars champion confirmed he has signed a one-year agreement with Walkinshaw Racing to conclude his 18th year in the sport.

After finishing 13th in this year’s V8 Supercars Championship, the 47-year-old will continue to drive the #66 Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore VF.

Barring injury or an unforeseen occurrence, the Gold Coast resident’s decision to remain in the sport for one final year will see him become the most capped driver in Australian Touring Car history when he makes his 226th event start (schedule for Townsville in July), surpassing current record-holder John Bowe.

After winning the Australian Formula Ford Championship and attempting a European open wheel career, Ingall made his first start in a ‘V8 Supercar’ during the 1994 endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst, driving with Wayne Gardner Racing’s Coca Cola-backed team alongside Win Percy.

Ingall returned to the endurance races the following year, partnering Larry Perkins in his Castrol Perkins Racing team. It was the start of a eight-year relationship that saw the pair win two Bathurst 1000s (1995 and 1997).

Ingall finished runner-up in series points three times with the team before he made the switch to Ford’s Stone Brothers Racing in 2003.

After his fourth runner-up points finish in 2004, Ingall claimed the 2005 V8 Supercars Championship.

In 2008, he returned to Holden with Queensland-based Paul Morris Motorsports, and at the same time, began his partnership with automotive retail chain Supercheap Auto.

After four seasons at PMM, Ingall and Supercheap Auto switched to Melbourne-based Walkinshaw Racing this year.

In his 17 full-time V8 Supercars seasons, Ingall has earned 13 top 10 points finishes, while he has 15 top 10 finishes in the Bathurst 1000, including ninth place with Christian Klien this year.

The news of Ingall’s plan to stay in the sport for one final season leaves six drives not confirmed in the 28 car field.

The second Tekno Autosports seat remains unaccounted for, with the team still in negotiations with a number of potential pilots.

At Garry Rogers Motorsport, the team has not confirmed its second seat alongside new signing Scott McLaughlin. Frenchman Alexandre Premat remains a chance of retaining his seat.

SBR/Erebus Motorsport is yet to announce a replacement for Shane van Gisbergen, with Austrian Klien linked to the drive.

Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport has not announced either of its two drivers for the new year, although Scott Pye and Tim Blanchard have been heavily linked to the expanded squad.

Dick Johnson Racing’s second entry Dean Fiore has also not officially confirmed that he will remain as the driver of his #12 Falcon.

The 2013 V8 Supercars Championship season begins with the official pre-season test at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 16.

That Norton design looks cray

NoRecoil wrote:

Let hope for 2!

I like drivers with character!

If you like drivers with character, you too should be hoping Premat keeps his seat! Hes an angry son of an unmarried woman on the radio

Endurance-Only Program For Murphy In 2013



GREG Murphy has confirmed he will not drive full-time in next year’s V8 Supercars Championship and is focusing on competing as an endurance driver at Sandown and Bathurst in 2013.

The 40-year-old Kiwi confirmed via a release today that he will not be on the grid at next year’s Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, bringing an end to 14 consecutive years of driving full-time in the V8 Supercars Championship from 1999 onwards.
He says he expects to announce an endurance drive in January and had been in discussions with several Holden teams regarding a full-time berth but had elected to focus solely on an endurance program next year.
“It’s been a challenging six months with my back operation, the news that Kelly Racing was switching to Nissan and the annual race to secure one of the last remaining seats available in the championship,” Murphy said.
“While the option to consider another manufacturer presented itself, I was always going to remain loyal to Holden who have been incredibly supportive of my career since I first entered the series as an enduro driver with Craig Lowndes back in 1995.
“The facts are that the right full-time Holden seat has not appeared for me despite some encouraging discussions along the way.
“I know I’m still capable of being very competitive as a full-time racer but am comfortable to turn my attention to the right endurance seat for Sandown and Bathurst next year.
“I’m certainly not retiring from the main game. Bathurst and Sandown have been very kind to me over the years and with the right enduro seat in 2013, I have no doubt that I will be able to show pit lane and the fans alike, that I still have what it takes to be competitive as a full-time racer.”
The news also means that – save for a wildcard entry – Murphy will not be on the grid for the return of the Pukekohe event in his native New Zealand next April.
Murphy won the Pukekohe event the first three years it was held in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and also claimed victory there in 2005.
The Kiwi ace will be a strong driver to add to the endurance mix for 2013, bringing to the table four Bathurst 1000 wins and two Sandown 500 successes.
Murphy made his 20th Bathurst 1000 start this year and his eight podium finishes in The Great Race are only topped by five other drivers – Peter Brock, Jim Richards, Larry Perkins, Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife.
A veteran of 194 ATCC/V8SC event starts (ninth on the all-time list) and 433 individual races, Murphy made his championship debut at Calder Park back in 1997 driving for the Holden Racing Team.
He ran just the one round in 1998 at Calder for HRT (debuting its then-new VT Commodore) before racing for Gibson Motorsport (1999-2000), Kmart Racing (2001-2004), Supercheap Auto (PWR) Racing (2005-2006), Tasman Motorsport/Sprint Gas Racing (2007-2009), Paul Morris Motorsports (2010) and the last two years for Kelly Racing.
A two-time V8 Supercars Championship runner-up during his Kmart Racing days in 2002 and 2003, Murphy will continue to race in New Zealand in the V8 SuperTourers Championship next year for Mike Pero Racing in its Holden Commodore.

That Sucks!
I'd say he will end up at HRT/SCAR as one of their enduro drivers.

V8 Supercars new race formats for 2013 have led to widespread confusion, with the addition of what's called a Super Sprint format for six events next season.

Here is a rundown of all the format changes, tyre allocations and more for 2013:

Super Sprints:

Six events in 2013 will include a 60/60 Super Sprint format on the Saturday. These events include the Tasmania 360 in April, the Perth 360 event in Perth in May, the SKYCITY Triple Crown in Darwin in June, the Coates Hire Ipswich 360 in July, Winton 360 in August and the Phillip Island 360 in November.

The Super Sprints are split into two 60km halves with a 15-minute gap in between. The starting positions for the first 60km Super Sprint will be determined by a 20-minute qualifying session.

The first 60km half is essentially a qualifying race with no points or podiums awarded, which sets the grid for the second 60km half which features a rolling start and no refueling with championship points and podiums awarded.

On the Sunday of these events, there will be two independent 15-minute qualifying sessions for two 120km races with no refueling.

Rolling starts:
Double-file rolling starts will apply to the second half of the Super Sprints, as well all restarts following Safety Car periods.