V8 Supercars Silly Season

[Monty_Burns]

Less then a week on from the last round of '07, some high profile moves have taken place. Tander is off to HRT, along with his engineer and team boss from Toll HSV...that'll give HRT the #1 and #2 for next year. Dumbrell is replacing GT in Car #16, while T. Kelly is off to Jack Daniels Racing.

Holden and Walkinshaw have really put all their eggs in one basket here - putting all their resources in the one team...it'll be interesting to see if if pays off for them, or whether Ford will have too much depth. I can see it ending up how 2003 ended up for Ford - with just the 2 SBR cars winning races, and Holdens making up the rest of the top 10.

So that's the confirmed stuff...then there's the rumours. Just off the top of my head...
- Ingall to Paul Morris Motorsport?
- Brad Jones Racing to switch to Holden?
- Cam McConville to Brad Jones Racing?
- Toll to sponsor HRT?

[fpv_gtho]

Normally i'd think Tander to HRT would be a mistake. HSVDT has for a few years now been a much stronger team, and hasnt had anywhere near the amount of bad luck that HRT have had. If his engineer and team boss however are moving with him, it could do alot to prevent anything like that. That being said, i think HSVDT have been more weakened than HRT strengthened by the move.

[Falcon500]

I think thats a bad move by GT and a little unfair on Todd who was HRTs best performer this year by far, And anything involving Dumbell is a mistake waiting to happen.

Ingall would be taking a few steps backwards there.
Bradly will be loosing his minor fanbase.
Dont know whats wronf with cams drive atm he was hamperd by privateer cars in his past id doubt hed do it a 2nd time.
Toll to sponser HRT I dont know do you really think they will?

[2ndclasscitizen]

Toll to sponser HRT I dont know do you really think they will?

Of course they won't, it'd be stupid of them to do it.

[Falcon500]

Of course they won't, it'd be stupid of them to do it.

Their more or less the same team I couldent imagine them not shareing at least a little sponsorship space.

[2ndclasscitizen]

But then they'd have both major sponsors on the same 2 cars, which would mean they'd then have to go and find another major sponsor for HSVDT.

[fpv_gtho]

Theyve already got minor sponsorship on HRT

[Falcon500]

Theyve already got minor sponsorship on HRT

Well that what i was getting at i didnt know they already had it :o

[#3 Tasman Bloke]

Here's the list so far:
Holden Racing Team
#1 Garth Tander
#2 Mark Skaife

Tasman Motorsport
#3 Jason Richards
#51 Greg Murphy

Stone Brothers Racing (now a three-car team apparently)
#4 James Courtney
#9 ??? (Steve Owen, Shane Van Gisbergen and Will Davison are candidates)
#??? ???

Ford Performance Racing
#5 Mark Winterbottom
#6 Steven Richards

Perkins Engineering
#7 Shane Price
#11 Todd Kelly

WPS Racing
#8 Max Wilson
#10 Jason Bargwanna

Team BOC
#12 Andrew Jones
#14 Cameron McConville

HSV Dealer Team
#15 Rick Kelly
#16 Paul Dumbrell

Dick Johnson Racing
#17 Steven Johnson
#18 Will Davison (unconfirmed)

Team Kiwi Racing
#021 Shane Van Gisbergen (unconfirmed)

Britek Motorsport
#25 Jason Bright
#26 Marcus Marshall (confirmed)

Garry Rogers Motorsport
#33 Lee Holdsworth
#34 Dean Canto

Paul Morris Motorsports
#39 Russell Ingall (confirmed)
#67 Paul Morris

Rod Nash Racing
#55 Tony D'Alberto (unconfirmed)

Triple Eight Race Engineering
#88 Jamie Whincup
#888 Craig Lowndes

Paul Cruickshank Racing
#111 Fabian Coulthard (confirmed)

Rumours:
Bigpond to sponsor Team BOC
HRT with pearl white colours next year
Maybe a 20 year celebration livery for HRT?

Notes: (confirmed)
BOC with HRT engines
Dumbrell returns (yes Wynn's Racing does count as THSVDT but he barely raced in the #96 car at Bathurst 1999) to Toll HSV Dealer Team.
McConville and A Jones reunite as teammates again
Tander takes #1 to HRT
more news soon!

[Falcon500]

Russles taking several steps backwards.....

[#3 Tasman Bloke]

It depends, since he started at Perkins, went to SBR, won a championship, struggled, then he goes to PMM. It's still unknown what the results will be but I can tell Paul wants to haul them back up from their 2001 Calder round win.

[Falcon500]

Everyone wants to be at the front of the gird but there can only be one and paul morris imo only has 2 chances bucklys and none! His cars lack pace and so does he. Fast drivers can do amazing things with cars But if the cars arent even top 10 material they are very unliky to win.

[fpv_gtho]

Paul Morris can produce some good cars. The problems stem from his fat arse slowing them down and his huge ego dictating the 2nd driver choice. Ingall should have no problem moving those cars a few spots up the grid.

[Falcon500]

Paul Morris can produce some good cars. The problems stem from his fat arse slowing them down and his huge ego dictating the 2nd driver choice. Ingall should have no problem moving those cars a few spots up the grid.

His cars arent what they used to be Steve Ellery (love him or hate him) Is a top level driver regulated to the backmarkers in these cars. Great drivers are exactly that but still they arent jesus who can preform miracles.

Bradly out preformed Paul Morris in nearly every respect and he stepped down because it was time....also John bowe is retireing i think pauls time has been long over due.

[fpv_gtho]

Well when youve got your own team with Daddy paying the sponsorship bills, would you step down?

[Falcon500]

Well when youve got your own team with Daddy paying the sponsorship bills, would you step down?

Good point hed have to notice his peformances have been dropping off since the group A and super tourer days (from first to last....) although granted he had the theoretically best car at the time and also at the time had one of the biggest budgets in those days (dads money plus coke a colas seemingly endless supply of money)...

[#3 Tasman Bloke]

...except that Morris doesn't want to really sponsor his Dad's business anymore.

[Daz27]

...because he has sponsorship from Super Cheap next season...

[Falcon500]

Lol I like their marketing stratergy just jump from team to team in the hope we find a winner.

Its really sad to say the most sucsess they ever had was by sponsering steve ellery. A regular top 10 and podiums at the enduros AND a konica champion and runner up are not bad pickings especially when Ellery was underpaid for his effort.

[blokey]

rick kelly is moving to america to suck arse in nascar or some crap

but from what i've heard he WONT be in the v8supercars next year.


thank god for that

[fpv_gtho]

Yeah right. Ambrose announced maybe 9-10 months early that he was moving to NASCAR, and had several tests and training simulations before finally signing a deal. Basically every 2007 season is over, and 2008 preparations well underway. Unless Rick has maybe $20m worth of Daddy's money, he wont be going anywhere next year. He'll still be with his parents team.

[blokey]

yeah thats just what i've heard tho


if he randdomily moves to ford next season i think i will commit suicide

i dont think his very popular cos his such a prick


go ford in 08 xD

[Falcon500]

Well thats the first ive heard of that?

I wouldent doubt Ricks ability to sponge money off his parents but i seriously doubt hed have the guts to move to america. Also hes in a very comfterble position atm why move?

[fpv_gtho]

The rumour has been around for maybe a month or so. Dating back to the final round at least. The seasons done and dusted though, and its faded away which can only mean it was totally groundless. At least for 2008.

[Falcon500]

There alot of bs storys floating around pit lane every year. Its hard to sell a copy of auto action at this time of year without tall storys and dramatic endings.

[Monty_Burns]

UPDATES
- Liveries: Courtney's SBR Falcon, both FPR cars, Max Wilson's WOW car, BJR, HRT, have all been unveilled thus far (have I forgotten any?) - all up on team websites.
- Shane Van Gisbergen confirmed to drive SBR's #9 Falcon - sponsor to be announced next week.