The dual champion qualified third for today’s 250km leg and never once opted to cruise despite only needing to finish within the top 28. Whincup fought hard and gave his all as he battled with the leaders throughout the 2 hour race, even passing Garth Tander for the race lead on Lap 26.

A physically and emotionally drained Whincup admitted he had nothing left in the tank at the end of the gruelling race.

“This is an incredible feeling,” Whincup said. “I didn’t think there could be a better feeling than last year’s (championship win) but this is unbelievable.

“It really is twice as hard to win the title a second time. There is a lot of pressure that goes with running the number one and you do become a bit of a target.

“I am very, very proud of what the team has achieved. I am just one part of the team and this championship victory has been a massive team effort,” he acknowledged.

It was a tough day for teammate Craig Lowndes who had the arduous task of starting from 22nd on the grid after a horror qualifying run.

Lowndes had a sensational first half of the 74 lap race and was up into the top ten before his second pitstop. An altercation with Will Davison on Lap 42 of the race forced him into the pits for repairs and in turn put him 13 laps down.

The TeamVodafone pit crew worked frantically to replace two uprights and the left hand bottom steering arm and he eventually finished the race in 19th place.

“It was a disappointing finish because I got a sensational start and the car balance was great. We had a good strategy, I passed a lot of cars on the on the opening lap and through the first stop,” Lowndes explained.

“After the second pitstop I clipped the wall coming onto the straight and Will (Davison) tried to out brake me down into Turn 1. He was a little bit too ambitious and we had contact which bent my steering quite badly.

“The team did a fantastic job to get me back out there and after today’s experience I know just how important qualifying well will be tomorrow as it is very difficult to pass on this track. The gloves will definitely be off as the Team’s Championship is still up for grabs,” he added.

The Sydney 500 will conclude tomorrow with the final race of the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series to get underway at 2.35pm (AEDST).

V8 Supercar Race 25 Top Ten Results

1. Garth Tander, 150pts
2. Mark Winterbottom, 138pts
3. Jason Bright, 129pts
4. Lee Holdsworth, 120pts
5. Jamie Whincup, 111pts
6. Michael Caruso, 102pts
7. Jason Bargwanna, 96pts
8. Steven Richards, 90pts
9. Rick Kelly, 84pts
10.Shane Van Gisbergen, 78pts
19. Craig Lowndes, 48pts

Top Ten 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1. Jamie Whincup, 3286pts
2. Will Davison, 2954pts
3. Garth Tander, 2916pts
4. Craig Lowndes, 2592pts
5. Mark Winterbottom, 2285pts
6. Steven Johnson, 2177pts
7. Rick Kelly, 2162pts
8. James Courtney,2042pts
9. Lee Holdsworth, 2006pts
10. Russell Ingall, 1928pts

Today saw a complete reversal on yesterday’s results with Jamie Whincup claiming pole position for Race 24 of the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series and teammate Craig Lowndes taking the race victory.

Storming from the last pit stop where he put on his slightly used soft tyres, Lowndes capitalised on the bunched field to elevate him from seventh to first and was never headed for the remainder of the race.

Although the soft tyres were nursed home over the closing laps, his 15 second buffer ensured he was never under threat from Steven Johnson in second place, who was also driving a Triple Eight Race Engineering manufactured car.

“Not bad for an old bloke,” Lowndes acknowledged wryly.

“Going into this event my primary role was to be rear gunner for Jamie and now I am standing on the podium.

“It was an awesome weekend for TeamVodafone. Two pole positions and two race wins - what more could we ask for,” he said.

Team strategy and an opportunistic safety car helped Jamie Whincup record a credible fourth place without lengthy use of the soft tyres.

With his championship rival failing to finish the race Whincup now holds a commanding 281 point lead going into the last event of the year in a fortnights time and only has to finish one race in 28th place to seal his second consecutive title.

“While I only need to finish better than 28th in one race in Sydney there is the Team’s Championship which is also undecided and Craig and I are desperate to achieve the double header,” Whincup said.

“It was no secret I was racing Car 22 today but once he was out, I pushed on as hard as I could.

“With the tyres I had to work with fourth place certainly exceeded my expectations today,” he added.

The Sydney 500 will host the Grand Finale of the V8 Supercar Championships from December 4-6 at Sydney Olympic Park and is expecting more than 150,000 people to attend the three day event.

V8 Supercar Top Ten Race 24 Results

1. Craig Lowndes, 150pts
2. Steven Johnson, 138pts
3. Garth Tander, 129pts
4. Jamie Whincup, 120pts
5. Russell Ingall, 111pts
6. Jason Bright, 102pts
7. Jason Bargwanna, 96pts
8. Steven Richards, 90pts
9. Cameron McConville, 84pts
10.James Courtney, 78pts

V8 Supercar Top Ten Championship standings

1. Jamie Whincup, 3175pts
2. Will Davison, 2894pts
3. Garth Tander, 2766pts
4. Craig Lowndes, 2544pts
5. Steven Johnson, 2177pts
6. Mark Winterbottom, 2147pts
7. Rick Kelly, 2078pts
8. James Courtney, 1988pts
9. Lee Holdsworth, 1886pts
10. Russell Ingall, 1871pts

The day started well for the championship winning team with an all TeamVodafone front row of the grid confirmed after teammate Craig Lowndes beat Whincup to pole position for the 42 lap race.

Both Whincup and Lowndes started the race on the Dunlop Sprint Maxx tyres but it was the defending champion who got off the line first. While Whincup pulled away, Lowndes took an early pit stop on Lap 6, opting to save his sprint tyres for tomorrow’s longer race.

Whincup was never headed as he took his eleventh race win of the season ahead of Todd Kelly and Mark Winterbottom and he now sits 161points clear of championship rival Will Davison.

“I have never won in Perth before so it is a great feeling.” Whincup said.

“We had great pace, but we did use the best of our tyres so it will be extremely tough to win again tomorrow.

“We had to sprint today and get that lead over 150 points. We are racing car 22 (Will Davison) and that’s who we have to race tomorrow,” he acknowledged.

After securing his first pole position for the year Craig Lowndes finished today’s race sixth and said the team strategy was to try and save the soft tyres for tomorrow.

“I had a consistent car throughout the race but once I went onto the standard control tyre I was pretty much racing myself,” Lowndes said.

“Our strategy was to pit early to save the sprint tyres so they can be used tomorrow. We want to stay out of trouble and try and match it with the other cars on soft’s.

Tomorrow’s on track action will see the V8 Supercars contest a 20 minute qualifying session at 10.00am (WST) ahead of Race 24 (84 laps) at 12.35pm (WST).

Top Ten V8 Supercar Race 23 Results

1. Jamie Whincup, 150pts
2. Todd Kelly, 138pts
3. Mark Winterbottom, 129pts
4. James Courtney, 120pts
5. Will Davison, 111pts
6. Craig Lowndes, 102pts
7. Rick Kelly, 96pts
8. Greg Murphy, 90pts
9. Russell Ingall, 84pts
10. Steven Johnson, 78pts

Whincup won yesterday’s 100km race and backed it up this morning with pole position for today’s 200km race.

The defending champion got his best start of the season and virtually controlled the race from start to finish, the only glitch a miscommunication with the safety car at the conclusion of his second pitstop.

“Obviously I am extremely happy with the weekend,” Whincup said. “I came here with a massive job to do and feel like I executed it well.

“We had momentum against us coming into the round and needed to lift our game and we did just that. Our car speed, reliability and pitstops were top notch this weekend.

“While we have regained some points and momentum, there are still four races to go and 600points up for grabs,” he continued.

Teammate Craig Lowndes qualified 12th for today’s 44-lap race and bounced back from a bad start to finish the race seventh.

“I had a very rocky start,” Lowndes explained. “I got way too much wheel spin and lost about nine positions.

“The car was much better than yesterday and our strategy and pitstop were fantastic. I managed to leap quite a few positions through the stops.

“It was a great finish to a tough weekend and I am really looking forward to going west,” he added.

While Lowndes and Whincup head home to continue their preparation for the BigPond 300 at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway on 20 – 22 November the TeamVodafone crew will remain at Phillip Island to prepare the teams two V8 Supercars for their journey west.

Top Ten V8 Supercar Race 22 Results

1. Jamie Whincup, 150pts
2. Rick Kelly, 138pts
3. Garth Tander, 129pts
4. James Courtney, 120pts
5. Jason Bright, 111pts
6. Shane Van Gisbergen, 102pts
7. Craig Lowndes, 96pts
8. Paul Dumbrell, 90pts
9. Fabian Coulthard, 86pts
10. Michael Caruso, 78pts

Top Ten V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1. Jamie Whincup, 2905pts
2. Will Davison, 2783pts
3. Garth Tanders, 2565pts
4. Craig Lowndes, 2292pts
5. Mark Winterbotton, 1964pts
6. Steven Johnson, 1961pts
7. Rick Kelly, 1925pts
8. Lee Holdsworth, 1817pts
9. James Courtney, 1790pts
10. Shane Van Gisbergen, 1679pts

Determined to right the wrongs of the previous round, Whincup posted the quickest time in the morning practice session before qualifying third for today’s 22-lap race.

A good start saw him move into second at the first turn and on Lap 3 of the race he passed championship rival Will Davison for the lead. A perfectly executed pitstop on Lap 9 put him back on track in front of Davison, a position he maintained to the chequered flag.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Whincup said. “This has really given me some confidence back.

“My pre race strategy seemed to work but there are still five long races to go so I need to keep the eyes down and focused.

“The car was very good but the tyres were getting pretty hot before the safety car came out,” he explained.

There was no such luck for teammate Craig Lowndes who ended the race 18th after an intense battle with Todd Kelly saw both cars excursion through the sand-trap.

A post race investigation further added to his woes with the TeamVodafone driver handed a 38 second pit lane penalty equivalant which put him back in 28th. 

“It was a disappointing way to finish the day,” Lowndes said. “I was quick throughout practice and qualifying.

“I had a good car and was running strongly in fourth but the battle with Todd came to a head at Turn 2 and unfortunately we both ended up in the gravel.” 

Tomorrow’s on track action will see the V8 Supercars contest a 20 minute qualifying session at 10.35am (AEDST) ahead of Race 22 (44 laps) at 2.05pm (AEDST).

Top Ten V8 Supercar Race 21 Results
 

1. Jamie Whincup, 150pts

2. Will Davison, 138pts
3. Rick Kelly, 129pts 

4. Garth Tander, 120pts         

5. Shane Van Gisbergen, 111pts

6. Mark Winterbottom, 102pts 

7. Lee Holdsworth, 96pts

8. Steven Johnson, 90pts

9. James Courtney, 86pts

10. Jason Richards, 78pts


Defending AMA Motocross and Australian Super X Champion Chad Reed has come to the aid of defending V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup who has chosen to sideline himself from the prestigious Race of Champions in Beijing.

27-year-old Reed from Monster Energy Kawasaki will step in to the role at Team Australia in the multi-discipline motorsport event, replacing the 26-year-old TeamVodafone driver who endured a horror weekend of results at the Surfers Paradise SuperGP.

Reed flew to Queensland to support Whincup at his home event and said he was glad to help out having seen the points leader overcome with disappointment after a late race mistake.

“I’m more than happy to step in for Jamie who made the decision to remove himself from the event after a very tough weekend,” said Reed. “Motorsport can bring you the highest of highs but the lows are crushing – I’ve been in that position myself and I know what he is going through.

“We’ve been friends for a few years now and thankfully l was the position to be able to step in for him.

“I love nothing more than flying the Aussie flag and I am really looking forward to teaming up with Mick (Doohan). The only condition I made was that Jamie give his all to win the 2009 title,” Reed explained.

Whincup said it was a difficult decision to make but was staunchly determined to defend his title and pay back the support shown by his team, sponsors and fans.

“V8 Supercars are my focus, we’ve worked very hard to get where we are and I’ve made the decision to withdraw from the Race of Champions in order to concentrate on rebuilding my points lead,” said Whincup.

“I am extremely grateful that Chad has been able to take my place and I am certain he will do a very good job for Australia.

“He is an incredible athlete and is one of the toughest competitors I have met. He has shown he can mix it on four wheels – in the past he has driven our TeamVodafone V8 Supercar and also had a good test in a Toyota rally car.

“I wish him and Mick all the best in Beijing.”

Reed will pair up with another two-wheel star in Mick Doohan, a five-time MotoGP world champion.

Doohan was also present at the SuperGP race and supported the decision of Whincup to relinquish his drive.

The Reed/Doohan duo will be up against stars including Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Marcus Gronholm, Travis Pastrana and many more at the November 2-4 event at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing.

Whilst the fairytale finish would have been four wins a row, the day did not start well for the star pairing with a drive through penalty applied after the first pitstop.

During Jamie’s second stint mid race, the rain came down and incorrect tyre pressure settings made it impossible for Whincup to keep consistent lap times until the track began to dry out and tyre temps increased.

However, with the best fuel economy of the field they regained the outright lead on Lap 121 and from there battled a pack of Commodores against the lone TeamVodafone V8 Supercar until problems with the clutch arose.

“It was a very tough day,” Lowndes admitted. “The conditions were difficult to keep on top of and we had a couple of little things go wrong.

“The team did an unbelievable job with strategy, Jamie did a fantastic job in the final stint and despite the problems we encountered the car soldiered on all day.

“We can be proud of the fact that we continually fought back but it just wasn’t meant to be. We now know where we stand in terms of the championship and we will turn our focus to the Super GP in two weeks time.

Driving the final stint for the first time Whincup battled valiantly but with a sticking clutch and lacking outright pace the duo had to settle for fifth.

“It wasn’t our day today,” Whincup explained. “We had a few little hiccups and to win this race you have to have everything squeaky clean.

“I am extremely proud we were able to pick up the pieces and still get a reasonable result.”

“We fought all day and our absence from the podium was not from a lack of trying,” Whincup said.

The European contingent in car 88 also had a day of ups and downs, an excellent start by Allan Simonsen elevated them from 17th to 3rd in the early stages of the race but a lengthy pitstop during a safety car period put them a lap/ A black flag for speeding in pit lane further added to their woes but it was an engine failure five laps from the race end that forced them into retirement.

“We had mixed weather conditions leading into the start of the race and we really didn’t know until the last minute what tyres we would be on so I was really happy my start,” said Simonsen.

“I made my way up to third by the end of my stint and everything went extremely well until our pitstop that put us a lap down.

“A drive thru penalty meant we were never able to really recover and then five laps from the end the engine let go over the top of the mountain spraying oil on the rear tyres. I experienced the biggest slide of my career but somehow managed to keep it off the wall,” he added.

It was a day of firsts for James Thompson in his Bathurst race debut with the former BTCC driving a V8 Supercar in wet conditions for the first time.

“It was an amazing experience and I have to say a big thank you to everyone at TeamVodafone,” Thompson said. “I almost accomplished my dream of completing a Bathurst race.

“I experienced a lot of firsts today – my first time on wets, my first time driving on slicks in the wet and the first time I have ever driven that distance.”

With the endurance races over Simonsen and Thompson will return to their respective european championships while TeamVodafone will prepare for the SuperGP on the Gold Coast in a fortnights time.

Top Ten Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Results

1. W.Davison/G.Tander, 300pts
2. C.McConville/J.Richards, 276pts
3. M.Caruso/L.Holdsworth, 258pts
4. G.Murphy/M.Skaife, 240pts
5. C.Lowndes/J.Whincup, 222pts
6. J.Bargwanna/M.Noske, 204pts
7. P.Morris/T.Slade, 192pts
8. R.Kelly/T.Kelly, 180pts
9. D.Besnard/G.Ritter, 168pts
10.T.D’Alberto/A.Thompson, 156pts

Top Ten V8 Supercar Championship Points

1. Jamie Whincup, 2476pts
2. Will Davison, 2383pts
3. Garth Tander, 2038pts
4. Craig Lowndes, 1947pts
5. Steven Johnson, 1656pts
6. Mark Winterbottom, 1574pts
7. Lee Holdsworth, 1568pts
8. Rick Kelly, 1516pts
9. Russell Ingall, 1484pts
10.James Courtney, 1436pts

Monster Energy is pleased to welcome defending V8 Supercar and Bathurst 1000 champion Jamie Whincup to its family of action sports athletes.

In the space of just a few years, the 26-year-old has emerged as one of the most talented touring car drivers in Australian history, recording an incredible run of results including a driver’s championship title and three consecutive Bathurst wins.

Whincup’s personality and attitude epitomises the Monster Energy lifestyle. The TeamVodafone driver is an easygoing fan favourite off the track but once the engine of his 650hp V8 Supercar roars to life there is few that can rival his merciless approach and commitment to achieving victory.

Monster Energy’s Adrian Hunter said the sponsorship of such a prominent and successful athlete was the perfect way to unleash the brand upon Australia.

“We are very happy to welcome Jamie Whincup to the team at Monster Energy and are looking forward to sharing his incredible journey in V8 Supercars,” said Hunter.

“Jamie is at the top of his game and easily one of the best drivers that Australia has ever produced – he is both passionate and driven but remains firmly committed to connecting with his fans.

“He lives and breathes an adrenaline-fuelled lifestyle, both on the track and off and will be a perfect fit within the Monster Energy family, joining other prominent motorsport stars including Formula 1’s Jenson Button and MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi.”

Whincup said he was thrilled to be joining Monster Energy’s team of world-class athletes.

“To join forces with such a popular and proactive brand in Monster Energy is very exciting, I feel it’s a natural fit and really represents the lifestyle I lead,” said Whincup.

“I look forward to delivering successful results on track and helping to introduce the iconic green claw to our passionate V8 Supercar fans.

“I’m excited to unveil a new helmet design featuring the Monster Energy logo for our attempt at a fourth consecutive Bathurst 1000 win, it would be a fantastic reward for Adrian and the team if I was able to stand atop the podium at our first race meeting together.”

The Monster Energy sponsorship begins at the Supercheap Auto 1000 at Mount Panorama, Bathurst and will extend into the 2010 and 2011 V8 Supercar seasons.

The Gold Coast-based athlete’s skills will be showcased on a truly international stage when heads to China next month to compete in the 16th annual Race of Champions event.

Whincup will race wheel-to-wheel against the world’s best drivers including Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, Formula 1 championship contenders Jenson Button and Sebastien Vettel, World Rally Championship points leader Mikko Hirvonen and many more.

Strictly invitation-only, the event is open to the world’s best motorsport athletes who compete against each other in a variety of different race cars to determine the world motorsport ‘Champion of Champions’.

For further information on Monster Energy, please visit www.monsterenergy.com.au.

The day provided the successful TeamVodafone pairing with the opportunity to dial in their base set up, with further refinements set to be made for tomorrow’s qualifying session.

Whincup’s fastest lap, a 2:07.3745, was set on the final lap of Practice C, with the defending series champion indicating there was still more speed to be found in the #888 V8 Supercar.

“The car was great,” said Whincup. “We put a good set of tyres on at the end and the car had excellent balance.

“We were quick but not on the limit so there is definitely a lot more in it.

“Today is about learning the track again but we capitalised and the cool conditions and tail wind certainly helped.”

Lowndes said that the day provided the team with the opportunity to work on their basic setup and tomorrow would be dedicated to finding the perfect balance for qualifying.

“Most of my time in the car was spent working on a baseline setup. The car was nice and predictable which is what you want and for the tyres we were on the time was pretty good,” Lowndes said.

“Today’s result is encouraging but there is a long way to go - who knows what the next few days are going to bring.

“We will both use what happened at Phillip Island as motivation for this weekend.”

In car #88, endurance race pilots James Thompson and Allan Simonsen also had an encouraging day with the pairing finishing 13th despite not working on car setup until the final half of practice session C.

“Today was about getting James some kilometres,” Simonsen explained.

“We did work on setup during the last session and we have a very good direction to go on with.

“We put on a new set of tyres at the end but only got two laps; encouragingly we got better and better.

“The car is good and we didn’t make any mistakes so it has been a good start to the event.”

Thompson said that following today’s practice sessions he was feeling a lot more confident about his Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 debut.

“It is a very impressive track not an easy one to learn in 12 laps, you can’t force it, I just need miles,” Thompson said.

“The main thing for today was to familiarise myself with the track and keep it off the walls so we can come back tomorrow and really work on setting some times.”

A further 60 minutes of practice will follow tomorrow. Teams will then take to the track for the all-important qualifying session to determine placings within the Top Ten Shootout.

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Practice Results


#888 C.Lowndes/J.Whincup, 2.07.3745
#3 J.Bargwana/M.Nooske, 2.07.9918
#17 J.Courtney/S.Johnson, 2.08.0277
#6 S.Richards/M.Winterbottom, 2.08.0842
#8 C.McConville/J.Richards, 2.08.1048
#15 A.Davison/S.Van Gisbergan, 2.08.1419
#51 G.Murphy/M.Skaife, 2.08.2931
#18 W.Luff/J.Webb, 2.08.5636
#25 J.Bright/K.Reindler, 2.08.6165
#111 F.Coulthard/M.Patrizi, 2.08.8214

1 of 16 drivers from multiple motorsport disciplines, the 26-year-old Gold Coast-based driver will be put to the ultimate test, competing in a variety of cars across the duration of the meeting.

Whincup will be the first four-wheel star from Australia to take part in the RoC in its 21-year history.

His competition will be the highest calibre of drivers from various world championships, including Michael Schumacher (multiple Formula 1 champion), Jenson Button (current Formula 1 points leader), Mikko Hirvonen (current World Rally Championship points leader) plus other leading touring car stars, NASCAR drivers and more.

The three-time Bathurst 1000 winner said he was eager to pursue the opportunity after learning that it would not clash with his V8 Supercar commitments.

“I have always wanted to look at the possibility of doing one-off events providing they don’t interrupt our program and preparation at TeamVodafone,” said Whincup, who leads the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship by 171 points.

“Initially I felt the Bahrain event would restrict my chances but when it was cancelled it opened up the opportunity once more.

“It’s going to be an awesome event. I will get to race some amazing cars against the likes of (Michael) Schumacher and (Jenson) Button which is incredibly exciting.

“It will be great to mix it with these guys and find out what makes them tick. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out there to fill in for (injured driver, Felipe) Massa at Ferrari, it’s all about having fun and hopefully I can help to further raise the profile of V8 Supercars and Australian motorsport in the process.”

Drivers will race on identical custom-created tracks built within the stadium that hosted the 2008 Olympics. A knockout-style format will see them progress through various divisions before two finalists go head-to-head in the ‘super final’.

The vastly-different selection of cars will include a Ford Focus WRC, KTM X-Bow, Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, RoC custom car and RX 150.

Lowndes, who took over driving duties from Whincup on Lap 54 of the race, had jostled with Holden rival Garth Tander for the lead before regaining control on Lap 98.

The TeamVodafone driver pulled out to a 3 second lead with just 10 laps to go but for the last five laps, Lowndes had difficulty turning left with limited grip and control.

Tander passed Lowndes on the final lap with the TeamVodafone driver unable to even defend his track position.

“Them’s the breaks,” Lowndes admitted. “This is motorsport where you have highs and lows, unfortunately today we finished on a low.”

“The tyre started to go five laps from the end and with one lap remaining I just couldn’t turn left.”

“Now I know how Jamie felt last year, but it now gives us both enormous motivation for Bathurst,” he said.

Teammate Jamie Whincup started the race and then led for his entire stint handing over a handy two second lead.

“We finished in this position last year lets hope its an omen for the next race,” Whincup said.

“Our cars were slightly off pace with cold tyres and full tanks but once things had settled down both Craig and I got good rhythm and consistent lap times which also augers well for Bathurst.”

“I am really proud of Craig today, it was a ding dong battle and psychologically we have the stronger mindset knowing we have a quicker car at this time of the year,” he continued.

On the other side of the garage there was a see-sawing of positions with strong driving from Allan Simonsen rising from 23rd to 14th before his first stop.

A drive through penalty dropped them back to 24th and they managed to rise again before V8 Supercar debutante James Thompson fell victim to Turn 2 on cold tyres and excursioned through the gravel trap. The duo finished in 21st position an admirable effort given the circumstances.

“I felt I drove quite well today and the car felt quite strong and familiar,” Simonsen said. “I am just slightly miffed that I locked up and bumped the #33 Commodore.”

“It is good to get this practice in before we head upto the mountain.”

A delighted James Thompson said he had learnt so much over this weekend.

“These cars are just so masculine,” he explained. You really need to hustle them around but then respect the need to warm up your tyres.

The team will now turn their focus to the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 where they will aim to become the first pairing to ever win four consective Bathurst 1000’s.

Top Ten Race Results L&H 500

1. W.Davison/G.Tander
2. C.Lowndes/J.Whincup
3. S.Richards/M.Winterbottom
4. J.Courtney/S.Johnson
5. R.Kelly/T.Kelly
6. W.Luff/J.Webb
7. R.Ingall/T.Slade
8. C.Baird/P.Dumbrell
9. D.Canto/L.Youlden
10. A.Davison/S.Van Gisbergen
21. A.Simonsen/J.Thompson

Top Ten V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1. Jamie Whincup, 2254pts
2. Will Davison, 2083pts
3. Garth Tander, 1738pts
4. Craig Lowndes, 1725pts
5. Steven Johnson, 1590pts
6. Mark Winterbottom, 1574pts
7. James Courtney, 1370pts
8. Russell Ingall, 1364pts
9. Rick Kelly, 1336pts
10. Lee Holdsworth, 1310pts

Lowndes qualified eighth for his race and was initially touted to take the car’s single compulsory pitstop. A great start elevated him to fifth on the opening lap and he was up into second by Lap 6, forcing a change in strategy which saw the pitstop duties handed to Whincup.

Despite catching and applying pressure to race leader Todd Kelly, Lowndes was unable to find a way past him, finishing the race second.

“Given our qualifying that was a great result for both of us,” Lowndes said. “We transformed the car into a good race car which did everything we needed.

“It really looked after its tyres which gives us a lot of confidence ahead tomorrows 113 lap race.”

With 17 cars pitting in the first race, Whincup had his work cut out for him and was sitting seventh when he entered the pits on Lap 9 of his race. The TeamVodafone driver enjoyed a fantastic pitstop that saw him overtake the HRT car of Tander/Davison and finish first of the pitting cars in 19th.

“We are still trying to find a balance in the car between Craig and myself and we need to improve our pace slightly to match our main rivals,” Whincup said.

“In hindsight we probably should have stopped in the first race but I am certainly not complaining about a front row start.”

On the opposite side of the garage their European counterparts Alan Simonsen and James Thompson will start a respectable 23rd after a sensational drive by Simonsen from 17th up to tenth in the first race.

“I was very happy with my race,” said Simonsen. “I got a great start and had some good opening laps.”

“I felt the car lacked outright pace which I think may be solved by some engine re-mapping but overall it was good to get back in a V8 and make a solid start.”

In his Australian race debut James Thompson started 21st and was sitting 16th at the time of his pitstop. The multiple BTCC Champion stayed out of trouble and lapped consistently to finish his race 26th.

“It was a great experience and it feels good to get my first race out of the way,” Thompson explained

“I was pleased with my race and relieved to bring the car back in one piece. Now I am really looking forward to tomorrow.“

The V8 Supercars will take to the track for a 20 minute warmup at 10.25am ahead of the L&H 500 which gets underway at 1.35pm.

The duo used the opening session to gather feedback and work on the #888 V8 Supercar’s setup, all the while battling the circuit’s notorious crosswinds from the coast.

Whincup set their fastest time in the final 50-minute session and was satisfied with the results heading into tomorrow’s qualifying sessions.

“It is great to be back at Phillip Island, it is without a doubt, one of the best circuits in the country,” said Whincup.

“We came across a few small setup gremlins which we are confident we can nut out overnight.”

“Friday always comes down to the practice tyres you have to work with, so we really won’t know where we are in the order until tomorrow’s qualifying,” he added.

Lowndes said he was looking forward to hitting the track tomorrow with a new setup direction established.

“We had an interesting day and came across a few hiccups which we were able to get on top of early,” said Lowndes.

“Not everything went to plan, we also had some knock off in the brakes which gave Jamie a long pedal, but we’re confident that we can make it a much nicer and more flowing car tomorrow.”

“We’ll also be keeping a closer eye on the wind direction as it interrupted our schedule a bit today,” added Lowndes.

Car #888 engineer Jeromy Moore said the sessions were productive and allowed the drivers to find a balance in settings.

“We used today’s practice to work on fuel economy and also to find a setup that suited both Jamie and Craig,” said Moore.

“We’ve got some good data to work with which should vastly improve the car for qualifying.”

Car #88 pilots Allan Simonsen and James Thompson made steady progress in their first outing as teammates fnishing the day 17th fastest.

Having raced with the team in the past, Simonsen was on the pace early and provided engineer Mark Dutton with solid feedback. He was also able to work closely with Thompson, imparting valuable advice and sharing thoughts on setup.

“All-in-all I was pretty happy with our result,” Simonsen said. “We ran full tanks in all three sessions to work on fuel economy.”

“Although the sessions are quite long I would have liked a few more laps but we have a full session tomorrow before qualifying to work on a couple of things.”

Simonsen’s british counterpart James Thompson spent his time in the car familiarising himself with the iconic track.

“I spent the day familiarising myself with the track and the car whilst staying out of trouble,” he explained

“This is a great track and I am sure when you get to know it well it is a joy to drive.

Tomorrow’s ontrack action will see each driver undertake another practice session ahead of qualifying for their individual races. The first 14-lap race will commence at 2.35pm with Race B to follow at 4.25pm.

L&H 500 Phillip Island Practice Results

1. #6 M.Winterbottom/S.Richards, 1:33.7901
2. #888 C.Lowndes/J.Whincup, 1:33.8128
3. #8 C.McConville/J.Richards, 1:33.9456
4. #25 J.Bright/K.Reindler, 1:34.0502
5. #22 C.Baird/P.Dumbrell, 1:34.0747
6. #111 F.Coulthard/M.Patrizi, 1:34.0849
7. #9 A.Davison/S.Van Gisbergen, 1:34.1021
8. #18 W.Luff/J.Webb, 1:34.2492
9. #7 R.Kelly/T.Kelly, 1:34.3062
10. #2 W.Davison/G.Tander, 1:34.4020

Despite sitting out most of yesterday’s final practice session with oil pressure issues, Whincup blazed through qualifying and top ten shootout to claim pole position.

The TeamVodafone driver got an amazing start and held the lead until Lap 8 of the race, when a small mistake allowed James Courtney to slip past. Whincup regained the lead 10 laps later and despite some close racing with Courtney was never headed on his way to victory.

“It is fantastic to get my first race win here at our test track as traditionally we haven’t that well here,” Whincup said.

“We really improved on our weaknesses today, especially our soft tyre speed which was the best it has been all year.”

“In terms of the championship it was a big day, but personally it sucks getting an advantage over other cars not finishing,” he added.

With his three closest rivals in the title fight all failing to finish today’s race, Whincup now commands a 267 point lead in the championship.

It was a disappointing end to what looked to be a promising day for teammate Lowndes who qualified fifth for today’s race.

“We had a good qualifying session but then it all when downhill during the race,” Lowndes admitted.

“I slipped the clutch and got a really bad start, then the car was great for a lap and half before the problem with the oil pressure reappeared and it was all over.”

“The boys will replace the engine and thankfully we will qualify again tomorrow. My soft tyres are only 12km old so I still have some great tyres to choose from for the longer race,” he stated.

The Queensland House and Land.com 300 continues tomorrow with qualifying at 10.15am and Race 16 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series to get underway at 1pm.

Top Ten V8 Supercar Results - Race 15

1. Jamie Whincup, 150pts
2. James Courtney, 138pts
3. Mark Winterbottom, 129pts
4. Steven Johnson, 120pts
5. Fabian Coulthard, 111pts
6. Todd Kelly, 102pts
7. Lee Holdsworth, 96pts
8. Jason Bright, 90pts
9. Shane Van Gisbergen, 84pts
10.Tim Slade, 78pts

Both cars ran faultlessly throughout Part B of practice but experienced a drop in oil pressure through the corners during the final session.

Craig Lowndes ended the day 16th on the timesheets but acknowledged his tyres were well past their best.

“We probably ran our worst set of tyres today so we were not expecting to be topping the timesheets,” Lowndes explained.

“I had some oil pressure problems during the final part of practice but fortunately the team were able to fix it and get me back out there.

“Despite the interruptions we made a lot of changes and learnt a lot, so things are definitely not as bad as they look,” he concluded.

While the TeamVodafone pitcrew were able to identify and fix the problem in Car #888, they were not so fortunate with Car #1 which spent most of the session in pitlane.

“We actually had a pretty good first session,” Whincup said. “We were on a terrible set of tyres but the car was very good.

“Our problem started on the first lap out in the final part of practice with the car was dropping oil pressure through the corners. The guys worked frantically but we weren’t able to fix it in time for me to get some good laps in.

“Thankfully this is only practice and I know we will have it sorted for qualifying tomorrow,” he added.

Whincup finished the day in P21.

V8 Supercar combined Practice Results

1. James Courtney, 1:10.8146*
2. Lee Holdsworth, 1:10.9633
3. Steven Richards,1:11.0349
4. Russell Ingall, 1:11.0629
5. Garth Tander, 1:11.2779
6. Will Davison, 1:11.3073
7. Mark Winterbottom, 1:11.3330
8. Steven Johnson, 1:11.3391
9. Shane Van Gisbergen, 1:11.3530
10. Jason Bright, 1:11.3926
11. Fabian Coulthard, 1:11.4577
12. Todd Kelly, 1:11.4818
13. Tony D’Alberto, 1:11.510
14. Michael Caruso, 1:11.5294
15. Greg Murphy, 1:11.5364
16. Craig Lowndes, 1:11.5404
17. Tim Slade, 1:11.5759
18. Rick Kelly, 1:11.6083
19. Jason Richards, 1:11.6220
20. Michael Patrizi, 1:11.6431
21. Jamie Whincup, 1:11.6820

Whincup, 26, earned the lion’s share of votes from fellow drivers, with 16 (55%) of them rating his achievements as field-leading.

The TeamVodafone driver also rated first in two other categories. He was voted the most respected driver (24% of the votes) as well as attracting a landslide margin of votes for the driver most likely to win this year’s championship (79% and 23 nominations).

He said he was humbled by the results of the poll which covered all aspects of the sport from the drivers’ perspective.

“It’s fantastic to be rated by your main rivals because from the outside, many people say I go alright, but your actual rivals take into consideration the car you’re driving as well,” Whincup told AutoAction.

“Although I feel like I’m driving well, at the same time I’ve got the best car out there, too.

“My main rivals understand that and are taking that into account. What can I say? I can only say that it’s a great honour.”

The results cap off a monumental twelve months for Whincup, who earned his third Bathurst 1000 crown on the way to a dominant run of race wins and the 2009 driver’s title.

A further accolade was the awarding of a second consecutive Barry Sheene Medal, the sport’s ‘Best and Fairest’ award judged by media and motorsport greats.

His appeal has broadened to a more mainstream audience as well.

At the beginning of the year, Whincup starred as part of Rexona Australia’s Greatest Athlete, an eight-part multi-sport program aired on the Nine Network.

Most recently, he was approached by leading lifestyle brand Von Zipper to appear as the face of a major national advertising campaign to appear in retail outlets and promoted by various print and online mediums.

“I feel it’s a win for the sport in general that these opportunities are being created,” said Whincup. “Its popularity is gaining ground on traditional sports and obviously has a real appeal to the youth and action sports markets.

“Personally it is very exciting to be involved with such brands and work with the people behind them.”

Both drivers struggled with understeer during the morning’s short 20 minute qualifying session and faced a challenging start to the 65-lap race from nine and twelfth on the grid.

In a race that continually evolved, the TeamVodafone pitcrew were kept on their toes as safety car periods played havoc with strategy.

Whincup worked his way into second after his first compulsory pitstop, but a safety car on Lap 30 of the race prompted the team to call in both cars for their second stop. Lowndes was the victim of circumstance on this occasion dropping through the field to 20th by the time he rejoined the race.

Whincup also lost a number of positions through pitlane traffic but managed to fight his way back up to third before the chequered flag fell.

“We did it tough this weekend,” Whincup said. “We haven’t quite been on our game all weekend.”

“It has been a huge week for the team and to move forward in the long term there were always going to be a few interruptions in the short term. But in this environment operating at 99% means you are back in the pack.

“We will spend the next three weeks regrouping and putting all our effort into the remainder of this year’s championship, especially as the endurance events are just around the corner,” Whincup explained.

Teammate Craig Lowndes made the best of his situation and drove a solid second half of the race passing 15 cars on his way to finishing fifth.

“Qualifying really hurt us today,” said Lowndes. “The car was actually good enough to win the race but considering everything that happened I am happy with fifth.”

“I had a little too much understeer at the start of the race but the team made an adjustment when I came in for my second pitstop and it was perfect after that. It really enabled me to move up through the order.

“We head home and do our homework before our home event at Queensland Raceway,” he added.

TeamVodafone will return to their Brisbane base to begin preparing for the Queensland 300 which will be held at the teams test track, Queensland Raceway, on August 21- 13.

Top Ten Norton 360 Sandown Challenge Results - V8 Supercars Race 14

1. Garth Tander, 150pts
2. Will Davison, 138pts
3. Jamie Whincup, 129pts
4. Cameron McConville, 120pts
5. Craig Lowndes, 111pts
6. Jason Richards, 102pts
7. Tony D’Alberto, 96pts
8. James Courtney, 90pts
9. Jason Bargwanna, 84pts
10.Paul Dumbrell, 78pts

Top Ten V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1. Jamie Whincup, 1791pts
2. Will Davison, 1674pts
3. Garth Tander, 1416pts
4. Craig Lowndes, 1350pts
5. Steven Johnson, 1194pts
6. Lee Holdsworth, 1116pts
7. Mark Winterbottom, 1083pts
8. Rick Kelly, 992pts
9. Russell Ingall, 989pts
10.Michael Caruso, 984pts

Holden Executive Director Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Alan Batey made the announcement at a press conference held at GM Holden headquarters in Melbourne today.

“Holden has a long and proud history in motorsport that stretches back over 40 years and today’s announcement is an exciting step into the next chapter,” Mr Batey said.

“Our commitment and passion for motorsport has not waived.

“Today we are making a clear statement on how much we value this sport which is also a very smart, responsible sponsorship decision.

“We are very excited about working with TeamVodafone and are thrilled to welcome back both Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup to the Holden family.”

TeamVodafone was formed out of the UK-based Triple Eight Race Engineering, winning multiple British Touring Car Championships with the factory GM Vauxhall team.

In its five short years in the V8 Supercar Championship Series, TeamVodafone has evolved from series debutants into the category powerhouse.

From 2004 to the end of last season, TeamVodafone had scored 12 pole positions, won 24 championship rounds and 38 individual race victories, including three straight Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 titles and the 2008 V8 Supercar Driver and Teams Championships.

In 2009, TeamVodafone has continued its impressive run scoring three pole positions, winning nine out of 12 races year to date and again leading both the Driver and Teams Championships after six of 14 Championship events.

“We are delighted to join the Holden family,” TeamVodafone Managing Director, Roland Dane said.

“Triple Eight Race Engineering started running with General Motors in the UK, winning many races and Championships, and it was only an anomaly due to circumstances that we did not race Holdens when we began in V8 Supercars.

“I have always wanted to put that right when the opportunity arose, which it now has.”

Dane said its association with GM was quite emotional.

“Although our relationship with GM in Europe is due to end, again due to circumstances, we recognise that we would not have got to where we are without them.

“It is an emotive topic for Triple Eight and we feel that as we have ‘grown’ with GM that we should continue to ‘live’ together with them, here with Holden.”

Last week Dane confirmed that the team had re-signed with major naming rights sponsor Vodafone for another three years, and that Lowndes and Whincup would also be with the team through to the end of the 2012 season.

Reigning V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup said he was excited by the prospect of returning to Holden.

“Personally, I am very excited, I started my V8 Supercar career in Holden teams and didn’t quite get the results I wanted so now I have the chance to rectify that,” Whincup said.

“Triple Eight is a cohesive and dedicated team and I am very confident that we can continue to record similar results when we climb aboard our new Commodores to start the 2010 season.

“I look forward to working with Holden and hope that we can shoot for further championship success together.”

The V8 Supercar Championship Series is Australia’s premier motor racing category, the category racing in front of approximately 1.5 million people over the course of a 15 event season with a cumulative national television audience of approximately 20 million.

After seven events on the 2009 calendar attendances are up over seven per cent on last year, with over 168,000 attending the inaugural Dunlop Townsville 400 recently – TV audiences up 11 per cent over the corresponding round in 2008.

The Brisbane-based team dominated the event in 2008, with drivers Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup sharing all of the three available race wins.

The introduction of the option sprint tyre, combined with longer races, will render last year’s strategy for success almost obsolete. Data obtained at Winton, Symmons Plains and Hidden Valley has been valuable in constructing a number of different scenarios to determine when best to bolt on the grippier compound.

A further telling factor will be Melbourne’s changeable weather. Showers, storms and sunshine within the space of a few hours are not uncommon, and the team that best manages car setup in these conditions is sure to come to the fore.

The TeamVodafone duo, who were last week locked in as teammates until 2012, sit first and second on the list of current drivers to experience Sandown success.

Lowndes has won 8 races at the 3.1km circuit, the most of any current or past touring car star.

Whincup’s 3 wins place him equal with Marcos Ambrose, and second on the list of today’s competitors.

Lowndes, the only driver to have won both races at an event using the option sprint tyre, said the complexion of a typical Sandown weekend was set to change dramatically.

“I’ve enjoyed success on the circuit through both the 500km and sprint race formats,” said Lowndes. “The circuit itself is quite bumpy, with a fast back straight which leads into a series of difficult corners.

“This year the start line will move to the front of the main grandstand, which will help us a bit as we won’t be carrying as much speed into the first corner.

“We also see the return of the sprint tyre which always throws up a curve ball – hopefully it will perform as it did in Tasmania in terms of longevity, but that is something we won’t know until we get onto the track.”

Lowndes is currently placed fourth in the V8 Supercar Championship Series standings, on 1110 points.

Teammate Whincup is looking to add to his exemplary run of results this weekend.

The winner of seven races in 2009 currently enjoys a 174-point buffer over second-placed Will Davison.

He said he was looking forward to the return to Sandown, a track he has raced on many times in his earlier years, and one that he had enjoyed much success on.

“Sandown has been a happy hunting-ground for me in the past, I feel very lucky to have been able to see the chequered flag first in both the 500km and sprint formats,” said Whincup.

“Apart from the races I have won my other most memorable Sandown moment was from the 2006 race where Craig and I came from a lap down to finish third.”

“This is an important event and one that can build solid momentum heading towards the endurance season.”

“My aim is to work on the car on Friday and try to find a nice balance, we don’t need to re-invent the wheel here. I feel very confident, we’ve had great pace in the past and are looking to carry over our fantastic results from Townsville a few weeks ago,” he added.

The Norton 360 Sandown Challenge format features a race apiece on Saturday and Sunday.

Race 13 will be run over 32 laps, with Race 14 set to be run over 65 laps. 150 points apiece is on offer to race winners.

Melbourne fans will have the chance to catch up with the TeamVodafone stars at Vodafone’s Crown Casino store ahead of the Sandown event with Lowndes and Whincup confirmed to visit the store this Thursday 30th July from 6pm-7pm.

What: TeamVodafone visit Vodafone’s Crown Casino Store
When: Thursday 30th July (6pm - 7pm)
Where: Shop 69 Crown Casino Complex
8 Whiteman Street, Southbank
Who: TeamVodafone drivers Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup

Roland Dane, Team Principal, has also confirmed the re-signing of V8 Supercar Champion, Jamie Whincup and Australia’s most popular V8 Supercar driver, Craig Lowndes for the duration of the partnership. The landmark agreement will see the team-mates race side-by-side for at least seven years.

Under the TeamVodafone banner, the team has won a total of 39 races in addition to its 2008 driver and team championship titles and two prestigious Bathurst 1000 crowns.

Whincup and Lowndes have shared Barry Sheene Medal honours every year since Vodafone entered the sport, with a panel of motorsport greats and media nominating the teammates as Best and Fairest for the past three seasons.

John Casey, Director of Marketing of Vodafone said, “Through our unprecedented support of TeamVodafone throughout the years, Vodafone has built a tremendous rapport with Motorsport fans throughout the country. We are proud to reaffirm our commitment to Australia’s number one V8 Supercar team.”

Roland Dane, Team Principal, said the strategy to extend the naming rights partnership in combination with the re-signing of both drivers was a unique move in the world’s most competitive touring car category.

“Continuity from sponsors, drivers and team personnel has been one of the key factors to our incredible success over the past three seasons,” said Dane. “Today is a historic day and we are very pleased and proud to extend our involvement with Vodafone at least until the end of 2012, along with securing both of our drivers for the same period.

“Vodafone’s proactive and forward-thinking approach has given us countless opportunities as a team and we are equally pleased to have been able to reward them with consecutive Bathurst wins on top of our championship, backed by 39 race wins during the partnership so far.

“Today’s announcement will give us the best chance to remain at the forefront of the category as it continues to evolve over the coming years,” he continued.

Defending champion and current points leader, Jamie Whincup, said the decision to re-sign with TeamVodafone until 2012 would be career-defining.

“I am overwhelmed with the opportunities that have arisen since winning my first V8 Supercar Championship and I am thrilled to have agreed on a multi-year deal that will see me stay with the world famous TeamVodafone until the end of 2012.

“The main factors that helped me decide my future were the great people at TeamVodafone, a fantastic major partner in Vodafone and the opportunity to remain driving alongside my good mate Craig Lowndes.

“For me the focus is on results, so it is essential to have the most powerful sporting team behind me. Thanks Vodafone; your commitment is safe with us,” he added.

Multiple Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes said since the team had become TeamVodafone they had rewritten the V8 Supercar history books.

“It is fantastic to be part of TeamVodafone until at least 2012. I have enjoyed every minute since joining the team and I am looking forward to even more success.

“This extension will see me at TeamVodafone for a total of eight years which will be the longest period I have spent with any team.

“The continuity between Jamie and I will serve the team well into the future and having a global brand like Vodafone behind us will really help us to continue our quest to remain at the top of our game both on and off the track,” he added.