Rick Kelly: “We have been lucky enough to lead the championship for most of the season”

HSV

Oct 15, 2007

The Toll HSV Dealer Team will draw on its come-from-behind-victory experience of last season as it throws everything at the V8 Supercar Championship over the final four rounds, starting with this weekend’s V8 Supercar Challenge at Surfers Paradise.

This time last year, Rick Kelly trailed rival Craig Lowndes by 101 points. Yet, with strong performances at Indy, Bahrain and Symmons Plains, the Holden star managed to claw his way back into the contest and set up a successful championship showdown at Phillip Island.

This year, just 27 points covers the first four drivers in the title fight, including defending champion Kelly and team-mate Garth Tander. Kelly goes to Surfers in third place, 18 points behind new leader Jamie Whincup and two points in arrears of Lowndes. Tander is just nine points behind, in fourth place. Realistically, they are the only four drivers left in the title fight.

Says Kelly: “We have been in this situation before. We know we can fight back, and we know these next four circuits have been good to us. It’s game on. ”

Tander agrees: “I am a lot closer than I was at this time last year, so I won’t be leaving anything in the tank over the next four rounds. We have had fast cars all year, and they won’t be any slower over the next four rounds. This championship is only just starting. ”

The Toll HSV Dealer Team’s Kelly and Tander take comfort from the fact that both of them won races on the tight Surfers Paradise street circuit last year, with Kelly fighting back from a Top 10 Shootout mishap to win Race 3. Tander won Race 2, while Rick’s brother Todd won Race 1 in a Holden whitewash.

While Rick Kelly smashed the practice and qualifying records, Garth Tander crunched the race lap record with a best lap of 1 min. 50.64 sec. in Race 3.

Kelly and Tander relish the cut and thrust of street circuit racing. Tander has won this event previously, in 2001, while Kelly not only scored a third-place podium here last season but opened this season with a win at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

Both drivers will have extra steel in their resolve after brake problems crippled their Bathurst 1000 assault recently.

The team is reverting to its tried and true sprint brakes package that helped to propel the team to the top of both the Drivers and Teams Championship tables prior to Bathurst.

As passing is difficult at Surfers, all drivers will be focussing on a good qualifying result while trying to stay out of the clutches of the ever-present walls lining the 4.47 km circuit. Pit stops and starts are also critical to a good Indy performance.

#1 Rick Kelly: “I am excited about going to Indy in this situation. We have been lucky enough to lead the championship for most of the season, so to be 18 points off the lead is a change for me. I generally react well to a bit of a challenge, and I like being the one to chase. Also, I went really well at Indy last year and had fantastic car, and so I hope we can do it all again this year and get back on top. ”

#16 Garth Tander: “Indy is a circuit and event I love going to. After our disappointing weekend at Bathurst, it is nice to know we are heading to a circuit that both Rick and I were very fast at and won races at last year. As far as the championship goes, there are realistically four of us who can win it, and with 288 points still up for grabs, and only the 27 points covering the four of us, it’s game on! ”