Following are details relating to this weekend’s sixth round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway. Also find following thoughts from both Pirtek Racing’s Marcos Ambrose and Caltex Racing’s Russell Ingall.
INTERESTING POINTS – HIDDEN VALLEY DARWIN
* Although the calendar now includes many different formats for each round, Hidden Valley has always been a three race round and in the seven rounds no driver has managed to score a clean sweep. Caltex Racing’s Russell Ingall won two out of three in 1998 and 1999 while Mark Skaife also managed two wins in 2002 and Pirtek Racing’s Marcos Ambrose did the same in 2003. There were three different winners in the three races last year – Ingall, Rick Kelly and Todd Kelly.
Ingall’s win that weekend put him equal with Skaife on six race wins apiece while the only other multiple winners in Darwin are Ambrose and Jason Bright with two each. Although Ambrose has won two races here and been overall winner twice, in 2001 he took overall honors without winning a race.
* Caltex Racing’s Russell Ingall is one of only nine drivers who will have raced in all eight rounds at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway after this weekend. The others are Mark Skaife, Glenn Seton, Craig Lowndes, John Bowe, Paul Weel, Jason Bargwanna, Steven Ellery and Garth Tander. This will be Marcos Ambrose’s fifth visit to Darwin in the Pirtek Falcon. He had his first ever round victory at the track on debut in 2001 without winning a race.
THOUGHTS ON HIDDEN VALLEY - DARWIN
MARCOS AMBROSE – PIRTEK RACING
”Hidden Valley has a great atmosphere and some of the most passionate fans in the business. It is definitely one of my favourite race meetings of the year. There is an enthusiasm from the time you get off the plane. The heat also gives you an excuse to drink a few more VBs on Sunday Night before getting the red-eye flight back home.”
MOST MEMOR ABLE MOMENT
”This came during my first race there in 2001. At the back of the track there is a 24-hour pub, it smelt like a nightclub on the morning after. I could not work out what the smell was. Every time I went past all I could see were bodies lying on the ground and up against the fence. It was not until we went around on the victory parade lap that I realised what was going on. Darwin will always be a special place for me because it was the venue of my first championship round win.”
HIDDEN VALLEY, DARWIN – RECORD
2004 – Qualified 4th; Race 1: 3rd; Race 2: 13th; Race 3: 2nd; Overall: 4th
2003 – Qualified 2nd; Race 1: 2nd; Race 2: 1st; Race 3: 1st; Overall 1st
2002 – Qualified 3rd; Race 1: 3rd; Race 2: 9th; Race 3: 5th; Overall: 5th
2001 – Qualified 3rd; Race 1: 2nd; Race 2: 4th; Race 3: 3rd; Overall: 1st
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (After round 5, 2005)
Current Points: 862 (1st)
Born: September 1, 1976
Car: Pirtek BA Falcon
Number: 1
V8 Supercar debut: 2001
2004 Championship: 1st
Round Starts: 57
Poles: 16 – Eastern Creek (Rd 13), Queensland 300, Eastern Creek (2004); Sandown, Oran Park, Queensland Raceway, Winton, Eastern Creek (2003); Phillip Island, Oran Park, Winton, Qld 500, Sandown (2002); Eastern Creek, Qld 500, Bathurst (2001)
Race wins: 24 (Last win – Race 1 – Eastern Creek, Round 3, 2005)
Round wins: 14 – Adelaide Clipsal 500 (2005), Eastern Creek (Rd 13), Sandown 500, Oran Park, Queensland 300, Adelaide Clipsal 500 (2004); Eastern Creek, Oran Park, Hidden Valley, Barbagallo, Winton, Eastern Creek (2003), Sandown (2002); Hidden Valley (2001)
V8 Championship Results: 1st (2004); 1st (2003); 3rd (2002); 7th (2001); Other Major
V8 Supercar Results: 1st Sandown 500 (2004); V8 Supercar Rookie of the Year (2001)
Career highlights: 1st European Formula Ford championship (2000); 2nd Australian Formula Ford Championship (1997); 1999 British Formula Ford Championship (3rd)
THOUGHTS ON HIDDEN VALLEY - DARWIN
RUSSELL INGALL – CALTEX RACING
”If you asked me a few years ago about going to Darwin to race I would have laughed, but as it has turned out, Hidden Valley has developed into one of the success stories of the championship. They have done an outstanding job on the circuit, considering half of it was built on the side of a hill. Each year it just seems to get better and better. This is great place to celebrate a win on Sunday night.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT
”Winning the first round in Darwin in 1998 was pretty cool. I would have to say winning last year’s opening race was also pretty pleasing. Marcos (Ambrose) and (Mark) Skaife had a coming together coming on to the main straight for the last time and the chequered flag was just unfolded in front of me. Doing a photo shoot next to an eight metre saltwater crocodile is also something that remains pretty strong in my memory.”
HIDDEN VALLEY, DARWIN RECORD
2004 – Qualified 5th; Race 1: 1st; Race 2: 11th; Race 3: 5th; Overall: 3rd
2003 – Qualified 5th; Race 1: DNF; Race 2: 17th; Race 3: 8th; Overall: 18th
2002 – Qualified 15th; Race 1: DNF; Race 2: DNS; Race 3: 9th; Overall: 28th
2001 – Qualified 2nd; Race 1: 1st; Race 2: 22nd; Race 3: 9th; Overall: 6th
2000 – Qualified 8th; Race 1: 6th; Race 2: DNF; Race 3: 10th; Overall: 11th
1999 – Qualified 2nd; Race 1: 1st; Race 2: 1st; Race 3: 14th; Overall: 3rd
1998 – Qualified 8th; Race 1: 13th; Race 2: 1st; Race 3: 1st; Overall: 1st
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (After Round 5, 2005)
Current Points: 781 (2nd)
Born: February 2, 1964
Car: Caltex BA Falcon
Number: 9
V8 Supercar debut: 1996
2004 Championship: 2nd
Round Starts: 113
Poles: 1 Winton (2001)
Race wins: 25 (Last Win – Race 3, Barbagallo Raceway, WA, 2005)
Round wins: 11 – Symmons Plains (2004); Surfers Paradise (2003) Queensland Raceway (2003), Winton (2001); Qld 500 (1999); Lakeside, Mallala, Hidden Valley (1998); Phillip Island, Winton (1997); Calder (1996)
V8 Championship Results: 2nd (2004); 7th (2003); 2nd (2001); 9th (2000); 2nd (1999); 2nd (1998); 3rd; (1997); 6th (1996); Other Major V8 Supercar Results: 1st Bathurst 1000 (1995, 1997); 1st Sandown 500 (1998); 1st Queensland 500 (1999); 2nd Bathurst 1000 (2002); 2nd Sandown 500 (1997, 2004)
Career Highlights: 1st Australian Formula Ford championship (1990); 2nd British Formula Ford 1600 Championship (1991)
V8 SUPERCARS ROUND 6 – SKYCITY V8 SUPERCARS - HIDDEN VALLEY RACEWAY JULY 1-3
Friday July 1
1.30-3.30pm - Practice
Saturday July 2
11.30am-12.15pm – Qualifying
12.30pm-1.00pm – Top Ten Shootout
3.00pm – Race 1 (17 laps)
Sunday July 3
11.50am – RACE 2 (48 laps)
2.50pm – RACE 3 (48 laps)
TV Telecast – Network Ten
Sunday May 29
2.30pm – 5.00pm
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (After Round 5 of 13)
1. Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 862
2. Russell Ingall (Ford) 781
3. Steven Richards (Holden) 771
4: Mark Skaife (Holden) 690
5: Todd Kelly (Holden) 680
6. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 612
7. Greg Murphy (Holden) 604
8: Paul Radisich (Holden) 583
9: Steve Johnson (Ford) 565
10: John Bowe (Ford) 563
11. Cameron McConville (Holden) 553
12: Paul Weel (Holden) 538
13: Jamie Whincup (Holden) 535
14: Jason Bright (Ford) 526
15: Garth Tander (Holden) 519
16: Glenn Seton (Ford) 495
17: Paul Morris (Holden) 476
18: Brad Jones (Ford) 412
19: Rick Kelly (Holden) 401
20: Jason Richards (Holden) 397
21: Steve Ellery (Ford) 380
22: Max Wilson (Holden) 346
23: Craig Baird (Ford) 344
24: Jason Bargwanna (Ford) 320
25: Paul Dumbrell (Holden) 317
26: Matthew White (Ford) 288
27: Anthony Tratt (Ford) 273
28: Simon Wills (Holden) 269
29: Andrew Jones (Holden) 262
30: Greg Ritter (Ford) 241
31: Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 236
32: David Besnard (Ford) 231
33: Steve Owen (Ford) 159
34: Alex Davison (Holden) 72
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