… and then there was one. Congratulations Garth Tander.
December 3rd 2007 03:05
The final round of the 2007 V8 Supercar Championship has been completed and after nine months and fourteen rounds of hard fought motor racing, just two points separated the top two drivers with Toll HSV driver Garth Tander finally taking the honours and the championship, stealing it away from an eager but disappointed Jamie Whincup.
It was a nail biting weekend for all concerned with the final result dependant upon finishing positions in the final race of the year. As usual, Philip Island put on a magnificent show with its sweeping corners, professional racing and stunning scenery, and all four title contenders, Tander, Whincup and their team mates Rick Kelly (Toll HSV) and Craig Lowndes (Team Vodafone) continued to dominate, all qualifying in the top ten.
Seven points separated Whincup and Tander at the top of the table coming into race one, a race dominated by Holden as Tander took maximum points, closely followed by Mark Skaife in his number 200 HRT Commodore. A new car and new number for this weekend’s round of the championship to celebrate Skaife’s 200th start in V8 Supercars, one of just a handful of drivers to have achieved this feat.
Third position for Whincup and some bad luck for Rick Kelly saw a sudden shift at the top of the championship points table with Kelly dropping out of contention for the championship and Tander now level on points with Whincup.
And then there were three.
Along came Sunday and with it two more races, the last two of the 2007 series. With hearts in mouths both Holden and Ford fans gathered to see who would be left standing by the end of the weekend.
Race two of the weekend saw Tander dominate from start to finish giving him a seven point buffer over Whincup going into race three but that was still a precarious position to defend with seven points being the difference between first and third places. Tander couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Race two also saw Lowndes fall away and out of contention, however he was still in a commanding position potentially able to assist his team mate to victory.
And then there were two.
A great start by Whincup off the line in race three saw him leapfrog past Tander and some impressive driving by Lowndes found Tander in an unenviable position, the meat in a Team Vodafone sandwich. Desperate to keep Whincup in his sights, Tander was also forced to defend his position from Lowndes behind him, a man intent on harrying and annoying the Toll driver until he got what he wanted.
A brilliant pit stop for HRT’s Todd Kelly saw him take the lead from Whincup. A fight to the line between the two drivers saw Todd Kelly hold his position, playing into Tander’s hands by robbing Whincup of valuable points. Even a late, slightly questionable passing move by Lowndes on Tander couldn’t take enough points out of the Western Australian driver’s bag, giving Tander the round win and the 2007 Championship.
Team Vodafone didn’t leave totally empty handed though, winning the team’s competition. Manufacturer’s competition went to Holden.
Congratulations Garth Tander on your very first V8 Supercar Championship and a big well done to the Toll HSV Dealer Team who, courtesy of Rick Kelly in 2006 and now Tander in 2007, have won back-to-back championships.
Bring on 2008.
Well done GT
It was a nail biting weekend for all concerned with the final result dependant upon finishing positions in the final race of the year. As usual, Philip Island put on a magnificent show with its sweeping corners, professional racing and stunning scenery, and all four title contenders, Tander, Whincup and their team mates Rick Kelly (Toll HSV) and Craig Lowndes (Team Vodafone) continued to dominate, all qualifying in the top ten.
Seven points separated Whincup and Tander at the top of the table coming into race one, a race dominated by Holden as Tander took maximum points, closely followed by Mark Skaife in his number 200 HRT Commodore. A new car and new number for this weekend’s round of the championship to celebrate Skaife’s 200th start in V8 Supercars, one of just a handful of drivers to have achieved this feat.
Third position for Whincup and some bad luck for Rick Kelly saw a sudden shift at the top of the championship points table with Kelly dropping out of contention for the championship and Tander now level on points with Whincup.
And then there were three.
Along came Sunday and with it two more races, the last two of the 2007 series. With hearts in mouths both Holden and Ford fans gathered to see who would be left standing by the end of the weekend.
Race two of the weekend saw Tander dominate from start to finish giving him a seven point buffer over Whincup going into race three but that was still a precarious position to defend with seven points being the difference between first and third places. Tander couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Race two also saw Lowndes fall away and out of contention, however he was still in a commanding position potentially able to assist his team mate to victory.
And then there were two.
A great start by Whincup off the line in race three saw him leapfrog past Tander and some impressive driving by Lowndes found Tander in an unenviable position, the meat in a Team Vodafone sandwich. Desperate to keep Whincup in his sights, Tander was also forced to defend his position from Lowndes behind him, a man intent on harrying and annoying the Toll driver until he got what he wanted.
A brilliant pit stop for HRT’s Todd Kelly saw him take the lead from Whincup. A fight to the line between the two drivers saw Todd Kelly hold his position, playing into Tander’s hands by robbing Whincup of valuable points. Even a late, slightly questionable passing move by Lowndes on Tander couldn’t take enough points out of the Western Australian driver’s bag, giving Tander the round win and the 2007 Championship.
Team Vodafone didn’t leave totally empty handed though, winning the team’s competition. Manufacturer’s competition went to Holden.
Congratulations Garth Tander on your very first V8 Supercar Championship and a big well done to the Toll HSV Dealer Team who, courtesy of Rick Kelly in 2006 and now Tander in 2007, have won back-to-back championships.
Bring on 2008.
| 32 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
