HSV Dealer Team

V8 Supercar Team
Short_name = Toll HSV Dealer Team

Manufacturer = Holden
Principal = John Kelly, Margaret Kelly
Manager = Erik Pender
Drivers = 15. Rick Kelly
16. Paul Dumbrell
Chassis = VE Commodore
Debut = 2001
Drivers_champ = 2
Wins = 11
Poles = 11
Last_season = 2007
Last_position = 1st (1,177 points)

HSV Dealer Team is one of the premier motorsport teams contesting the V8 Supercar Championship. Its current drivers are Rick Kelly and Paul Dumbrell. The team campaigns Holden VE Commodore racecars.

History

The team as it is known today came about from a collaboration between Kmart and Holden before the 2001 season, resulting in the two-car K-mart Racing Team. This was as the result of a TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) initiative to run two level one teams from one facility, much like the operations of many NASCAR teams.

Under K-Mart sponsorship the team won the 2003 and 2004 Bathurst 1000 races with Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly at the wheel.

K-mart sponsorship ended at the conclusion of the 2004 season, resulting in the team becoming known as the HSV Dealer Team in 2005 (a callback to the Holden Dealer Team known for much success during the 1970s and '80s). The Toll Group became the title sponsor of the team for the 2006 season alongside Holden Special Vehicles.

The 2006 season was the most successful in the team's history at the time, with Rick Kelly winning the drivers championship, and the team winning the team championship, courtesy of a strong combined points haul from Kelly and Garth Tander. Prior to this, the team had taken two wins at the Bathurst 1000, courtesy of Kelly and Greg Murphy.

The 2007 season was another successful year with Garth Tander winning the championship in a thrilling final round, the team winning the Teams Championship, and Holden winning the Constructors Championship. For the 2008 season, it has been confirmed that Tander will partner Mark Skaife and drive full time for The Holden Racing Team. Former SuperCheap Auto Racing driver Paul Dumbrell will replace the current champion. Also departing to HRT is the Toll sponsorship, to be replaced on Dumbrell's car by Autobarn.

2006 Endurance Race Controversy

During the endurance races of the 2006 season, the HSV Dealer Team and the Holden Racing Team engaged in a driver swap where Tander would race for HRT with Mark Skaife, and HRT driver Todd Kelly would pair with younger brother Rick. The teams were enabled to do so by a loop hole in the rules where the drivers could end contracts with their current teams and move into the other team temporarily. The driver swap angered many fans of opposing teams (especially Ford teams) due to Tander and Skaife being seen as a dream team. The swap was initiated in hopes of helping both Garth and Rick's championship (who were 1/2 before the endurance races). Despite fantastic speed shown by Tander and Skaife, it was tactic that backfired due to mechanical failures in the #2 Commodore of HRT in both rounds leading to Tander's championship aspirations being destroyed and the team instead focussed on Kelly.

Former Drivers

* Greg Murphy
* Todd Kelly
* Garth Tander

External links

* [http://www.hsvdt.com.au/ HSV Dealer Team website]
* [http://www.v8supercar.com.au/news/latestnews/newsdisplay.asp?Ind=&author=&gid=32677640 Dumbrell to drive for HSVDT and Pender will be manger]