What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Bathurst thread

aussies1st

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,154
The big one is coming next week.Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly have been installed as favourites.



Skaife the Bathurst bookies' tip
By Ray Kershler
October 4, 2005

BOOKMAKERS have installed Holden drivers Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly as the favourites for next weekend's Bathurst 1000 at Mt Panorama.

The Holden Racing Team pairing was the $4.50 pick yesterday ahead of the top Ford combination of Craig Lowndes and his French co-driver Yvan Muller at $5.

The bookies' market reverses the finishing positions at Sandown last month when Lowndes and Muller overhauled Skaife and Kelly to take the win in the race regarded as the Bathurst warm-up.

While Skaife has had a mixed season, there has never been any doubt about his car speed. Basic mistakes and bad luck have knocked him down the championship table.

Kelly, who recently re-signed with HRT for the next two seasons after protracted negotiations, emerged from his own slump to win consecutive V8 races in Shanghai and Darwin.

Skaife and Kelly are also one of only a handful of combinations retaining senior drivers for the endurance races.

Most other teams, including the championship-winning Stone Brothers Racing who have Marcos Ambrose and his teammate Russell Ingall in different cars, have split their drivers for a combination of reasons.

Skaife, as the boss of the Holden Racing Team, is adamant Bathurst requires a team to use its most experienced drivers. In the current commercial climate, though, that is not always possible.


Ambrose and Ingall have been split because of clashing sponsorship interests as well as the fact both Ford drivers are neck and neck in the championship chase.


Team bosses Ross and Jimmy Stone have decided the inherent risks at Bathurst would mean one crash could wreck not only a Bathurst campaign but both drivers' championship chances as well.

The bookies have taken Skaife's view, with SportsTAB dropping Ambrose, who is chasing a third straight championship, to the fourth line of favouritism at $6.50 while Ingall is out to $13.

Both Ambrose and Ingall have part-time but experienced V8 drivers, Warren Luff and Luke Youlden, in the co-drivers' seats. The third favourite for Bathurst this year is another Holden combination of Rick Kelly and Garth Tander, with the HSV Dealer Team car the only one carrying dual Bathurst V8 winners.

The Daily Telegraph

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,16805059-23770,00.html
 

Kiwi

First Grade
Messages
9,471
Ingall with Youlden is my smokey. Youlden drove really well with Ellery to a 3rd or 2nd a few years back..
 

aussies1st

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,154
Skaife and Kelly to win although i'm bias towards them.
Murphy will be right up there assuming no mechanical fault with his car.
 

Kiwi

First Grade
Messages
9,471
gezz isn't Lowndes flying in the 888 Falcon. Has clearly been the quickest and has already posted a 207.1. He seems to be hovering around the 207.1 - 207.4. Scarey thing is he thinks there is more pace in the car. Murph's 206.8 doesn't look very safe right now.
 

aussies1st

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,154
Top 10 grid for the big one today
C Lowndes/Y Muller (Betta Electrical Racing, Ford) 2.08.5990

2. M Ambrose/W Luff (Pirtek Racing, Ford) 2.08.8571

3. G Murphy/P Weel (Super Cheap Auto Racing, Holden) 2.09.1834

4. M Skaife/T Kelly (Holden Racing Team) 2.09.3787

5. G Tander/R Kelly (HSV Dealer Team, Holden) 2.09.6648

6. S Richards/P Dumbrell (Team Perkins Racing, Holden) 2.09.8170

7. J Richards/J Whincup (Dodo Racing, Holden) 2.12.2092

8. G Seton/D Canto (Westpoint Racing, Ford) 2.19.6014

9. J Richards/J Courtney (Holden Racing Team) 2.20.1202

10. R Ingall/L Youlden (Caltex Racing, Ford) did not finish

Whats up with 10th? Did only 9 cars actually finish?
 

Kiwi

First Grade
Messages
9,471
aussies1st said:
Whats up with 10th? Did only 9 cars actually finish?

Ingal's gear box grabbed two gears and locked up in the chase, putting him into the kitty litter during the top 10 shoot out.
 

aussies1st

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,154
Lowndes is out of the race after clipping the wall damaging something. Lowndes was looking good to, had a 6s lead of Ambrose.
 

jed

First Grade
Messages
9,280
aussies1st said:
Lowndes is out of the race after clipping the wall damaging something. Lowndes was looking good to, had a 6s lead of Ambrose.
He came back, lost a heap of laps, and almost straight away copped a bouncing tyre to the windscreen - he'll be back again, but the front and back windscreens are history, even more laps lost.

As a TV viewer, this is so far one of the most spectaular and constantly action-packed racs I can remember.
 

Glenn

First Grade
Messages
7,322
And the action continues to the last 30mins of the race with Murphy and Ambrose having a major get together
 

jed

First Grade
Messages
9,280
:lol: @ Ambrose flying through the air.

Disappointed that Murph didn't finish the race, also a tad sad that it looks like Ingall is actually going to finish, but at least Skaife's still leading the race.

Ambrose's incident was certainly spectacular, felt sorry for the guys in the back of the pack that were hammered at high speed.
 

Azkatro

First Grade
Messages
6,905
I think Murphy will get fined over that one unless the car data shows something went wrong. Ambrose gave him a stack of room but Murphy just straightened onto him.
 
Top