News: Ingall's Hamilton predictions come true - unfortunately!
Russell Ingall's predictions of a potential crashfest at the new Hamilton 400 turned out to be correct, but he didn't expect it would involve both his and team-mate Paul Morris' Supercheap Auto Racing Commodores on lap 1, Race 1.
But Ingall and Morris both were involved in the spectacular six-car lap 1 accident after having started from near rear of grid courtesy of being caught out by tyre selection during a rain effected qualifying session.
While his SCAR Commodore looked horribly the worse for wear after Saturday's crash, former V8 Supercar Champion Ingall returned for Sunday's action; a brake issue and slipping clutch did nothing for his progress in Race 2, but Ingall put that to bed with a strong drive to come from the back and finish 11th in the final 36 lap contest.
The innocent victim of Saturday's first lap melee where he finished 24th, Morris pushed on for the remainder of the weekend, finishing 17th in Race 2. He then received a controversial drive-thru penalty in Race 3 for shortcutting the track at the turn 2 Holden hairpin - Morris having gained no advantage whilst avoiding an accident in progress.
The Toll Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander won all three races to win the round from Ford drivers Steven Richards and James Courtney.
Finishing third overall for the weekend, HSV Dealer Team's Rick Kelly is now leading the championship with former leader Jamie Whincup out after a spectacular qualifying incident involving himself and Jack Daniel's Racing's Todd Kelly - Whincup's Vodafone Falcon a write-off after crashing heavily into the concrete safety barriers.
Ingall has fallen to 18th in points with Morris four spots further back in 22nd.
Over 170,000 people attended the event, Sunday officially a sell out when 60,000 fans had rolled through the gates.
Russell Ingall, #39 Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE:
"After Friday's pace, the weekend's been disappointing - if we didn't get caught out in qualifying it would have been a hell of a lot different. The cars that qualified in the top six pretty much finished there so that's where we should have been. Our speed was there, perhaps not enough to win but certainly a top five.
We had a horror in Race 1, then a brake issue and slipping clutch in Race 2. But in the final we finished 11th - at least we got one finish and some points, so we can't complain about that.
We pitted early in the final race to get into clean air and gained some positions, but by the end the tyres weren't great so I got passed ... would have been nice to be in the top 10.
We have a list of improvements to do before next round; Hamilton has been punishing so it's brought things to the fore. We've identified some areas we can fix and we'll get to it for Perth.
I predicted it would turn into a crash fest and it turned out to be right in Race 1, but I didn't expect it to involve me on lap 1!
The first two corners were always going to be a problem, while you've also got the funnel effect of the wide straights going into narrow corners - four cars into one spot doesn't fit too well. But that's the nature of street circuits and is not a criticism of Hamilton itself - the team here have done an incredible job to organise this event.
[On Saturday's first lap] there were cars going everywhere; I got squeezed by someone else, got up on the ripple strip and it got untidy ... and it just got worse from there. But that's what happens when you start back in the danger zone (back in the field)."
Paul Morris, #39 Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE:
"Overall the team's had a disappointing weekend which is a shame after the recent form and Russell's pace on Friday, but that happens sometimes.
We were never really on the pace, perhaps a high 'teen' car at best, which is where we finished. We looked like we were going to have a reasonable day today after yesterday, I had a strong race this morning but we were down on tyres after we lost a couple in Saturday's accident.
The Race 3 drive-thru's hard to explain, I saw Marshall was going to have an accident so I went to the inside to avoid him and they penalised me. It's the first time I've ever been penalised for careful driving.
I'm not sure what I'm meant to do, stay there and get crashed into?! It was pretty obvious there was going to be an accident and there was and I got a drive-thru for passing two cars crashing. Maybe I was supposed to join them? "
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Rd 3 - Hamilton 400 (Race 1)
1. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE
2. Steven Richards, Castrol Edge Ford Falcon BF
3. James Courtney, Jeld-Wen Ford Falcon BF
4. Lee Holdsworth, Valvoline/Cummins Holden Commodore VE
5. Cameron McConville, WOW Sight & Sound Holden Commodore VE
6. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VE
7. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF
8. Fabian Coulthard, Glenfords Racing Ford Falcon BF
9. Jason Richards, Sprint Gas Racing Holden Commodore VE
10. Tony D'Alberto, The Bottle O Holden Commodore VE
17. Paul Morris, Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE
DNF. Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Rd 3 - Hamilton 400 (Race 2)
1. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE
2. Steven Richards, Castrol Edge Ford Falcon BF
3. James Courtney, Jeld-Wen Ford Falcon BF
4. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VE
5. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF
6. Fabian Coulthard, Glenfords Racing Ford Falcon BF
7. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone Holden Commodore VE
8. Steven Johnson, Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon BF
9. Andrew Jones, Team BOC Holden Commodore VE
10. Shane Van Gisbergen, SP Air Ford Falcon BF
17. Paul Morris, Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE
DNF. Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE
2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Rd 3 - Hamilton 400 (Race 3)
1. Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE
2. Steven Richards, Castrol Edge Ford Falcon BF
3. James Courtney, Jeld-Wen Ford Falcon BF
4. Rick Kelly, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VE
5. Fabian Coulthard, Glenfords Racing Ford Falcon BF
6. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BF
7. Cameron McConville, WOW Sight & Sound Holden Commodore VE
8. Lee Holdsworth, Valvoline/Cummins Holden Commodore VE
9. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone Holden Commodore VE
10. Jason Bright, Fujitsu Ford Falcon BF
11. Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE
18. Paul Morris, Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE
Championship points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. R Kelly - 672; 2. Tander - 626; 3. Holdsworth - 580; 4. Winterbottom - 572; 5. Whincup - 540; 6. S Richards - 521; 7. Lowndes - 477; 8. T Kelly - 440; 9. Davison - 438; 10. Coulthard - 431; 18. Ingall - 303; 22. Morris - 235.
