Ingall Wears First V8 Supercar Crown
Stone Brothers Racing driver Russell Ingall is celebrating his maiden V8 Supercar championship after a fifth place in the final race at the Grand Finale at Phillip Island was enough to hold out challenger Craig Lowndes on Sunday.
Teammate Marcos Ambrose took out the final round, but it was Ingall who finished the year with the championship on 1922 points, 57 points ahead of Lowndes on 1865, with Ambrose nine points further back on 1856 to make it a Ford trifecta.
Holden then took the next five places with Todd Kelly third on 1780 points ahead of Mark Skaife on 1754 and Garth Tander on 1734.
With a 49-point lead over Lowndes heading into the final race, Ingall had the freedom to finish in the top 19 to take the victory.
Any chance Lowndes had all but disappeared when he was penalised for having a loose wheel nut in the racing section of pit lane.
Ingall had to endure being the runner-up in four championships seasons before clinching his first on Sunday, and the Ford driver was having difficulty believing the dream had finally come true.
“I’m still sort of pinching myself,” Ingall told Channel 10. “When I was driving around on that last lap, I still couldn’t believe it.”
Ingall dedicated the victory to the late Barry Sheene who was instrumental in getting him into Stone Brothers racing.
“Good old Barry Sheene, this is one of his favourite places and I could just picture him up on the hill going ‘you beauty, Russ’, so this is for you Baz,” he said.
Ambrose bid farewell to the V8 Supercars in the best possible fashion as he prepares to head to the US and NASCAR next year.
Ambrose won both races on Sunday to take the round, with Holden’s Tander claiming second, and Rick Kelly third.
Cross Posted @ Full Throttle
2005 V8 Supercar Championship Top 10
1. Russell Ingall (Ford) 1922
2. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 1865
3. Marcus Ambrose (Ford) 1856
4. Todd Kelly (Holden) 1780
5. Mark Skaife (Holden) 1754
6. Garth Tander (Holden) 1734
7. Steven Richards (Holden) 1669
8. Rick Kelly (Holden) 1630
9. Jason Bright (Ford) 1566
10. Cameron McConville (Holden) 1501
Russell Ingall Gets First V8 Supercar Title
Stone Brothers Racing driver Russell Ingall is celebrating his maiden V8 Supercar championship after a fifth place in the final race at the Grand Finale at Phillip Island was enough to hold out challenger Craig Lowndes on Sunday.
Teammate Marcos Ambr…