STONE BROTHERS CLINCN 1-2 CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH
11/1/2005 16:19 (Press Release) -
Stone Brothers Racing clinched a 1-2 finish in the V8 Supercar Championship Series after one of the team’s most spectacular performances at the Bigpond Grand Finale at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney today.
Marcos Ambrose, who collected back-to-back titles with his win in race one last night, continued on from where he left off with another two race victories today to clean sweep the weekend in his Pirtek Falcon.
Russell Ingall produced his familiar never-say-die attitude to fight his way back to third outright for the day in his Caltex Falcon.
His efforts to recover from a drive through penalty for a pit-lane speeding violation in this morning’s second race and his speed and patience in the final 39-lap run where the keys to his promotion from fourth to second in the championship.
It was the first 1-2 in the championship for a Ford team since Glenn Seton and Alan Jones achieved the feat back in 1993.
“This is just a magnificent achievement for Ross and Jimmy Stone and the entire SBR organisation,” said Ambrose.
“A 1-2 is an awesome result and testimony to how hard this team works and how well it works together.
“This really is the icing on the cake after clinching the title yesterday.
“I really have enjoyed the last two years with Russell and if I was going to achieve this with another driver, then I am glad it was with him.
“He did a fantastic job this weekend to make up two spots in the championship and overcome the couple of problems he had.
“We are more determined than ever to make it three in a row next season.”
In the final race Ingall produced a fantastic drive from ninth on the grid to finish third after a monumental bumper to bumper battle with old foe Mark Skaife which lasted more than 30 laps.
In the meantime Jason Bright and Greg Murphy failed to make up enough ground towards the back of the field and Ingall finished with a big enough gap to clinch his fourth second-place championship finish.
“The pit stop problem yesterday was a glitch, but I thought we were gone after the pit lane speeding thing in the second race,” said Ingall.
“We got together and talked about what we needed to achieve and knew that we were still in with a shot.
“I was having a great battle with (Mark) Skaife and was going to have a go at passing him when the boys come over the radio and told me I was sitting third for the round and second in the championship.
“I put the brain back into gear and decided to sit there. I was also thinking just how much TV we were getting – there was obviously a bit of interest in us two after last year.
“More than anything I am just thrilled for the team which has worked so hard this year.
“I knew we had a good car for the final race and a good set of tyres, so we just went for broke and it all worked to plan – including the final stop which was a cracker.
“Now all I have to do is work on beating Marcos next year.”
* The V8 Supercars will compete in support races at the Foster’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 3-6. The first round of the 2005 championship will be the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide from March 17-20.
2004 V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 13
RACE TWO
1: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) – 39 laps
2: Paul Radisich (Ford)
3: Craig Lowndes (Ford)
4: Steven Richards (Holden)
5: Jason Richards (Holden)
6: Steven Johnson (Ford)
7: Mark Skaife (Holden)
8: Max Wilson (Ford)
9: Russell Ingall (Ford)
10: Cameron McConville (Holden)
11: Jason Bargwanna (Ford)
12: Todd Kelly (Holden)
13: Glenn Seton (Ford)
14: Warren Luff (Ford)
15: John Bowe (Ford)
16: Craig Baird (Holden)
17: Paul Weel (Holden)
18: Garth Tander (Holden)
19: Brad Jones (Ford)
20: David Besnard (Ford)
21: Jason Bright (Ford)
22: Mark Winterbottom (Ford)
23: Paul Morris (Holden)
24: Greg Murphy (Holden)
25: Paul Dumbrell (Holden) – 38 laps
26: Anthony Tratt (Holden)
27: Alex Davison (Holden)
28: Owen Kelly (Ford)
29: Lee Holdsworth (Holden)
30: Dale Brede (Holden)
31: Christian D’Agostin (Holden)
32: Garth Walden (Ford)
33: Steve Ellery (Ford) – 37 laps
DNF Rick Kelly (Holden) – 16 laps
DNF Simon Wills (Holden) - 6 laps
RACE THREE
1: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) – 39 laps
2: Mark Skaife (Holden)
3: Russell Ingall (Ford)
4: Paul Radisich (Ford)
5: Todd Kelly (Holden)
6: Cameron McConville (Holden)
7: Paul Morris (Holden)
8: Steven Richards (Holden)
9: Jason Richards (Holden)
10: Garth Tander (Holden)
11: Max Wilson (Ford)
12: John Bowe (Ford)
13: Steven Johnson (Ford)
14: Brad Jones (Ford)
15: Rick Kelly (Holden)
16: Jason Bargwanna (Ford)
17: Craig Baird (Holden)
18: Greg Murphy (Holden)
19: Simon Wills (Holden)
20: Warren Luff (Ford)
21: David Besnard (Ford)
22: Glenn Seton (Ford)
23: Jason Bright (Holden)
24: Pa ul Dumbrell (Holden)
25: Anthony Tratt (Holden)
26: Paul Weel (Holden)
27: Alex Davsion (Holden)
28: Steve Ellery (Ford)
29: Lee Holdsworth (Holden)
30: Dale Brede (Holden)
31: Owen Kelly (Ford) – 38 laps
32: Garth Walden (Ford)
33: Mark Winterbottom (Ford) – 37 laps
DNF Craig Lowndes (Ford) – 33 laps
DNF Christian D’Agostin (Holden) – 9 laps
ROUND POINTS
1: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 192
2: Paul Radisich (Ford) 174
3: Russell Ingall (Ford) 160
4: Steven Richards (Holden) 158
5: Mark Skaife (Holden) 144
6: Cameron McConville (Holden) 142
7: Steven Johnson (Ford) 142
8: Jason Richards (Holden) 136
9: Jason Bargwanna (Ford) 124
10: Craig Lowndes (Ford) 122
11: Max Wilson (Ford) 116
12: Todd Kelly (Holden) 110
13: David Besnard (Ford) 108
14: Jason Bright (Holden) 104
15: John Bowe (Ford) 102
16: Warren Luff (Ford) 100
17: Glenn Seton (Ford) 100
18: Brad Jones (Ford) 94
19: Rick Kelly (Holden) 92
20: Greg Murphy (Holden) 88
21: Paul Morris (Holden) 80
22: Garth Tander (Holden) 76
23: Paul Dumbrell (Holden) 68
24: Craig Baird (Holden) 66
25: Anthony Tratt (Holden) 56
26: Steve Ellery (Ford) 54
27: Paul Weel (Holden) 46
28: Alex Davison (Holden) 44
29: Simon Wills (Holden) 42
30: Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 34
31: Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 32
32: Dale Brede (Holden) 28
33: Garth Walden (Ford) 14
34: Christian D’Agostin (Holden) 4
2005 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS – TOP 40
1: Marcos Ambrose 2174
2: Russell Ingall 1936
3: Jason Bright 1920
4: Greg Murphy 1913
5: Steve Richards 1819
6: Rick Kelly 1793
7: Todd Kelly 1623
8: Jason Bargwanna 1526
9: John Bowe 1502
10: Steve Johnson 1416
11: Garth Tander 1396
12: Mark Skaife 1294
13: Cameron McConville 1292
14: Jason Richards 1245
15: Glenn Seton 1237
16: Brad Jones 1235
17: Paul Weel 1192
18: Mark Winterbottom 1190
19: Paul Radisich 1188
20: Craig Lowndes 1182
21: Warren Luff 1149
22: Paul Morris 1071
23: Anthony Tratt 1047
24: Paul Dumbrell 1018
25: Steve Ellery 991
26: Simon Wills 929
27: Craig Baird 925
28: Max Wilson 865
29: Tony Longhurst 856
30: David Besnard 790
31: Dale Brede 393
32: Greg Ritter 372
33: Cameron McLean 360
34: Fabian Coulthard 330
35: Mark Noske 304
36: Alex Yoong 278
37: Tomas Mezera 272
38: Alex Davison 256
39: Jim Richards 248
40: Christian d’Agostin 240
41: Luke Youlden 240
42: Kurt Wimmer 236
43: Neil McFadden 226
44: Owen Kelly 214
45: Mark Porter 202
46: John McIntyre 199
47: Garth Walden 185
48: Tim Leahey 164
49: Steve Owen 164
40: Jamie Whincup 160
Release Date: 05/12/2004
Stone Brothers Racing
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