New design and driver, same old winning spirit
7/2/2001 0:00 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
The Holden Racing Team today launched their campaign for a fourth successive Shell Series crown, with all the glitz and glamour you’d expect from the country’s foremost racing operation.
Holden’s design team has tweaked the image of the HRT Commodores for 2001.
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Unveiled at the lavish Melbourne launch were the team’s new-look VX Commodores – still adorned in traditional red and white, but a slight variation on last year’s design. The Holden Design Centre in Melbourne takes credit.
Most prominent is the Holden lion, displayed boldly on the bonnet of each Commodore. The rear of the car features a new chequered pattern believed to be inspired by the Vauxhall Vectra outfit in England. Ford blue is, unlike last year, scarce.
Mark Skaife’s machine bares the illusive No. 1 following his 2000 achievements. New recruit, Craig Lowndes’ replacement Jason Bright, lines up alongside Skaife in the No. 2 Mobil-Holden Commodore.
As the benchmark team in V8 Supercar racing, Mark Skaife realises his privileged position. But he also knows his opposition will once again be crowding the mirrors, this year bigger than ever.
"Everyone wants to knock off the current leaders so I expect it will be pretty fierce out there this year," Skaife said. “However the strength of HRT is in its infrastructure and people – areas that we've concentrated on over the break.”
"The stability of the crew will, I think, be the key, especially with the changed format for the new season ahead that involves pit stops at most rounds. This brings a greater element of 'team' into play and the talents of the pit people will have a big bearing on the championship outcome," he said.
It’s testament to the factory Holden operation that, when his Indy career stalled, HRT was the only team Jason Bright considered to make his V8 Supercar racing return.
"I was working on returning to the US this season but the offer to join the best V8 Supercar team in the country was too good to refuse and I jumped at the chance,” 27-year-old Bright explained.
Fresh from a season in Indy Lights and a staring role at the Gold Coast Indy spectacular last year, Bright was the ideal replacement after Lowndes separated from HRT last year.
Bright insists his year-long American detour won’t be a factor in his comeback to full-time Supercar racing.
"I've won Bathurst, came second last year and performed strongly in 1998 and '99 with the Stone brothers in V8s, so I see no reason why I can't be a contender for this year's series,” Bright said. “With Mark as my teammate and the HRT crew's knowledge and experience, I'm in the best possible position."
Bright has tested once with the team prior to Christmas. One further shakedown is scheduled in the next couple of weeks before the battle begins at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
Meanwhile, four new sponsors – Olex Cables, Skilled Engineering, Freightliner Trucks and Detroit Diesel-Allison – join HRT’s broad supporter base for the 2001 season. Fans will be keen to learn a new range of apparel and merchandise has also been launched.
Respected sports lawyer Jeff Browne has been added to the team’s board of directors. The Holden Racing Team is a valued client of Browne’s prominent firm.
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