2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series

2003 V8 Supercar season
Previous:	2002	Next:	2004

Marcos Ambrose won his first V8 Supercar Championship with Stone Brothers Racing.

Greg Murphy finished second for the second consecutive season.

Mark Skaife finished third, ending a three season long winning streak.

The 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series was a motor racing series for V8 Supercars. The series, which was the eighth V8 Supercar Championship Series, began on 22 March 2003 in Adelaide and ended on 30 November at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds. It ended with the awarding of the 44th Australian Touring Car Championship title by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport to Tasmanian driver Marcos Ambrose. It was the first time a Stone Brothers Racing driver had won the championship and marked the first title win by a Ford driver since Glenn Seton in 1997, ending a five-year run by Holden Racing Team drivers.

Teams and drivers

The following drivers and teams competed in the 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series. The series consisted of eleven rounds of sprint racing and two rounds (the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000) of endurance racing with each car piloted by two drivers.

Team	Vehicle	Car #	Drivers	Endurance Event Drivers
Holden Racing Team	Holden VY Commodore	1	Mark Skaife	Jim Richards Tony Longhurst
Holden Racing Team	Holden VY Commodore	2	Todd Kelly	Jim Richards Tony Longhurst
Lansvale Racing Team	Holden VX Commodore	3	Cameron McConville	Tim Leahey
Lansvale Racing Team	Holden VX Commodore	24	David Krause
Stone Brothers Racing	Ford BA Falcon	4	Marcos Ambrose	Mark Noske Mark Winterbottom
Stone Brothers Racing	Ford BA Falcon	9	Russell Ingall	Mark Noske Mark Winterbottom
Ford Performance Racing	Ford BA Falcon Ford AU Falcon	5	Glenn Seton	Adam Macrow Darren Hossack
		6	Craig Lowndes	Adam Macrow Darren Hossack
		7	David Besnard
		19	David Besnard	Owen Kelly
00 Motorsport	Ford AU Falcon Ford BA Falcon	7	Rodney Forbes
00 Motorsport	BA Falcon	00	Greg Ritter Rodney Forbes
Castrol Perkins Racing	Holden VX Commodore	8	Paul Dumbrell	Tomas Mezera
Castrol Perkins Racing	Holden VX Commodore Holden VY Commodore	11	Steven Richards	Larry Perkins
Larkham Motor Sport	Ford BA Falcon Ford AU Falcon	10	Mark Larkham	Kerry Wade Grant Johnson
Larkham Motor Sport	Ford BA Falcon Ford AU Falcon	20	Jason Bargwanna	Kerry Wade Grant Johnson
Robert Smith Racing	Holden VX Commodore	13		Phillip Scifleet Steve Owen
Robert Smith Racing	Holden VX Commodore	72		Alan Gurr Jonny Reid
K-mart Racing Team	Holden VX Commodore	15	Rick Kelly	Cameron McLean Andy Priaulx
K-mart Racing Team	Holden VX Commodore Holden VY Commodore	51	Greg Murphy	Cameron McLean Andy Priaulx
Team Brock	Holden VX Commodore	16	Paul Weel	Marcus Marshall Greg Ritter
Team Brock	Holden VX Commodore	50	Jason Bright	Marcus Marshall Greg Ritter
Dick Johnson Racing	Ford BA Falcon	17	Steven Johnson	Warren Luff
Dick Johnson Racing	Ford BA Falcon	18	Max Wilson	David Brabham
Brad Jones Racing	Ford BA Falcon	21	Brad Jones	John Cleland Andrew Jones
Brad Jones Racing	Ford BA Falcon	888	John Bowe	John Cleland Andrew Jones
Team Kiwi Racing	Holden VX Commodore	021	Craig Baird	Mark Porter
ICS Team Ford	Ford AU Falcon	23	Mark Noske	Neal Bates Rick Bates
Romano Racing	Holden VX Commodore	24	Paul Romano
Paul Morris Motorsport	Holden VX Commodore	24	Wayne Wakefield	Andy McElrea Alan Gurr*
Paul Morris Motorsport	Holden VY Commodore	29	Paul Morris	John Faulkner
Supercheap Auto Racing	Ford BA Falcon	31	Steven Ellery	Luke Youlden
Garry Rogers Motorsport	Holden VX Commodore Holden VY Commodore	33	Jamie Whincup	Nathan Pretty Allan Simonsen
Garry Rogers Motorsport	Holden VY Commodore	34	Garth Tander	Nathan Pretty Allan Simonsen
Team Dynamik	Holden VY Commodore	44	Simon Wills	Nicolas Minassian Wayne Wakefield* Jan Magnussen**
Team Dynamik	Holden VY Commodore	45	Jason Richards	Nicolas Minassian Wayne Wakefield* Jan Magnussen**
John Faulkner Racing	Holden VX Commodore	46		Tony Ricciardello Dale Brede
Fernández Racing	Ford AU Falcon	55		José Fernández David Russell
Phoenix Motorsport	Holden VX Commodore	59		Jamie Miller Ron Searle
Briggs Motor Sport	Ford BA Falcon	65	Paul Radisich
Briggs Motor Sport	Ford BA Falcon	66	Dean Canto
Triple Eight Race Engineering	Ford BA Falcon	65	Paul Radisich	Rickard Rydell
Triple Eight Race Engineering	Ford BA Falcon	66	Dean Canto	Matthew White
Spiess Heckler Racing	Holden VX Commodore	69		Robert Jones Peter Doulman
Paul Little Racing	Ford AU Falcon Ford BA Falcon	75	Anthony Tratt	Paul Stokell
Sydney Star Racing	Ford AU Falcon	89		Mal Rose Grant Elliott
Thexton Motor Racing	Ford AU Falcon	99	David Thexton	Brett Peters* Stephen Voight**

* = Drove in Sandown 500 only

** = Drove in Bathurst 1000 only

Results and Standings

Race Calendar

The 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series consisted of 13 rounds which included eleven sprint rounds of one, two or three races and two longer distance endurance races requiring two drivers per car.

Rd.	Round Name, Circuit	City / State	Date	Format	Winner	Team	Report
1	Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Adelaide Street Circuit	Adelaide, South Australia	18 - 22 Mar	2 races	Mark Skaife	Holden Racing Team	Report
2	Phillip Island	Phillip Island, Victoria	11 - 13 Apr	1 race	Craig Lowndes	Ford Performance Racing
3	Eastern Creek Raceway	Eastern Creek, New South Wales	2–4 May	1 race	Marcos Ambrose	Stone Brothers Racing
4	Winton Motor Raceway	Benalla, Victoria	23–25 May	1 race	Marcos Ambrose	Stone Brothers Racing
5	VB 300, Barbagallo Raceway	Perth, Western Australia	6 - 8 Jun	3 races	Marcos Ambrose	Stone Brothers Racing
6	Hidden Valley Raceway	Darwin, Northern Territory	27 - 29 Jun	3 races	Marcos Ambrose	Stone Brothers Racing
7	BigPond 300, Queensland Raceway	Ipswich, Queensland	18 - 20 Jul	1 race	Russell Ingall	Stone Brothers Racing
8	Oran Park Raceway	Sydney, New South Wales	15 - 17 Aug	1 race	Marcos Ambrose	Stone Brothers Racing
9	Betta Electrical Sandown 500, Sandown International Raceway	Melbourne, Victoria	11 - 13 Sept	1 race	Mark Skaife Todd Kelly	Holden Racing Team	Report
10	Bob Jane T-Marts 1000, Mount Panorama Circuit	Bathurst, New South Wales	9 - 12 Oct	1 race	Greg Murphy Rick Kelly	K-mart Racing Team	Report
11	Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge, Surfers Paradise Street Circuit	Surfers Paradise, Queensland	23 - 26 Oct	2 races	Russell Ingall	Stone Brothers Racing
12	Placemakers V8 International, Pukekohe Park Raceway	Pukekohe, New Zealand	7 - 9 Nov	3 races	Greg Murphy	K-mart Racing Team
13	VIP Petfoods Main Event, Eastern Creek Raceway	Eastern Creek, New South Wales	28 - 30 Nov	2 races	Marcos Ambrose	Stone Brothers Racing

Drivers championship

Drivers were required to drop the points earned at their worst round from their total, regardless of how many rounds were entered. Drivers who only entered one round lost all their points.

Pos.	Driver	Pen.	ADE		PHI	EAS1	WIN	BAR			HID			QLD	ORA	SAN	BAT	SUR		PUK			EAS2		Pts.
1	Marcos Ambrose	0	1	Ret	17	1	1	3	2	1	2	1	1	2	1	5	6	6	4	6	23	9	1	1	2085 (2181)
2	Greg Murphy	0	10	11	3	5	14	1	4	3	6	5	2	8	11	3	1	2	2	1	1	3	23	Ret	1983 (2013)
3	Mark Skaife	105	2	1	6	19	6	2	1	23	1	2	3	Ret	3	1	8	3	3	7	2	1	7	Ret	1817 (1853)
4	Jason Bright	0	3	6	2	4	2	12	10	10	3	4	4	5	19	31	Ret	4	Ret	21	3	2	2	2	1770
5	Craig Lowndes	0	Ret	7	1	2	10	6	Ret	17	28	27	15	6	2	16	2	15	9	16	12	18	6	4	1756 (1814)
6	Steven Richards	50	4	2	7	8	3	4	3	8	9	6	5	Ret	23	6	4	Ret	22	20	6	6	4	16	1709
7	Russell Ingall	90	7	12	10	3	4	5	27	14	Ret	17	8	1	8	5	6	1	1	19	26	10	DSQ	DSQ	1701
8	Rick Kelly	25	9	24	11	9	11	10	9	4	14	7	18	9	24	3	1	5	7	8	13	5	25	10	1675 (1729)
9	Todd Kelly	0	5	5	5	Ret	DSQ	7	7	2	7	24	Ret	3	6	1	8	10	Ret	2	4	4	3	Ret	1628
10	Paul Radisich	0	12	4	12	15	7	16	13	6	5	8	23	Ret	Ret	7	7	11	6	5	7	8	12	7	1618
11	John Bowe	0	Ret	23	21	30	8	30	11	11	10	10	7	7	7	4	10	14	10	12	10	Ret	11	14	1478 (1496)
12	Garth Tander	0	13	15	4	6	Ret	9	5	5	4	3	24	25	4	18	19	16	Ret	3	Ret	21	22	5	1470 (1506)
13	Paul Weel	0	14	3	8	11	5	13	6	7	12	11	13	10	16	22	Ret	13	16	15	11	12	29	Ret	1450
14	Jason Bargwanna	0	15	19	26	14	13	Ret	Ret	DNS	17	13	20	17	15	9	Ret	17	13	4	5	13	9	6	1341 (1343)
15	Glenn Seton	0	18	10	9	26	12	14	15	18	Ret	16	17	Ret	Ret	16	2	12	5	11	9	11	18	Ret	1266
16	Steven Johnson	0	6	Ret	18	17	19	29	18	12	13	29	12	12	Ret	15	13	8	8	10	Ret	16	20	Ret	1229 (1268)
17	Max Wilson	0	26	Ret	16	16	9	24	17	13	Ret	20	16	24	Ret	19	12	9	23	18	24	19	5	3	1214 (1244)
18	Cameron McConville	0	8	Ret	Ret	12	17	21	8	9	23	14	14	15	9	Ret	20	19	15	Ret	18	20	10	8	1191
19	Steve Ellery	0	29	DSQ	20	22	25	11	16	Ret	8	15	9	14	21	2	3	Ret	Ret	9	21	14	24	23	1164 (1176)
20	Brad Jones	0	24	18	15	Ret	26	15	14	15	15	21	10	Ret	12	4	10	Ret	18	22	22	15	16	18	1127
21	David Besnard	0	Ret	Ret	Ret	13	24	20	20	Ret	24	18	28	11	13	8	Ret	7	Ret	25	15	Ret	28	11	1059
22	Simon Wills	0	16	9	22	7	Ret	8	Ret	16	11	9	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	22	22	11	13	8	7	Ret	22	1059
23	Paul Morris	0	27	20	13	10	Ret	18	Ret	20	Ret	23	30	4	Ret	13	Ret	20	19	14	16	Ret	8	19	1047
24	Dean Canto	0	20	Ret	29	23	23	27	22	26	18	12	19	22	10	14	Ret	Ret	24	17	14	25	15	9	1001 (1025)
25	Mark Larkham	0	23	16	23	18	22	26	23	27	26	30	21	Ret	18	9	Ret	18	17	27	20	23	19	Ret	949 (979)
26	Jason Richards	0	28	Ret	28	21	15	28	12	25	16	31	24	20	5	Ret	22	23	Ret	DNS	DNS	DNS	14	21	909
27	Jamie Whincup	0	17	22	25	Ret	Ret	22	Ret	21	20	Ret	11	16	20	29	19	25	12	28	17	Ret	13	15	906
28	Mark Noske	0	Ret	13	30	27	18	17	19	19	19	25	29	21	14	25	Ret	Ret	25	Ret	DNS	DNS	17	13	905
29	Paul Dumbrell	0	11	8	31	20	Ret	19	26	Ret	27	22	Ret	13	17	Ret	14	26	21	24	28	17	21	12	887
30	Craig Baird	0	21	14	19	24	DSQ	25	24	22	22	19	27	18	22	Ret	17	21	14	23	19	22	26	20	856
31	Anthony Tratt	0	19	Ret	24	Ret	16	31	21	24	25	Ret	DNS	19	Ret	30	Ret	24	20	Ret	25	24	27	17	678
32	Greg Ritter	0	22	13	14	28	20				29	26	20			22	Ret								537 (567)
33	David Thexton	0	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	29	DNQ				DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	23	DNQ	26	16			26	27	26	DNQ	DNQ	348
34	Rodney Forbes	0	25	21	27	25	DSQ	23	25	28	21	28	26												238
35	Luke Youlden	0														2	3								188 (372)
36	Larry Perkins	0														6	4								180 (352)
37	Tony Longhurst	0														10	5								176 (332)
37	Jim Richards	0														10	5								176 (332)
39	Rickard Rydell	0														7	7								168 (336)
40	Owen Kelly	0														8	Ret								164 (252)
41	John Cleland	0														20	9								160 (276)
41	Andrew Jones	0														20	9								160 (276)
43	Wayne Wakefield	0				DNQ	21							DNQ	DNQ	28	DNQ								156
44	Nicolas Minassian	0														28	11								152 (236)
44	Mark Winterbottom	0														11	Ret								152 (228)
46	David Brabham	0														19	12								148 (268)
47	Cameron McLean	0														12	Ret								148
47	Andy Priaulx	0														12	Ret								148
49	Warren Luff	0														15	13								144 (280)
49	John Faulkner	0														13	Ret								144
51	Matthew White	0														14	Ret								140 (236)
51	Tomas Mezera	0														Ret	14								140
53	Darren Hossack	0														17	Ret								128
53	Adam Macrow	0														17	Ret								128
53	Mark Porter	0														Ret	17								128
56	Grant Johnson	0														23	18								124 (228)
56	Kerry Wade	0														23	18								124 (228)
56	Nathan Pretty	0														18	Ret								124
59	Tim Leahey	0														Ret	20								116
60	Steve Owen	0														21	21								112 (224)
60	Phillip Scifleet	0														21	21								112 (224)
62	Marcus Marshall	0														22	Ret								108 (208)
63	Dale Brede	0														24	Ret								100
63	Tony Ricciardello	0														24	Ret								100
65	Neal Bates	0														25	Ret								100
65	Rick Bates	0														25	Ret								100
67	Alan Gurr	0														27	Ret								88
67	Andy McElrea	0														27	DNQ								88
69	Paul Stokell	0														30	Ret								80 (156)
69	Allan Simonsen	0														29	Ret								80
	Jan Magnussen	0															11								0 (152)
	Jamie Miller	0															15								0 (136)
	Ron Searle	0															15								0 (136)
	Steven Voight	0															16								0 (132)
	Grant Elliott	0															23								0 (104)
	Mal Rose	0															23								0 (104)
	Brett Peters	0														26									0 (92)
	Jose Fernandez	0															Ret								0 (84)
	David Russell	0															Ret								0 (84)
	Paul Romano	0	Ret	Ret																					0
	Peter Doulman	0															Ret								0
	Robert Jones	0															Ret								0
	Jonny Reid	0															Ret								0
	David Krause	0																					Ret	Ret	0
Pos.	Driver	Pen.	ADE		PHI	EAS1	WIN	BAR			HID			QLD	ORA	SAN	BAT	SUR		PUK			EAS2		Pts.

Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	Points finish
Blue	Non-points finish
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
	Withdrew (WD)
	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not participate
Blank	Excluded (EX)

Bold - Pole position
Italics - Fastest lap

External links

Official V8 Supercar site
2003 Racing Results Archive
Images from the 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series Retrieved from www.motorsport.com on 27 September 2009