Triple Eight Race Engineering (Australia)

Triple Eight Race Engineering

Manufacturer	Holden
Team Principal	Roland Dane
Team Manager	Mark Dutton
Race Drivers	88. Jamie Whincup 97. Shane Van Gisbergen 888. Craig Lowndes
Chassis	VF Commodore
Debut	2003
Drivers' Championships	6 (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Teams' Championships	7 (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
Round wins	70
Race wins	144
Pole positions	93
2015 position	1st (5,690 points)

Triple Eight Race Engineering is an Australian motor racing team competing in the V8 Supercars Championship. The team has been the only Brisbane based V8 Supercar team since its formation, originally operating out of the former Briggs Motor Sport workshop in Bowen Hills before moving to Banyo in 2009. Since taking over the former Briggs Motor Sport team during the 2003 season the team has won the V8 Supercar Championship six times, the team's championship seven times and the Bathurst 1000 six times.

The team currently runs three Holden VF Commodores for their drivers, six-time series champion Jamie Whincup, three-time series champion Craig Lowndes and Shane Van Gisbergen. Additionally the team provides technical support for fellow Queensland based team Tekno Autosports. The team performs its testing at Queensland Raceway.

Originally affiliated with champion British Touring Car Championship race team Triple Eight Racing and owned by Peter Butterly, Roland Dane, Ian Harrison and Derek Warwick, Dane later took majority ownership, with Harrison maintaining a minority shareholding.^[1] In late 2015, Dane sold a ~ 30% shareholding in the team to Paul Dumbrell, Tim Miles and Trinette Schipkie.^[2]

History

Triple Eight Race Engineering was formed in 1996 in the United Kingdom, running Vauxhall's program in the British Touring Car Championship before expanding into Australian V8 Supercars, purchasing the Briggs Motor Sport team in September 2003.^[3] The sale included a custom-built facility in the Brisbane suburb of Bowen Hills, and a staff of 35 people. Engineers in Brisbane worked closely with the Triple Eight staff in the UK to build two new Ford BA Falcons, while the team principals managed to attract substantial financial support from Ford.

Team Betta Electrical

The Ford BA Falcon of Craig Lowndes and Yvan Muller at the 2005 Bathurst 1000.

The team debuted at the 2003 Sandown 500. 2004 was Triple Eight's first full season in V8 Supercars. It was a disappointing year for all involved, with both cars dogged by mechanical problems. Paul Radisich came 19th in the championship, while Max Wilson finished a lowly 28th. The team's car speed, however, was certainly up with the front-runners for many weekends.

2005 saw a massive form reversal for Triple Eight. Craig Lowndes and Steve Ellery were signed as drivers and Stone Brothers Racing engineer Campbell Little joined the team. Lowndes in particular was a catalyst for change, which along with powerful and reliable Stone Brothers Racing sourced engines saw a massive improvement in the team's performance. Lowndes finished second in the championship, finishing the year strongly and narrowly missing out on snatching the title from Russell Ingall. Ellery came 13th. The year's highlights included a win for Lowndes and Yvan Muller at the Sandown 500 and a third placing for Ellery and Adam Macrow at the Bathurst 1000. Lowndes won a further three rounds, and qualified on pole position four times (including Bathurst).

2006 saw a continuation of this strong form, with new recruit Jamie Whincup replacing Ellery, and making an instant impact in the form of a win at the Clipsal 500. Lowndes scored four round wins, including sharing victory at the Bathurst 1000 with Whincup.

Having led the championship to Round 11, Lowndes lost the series lead at the Symmons Plains weekend. Having seen a big chunk of his lead evaporate at the previous round on the Gold Coast following two penalties for dangerous driving approaching the starting grid, the pressure was on Lowndes to perform at the Tasmania event. Unfortunately for Lowndes, he was caught in a massive crash on the opening lap of the first race, forcing him to the rear of the grid for the next race. He recovered, but he lost the series lead to Rick Kelly, who took a handy 73-point lead. At the next round in Bahrain, Lowndes stormed back into contention as Kelly encountered problems of his own. The stage was set for a spectacular finale at Phillip Island, with the two contenders separated by just seven points.

Lowndes qualified on the third row of the grid, while Kelly was further back on the fifth row. However, Kelly fought back in the first race to be right on Lowndes' bumper at the conclusion of the race – Lowndes was fourth, Kelly fifth. In the second race, Lowndes came third while Kelly was fourth – again close behind. The points going into the final race of the year were tied. On the second lap of the final race, Kelly pushed Lowndes on the rear bumper while in the high-speed section between Turns 3 and 4, sending Lowndes into a spin, eventually cleaning out both Lowndes and Todd Kelly (Rick's older brother). Rick Kelly was given a drive-through penalty, and finished 18th. Lowndes' car was extensively damaged and was only able to salvage 29th place. Rick Kelly had won the championship.

However, Lowndes and his Triple Eight team protested, claiming that Kelly had deliberately taken Lowndes out of the race. The stewards, after deliberation, dismissed the appeal, saying that the drive-through penalty was sufficient punishment for Kelly. Furthermore, Lowndes and Triple Eight accused the HSV Dealer Team and the Holden Racing Team for bad sportsmanship – Mark Skaife was given a bad sportsmanship flag in Race 1 for blocking Lowndes, while Kelly's team-mate Garth Tander was given a drive-through penalty for blocking Lowndes in Race 2. Some days later, Lowndes was awarded the prized Barry Sheene Medal, which was some consolation.

Team Vodafone

The Ford FG Falcon of Craig Lowndes at Queensland Raceway.

In 2007, the team retained the services of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes. The new title sponsor was Vodafone, replacing Betta Electrical who had gone into receivership. Whincup narrowly missed out on the 2007 drivers championship by 2 points, with Garth Tander and Toll HSV Racing Team winning the last race of the season (Phillip Island).

In 2008 Jamie Whincup won the championship, and Lowndes and Whincup won their third straight Bathurst 1000.

In 2009 following Ford's decision to withdraw support from all teams other than Ford Performance Racing and Stone Brothers Racing, the Ford logos on the front of the cars were replaced by a stylised pink pigs head, referring to the Hog's Breath Cafe, one of the team sponsors. The team ran new FG Falcons. Triple Eight Racing won fifteen of the twenty-three races staged during the championship, with Whincup winning eleven races and the championship and Lowndes taking four wins at Winton, the Gold Coast and Barbagallo, finishing the year in fourth.

Change to Holden

The Holden VE Commodore of Jamie Whincup at Queensland Raceway.

The Holden VE Commodore of Craig Lowndes at the 2012 Clipsal 500.

In 2010 the team switched to racing Holden VE Commodores, after signing a three-year deal with Holden.^[4] The team also re-signed with major sponsor Vodafone for another three years until the end of the 2012 season.^[5]

The team celebrated the first race of the year with a 1-2 finish with Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes respectively. Jamie Whincup won both races in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Hamilton, but lost the championship lead after troubled races at Queensland Raceway and Winton, while teammate Craig Lowndes finished on the podium several times. They also had a great result at Bathurst with a 1-2 finish with Craig Lowndes, Mark Skaife and Jamie Whincup, Steve Owen respectively. Whincup finished the year in 2nd, with Lowndes in 4th.

in 2011 Whincup regained the championship from Lowndes with the team winning the team's championship.

In 2012 Triple Eight dominated winning 19 races including the Sandown 500 (Lowndes and Warren Luff) and the Bathurst 1000 (Whincup and Paul Dumbrell) with Whincup won the title from Lowndes.

Red Bull Racing Australia

In June 2012, Vodafone announced it would not renew the sponsorship.^[6] In August 2012, it was announced that energy drink company Red Bull would take over the naming rights for the 2013 V8 Supercars season onwards.^[7]

In 2013 the new Car of the Future specification cars were introduced with Triple Eight racing the new Holden VF Commodore. Whincup and Lowndes finished first and second in the championship.^[8]

Lowndes is contracted until the end of 2017,^[9] and Whincup until the end of 2018.^[10] In 2016, a third car will be added for Shane Van Gisbergen, with the team purchasing a Racing Entitlement Contract that was last used in 2014 by James Rosenberg Racing.^[9][11]

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  Holden VF Commodore of Jamie Whincup at the 2013 Clipsal 500 Adelaide

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  Holden VF Commodore of Jamie Whincup at the 2014 Clipsal 500 Adelaide

Development series

Triple Eight have previously entered cars in the Development Series for Andrew Thompson in 2011,^[12] Scott Pye in 2012^[13] and Casey Stoner in 2013,^[14] winning the series in 2011. In 2014 Triple Eight is provided technical assistance to Eggleston Motorsport.^[15]

Car supplier

As well as building cars for its own use Triple Eight has also built cars for other teams. It has provided chassis for Dick Johnson Racing (2009-2012),^[16] Paul Morris Motorsport (2010-2012),^[17] Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport (2013-present),^[18] Tekno Autosports (2013-present).^[18] and Charlie Schwerkolt Racing (2016-present).^[19]

References

External links

• Triple Eight Race Engineering