2001 Shell Championship Series
The race will involve driver changes and fuel and tyre stops will have to happen at the same time.
Neil Crompton, Barry Sheene and Mark Oastler commentated for most of the season with Leigh Diffey coming in from Queensland 500 onwards.
Paul Radisich had the fastest car on the weekend but an axle broke in race 1 and steering damage left him wounded in the championship.
Greg Murphy lost his lead to Skaife after he was given a stop-go penalty for jumping the start, but there was more controversy after he didn't come to a complete stop.
Mark Skaife duly took out the race and round with teammate Jason Bright second but still leading the championship.
The next round at Hidden Valley turned out to be the car breaker of the year, with Greg Murphy and Russell Ingall having mechanical problems while leading within sight of the flag in Race 3 and 2 respectively.
Jason Bright had another solid weekend coming second and extending his championship lead over his teammate.
The DJR cars were the cars to have earlier in the weekend as Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson finished 1–2 in qualifying but Radisich spun out in his shootout lap, leaving him 15th and Steven Johnson claiming his first pole position in the series.
Steven Johnson wins the first race from Craig Lowndes who was advantaged bt a clear pit lane.
Marcos Ambrose retires from the race with a broken driveshaft and will start from the back of the grid.
The 2nd race is a reverse grid with Steve Reed and Steven Richards starting on the front row.
Paul Morris won his first ever V8 Supercar event as the Big Kev Racer was on the pace from the start of the weekend.
David Besnard has a fantastic round as he finishes 3rd and 2nd for a 2nd overall as teammate Marcos Ambrose struggles to get to grips with the track.
The heavens opened causing a huge thunderstorm as Steven Johnson and Paul Radisich won the race in the gravel trap but was lucky as the red flag came out, putting the result to the previous lap.
Russell Ingall and Larry Perkins finish 2nd and Todd Kelly and Greg Murphy 3rd.
Russell Ingall put his championship fight another step further as he takes his first round win of the season and also claims his first pole position of his career.
Mark Skaife put one hand on the championship after his win at Bathurst with Tony Longhurst.
They could have won if Todd didn't spin on a slippy track coming into the last pitstop at the chase.
Greg Ritter and Cameron McLean finished 4th after a great race with a fast car.
Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson retired with an engine failure during a safety car.
In the first ever overseas event for the series, Greg Murphy collected maximum points on home turf.
Mark Skaife collects the championship in the first race when he finished ahead of Russell Ingall who had a number of problems with the gearbox.
Steve Ellery is the first driver from a single car team, placing 9th and Garth Tander eventually finishes 10th after a tough year.
