2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series


The 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series was an FIA sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the fourteenth V8 Supercar Championship Series and the fourteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title. The championship began on 19 February in the Middle East at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit and concluded on 5 December at the Homebush Street Circuit. These events were held in all states of Australia and in the Northern Territory as well as in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and New Zealand. The 51st Australian Touring Car Championship title was awarded to the winner of the Drivers Championship by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.
James Courtney won the Drivers Championship for Dick Johnson Racing by 65 points from Jamie Whincup in the final race of the season at the 2010 Sydney Telstra 500. Championship Team of the Year was awarded to Triple Eight Race Engineering and Champion Manufacturer of the Year to Holden.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers have been confirmed for the 2010 series.
Italics indicate driver did not take part in a race.

Team changes

Full-time drivers were no longer allowed to partner one another for the endurance races at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama in an effort to make both the championship and the endurance races more competitive.
For the Armor All Gold Coast 600, each team had to include a driver who races in an overseas series. The majority of nominated drivers were sourced from the IndyCar Series.
Following a failed attempt to get former champion Marcos Ambrose to make a one-off guest appearance at the 2009 Sydney Telstra 500, the V8 Supercars Executive Board approved plans to allow for one-off guest drives. The system would work in a similar fashion to the "Wildcard" entries that the series allows to drivers and teams from the Fujitsu Development Series to step up to the V8 Supercars during the endurance races. Ambrose had been earmarked as a target for such an appearance, with the series looking to allow international drivers to take part in the offshore races in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi at the start of the season.

Race calendar

The following events made up the 2010 series. The proposed event for Queensland Raceway in early May was cancelled in January after V8 Supercar and circuit operators were unable to agree to terms. The Ipswich venue was later restored to the calendar. Barbagallo Raceway was later removed with V8 Supercar citing workplace health and safety regulations.
Calendar is as follows:
RaceEventCircuitCity / StateDateWinnerTeamReport
1 Yas V8 400Yas Marina CircuitYas Island, United Arab Emirates18–20 FebJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
2 Yas V8 400Yas Marina CircuitYas Island, United Arab Emirates18–20 FebJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
3 Desert 400Bahrain International CircuitManama, Bahrain25–27 FebJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
4 Desert 400Bahrain International CircuitManama, Bahrain25–27 FebJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
5 Clipsal 500Adelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South Australia11–14 MarGarth TanderHolden Racing Teamreport
6 Clipsal 500Adelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South Australia11–14 MarGarth TanderHolden Racing Teamreport
7 ITM Hamilton 400Hamilton Street CircuitHamilton, New Zealand16–18 AprJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
8 ITM Hamilton 400Hamilton Street CircuitHamilton, New Zealand16–18 AprJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
9 City of Ipswich 300Queensland RacewayIpswich, Queensland30 Apr – 2 MayJames CourtneyDick Johnson Racingreport
10 City of Ipswich 300Queensland RacewayIpswich, Queensland30 Apr – 2 MayJames CourtneyDick Johnson Racingreport
11 Winton Motor RacewayWinton Motor RacewayBenalla, Victoria14–16 MayJames CourtneyDick Johnson Racingreport
12 Winton Motor RacewayWinton Motor RacewayBenalla, Victoria14–16 MayJames CourtneyDick Johnson Racingreport
13 Skycity Triple CrownHidden Valley RacewayDarwin, Northern Territory18–20 JunMark WinterbottomFord Performance Racingreport
14 Skycity Triple CrownHidden Valley RacewayDarwin, Northern Territory18–20 JunJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
15 Sucrogen Townsville 400Townsville Street CircuitTownsville, Queensland9–11 JulJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
16 Sucrogen Townsville 400Townsville Street CircuitTownsville, Queensland9–11 JulMark WinterbottomFord Performance Racingreport
17 L&H 500Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, Victoria10–12 SepCraig Lowndes
Mark Skaife		Triple Eight Race Engineeringreport
18 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000Mount Panorama CircuitBathurst, New South Wales7–10 OctCraig Lowndes
Mark Skaife		Triple Eight Race Engineeringreport
19 Armor All Gold Coast 600Surfers Paradise Street CircuitSurfers Paradise, Queensland21–24 OctGarth Tander
Cameron McConville		Holden Racing Teamreport
20 Armor All Gold Coast 600Surfers Paradise Street CircuitSurfers Paradise, Queensland21–24 OctJamie Whincup
Steve Owen		Triple Eight Race Engineeringreport
21 Falken Tasmania ChallengeSymmons Plains RacewayLaunceston, Tasmania12–14 NovCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race Engineeringreport
22 Falken Tasmania ChallengeSymmons Plains RacewayLaunceston, Tasmania12–14 NovMark WinterbottomFord Performance Racingreport
23 Norton 360 Sandown ChallengeSandown RacewayMelbourne, Victoria19–21 NovPaul DumbrellRod Nash Racingreport
24 Norton 360 Sandown ChallengeSandown RacewayMelbourne, Victoria19–21 NovJames CourtneyDick Johnson Racingreport
25 Sydney Telstra 500Homebush Street CircuitSydney, New South Wales3–5 DecJonathon WebbTekno Autosportsreport
26 Sydney Telstra 500Homebush Street CircuitSydney, New South Wales3–5 DecLee HoldsworthGarry Rogers Motorsportreport

Publicity

Immediately prior to the season start, V8 Supercar launched a new publicity campaign, centred around American singer Pink and her 2001 recording Get the Party Started. The advertising campaign is called "The Greatest Show on Wheels" and is the first of a three-year deal between V8 Supercar and Pink.

Points system

Points are awarded to the driver or drivers of a car that completes 75% of the race distance and is running at the completion of the final lap.
Pos1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th21st22nd23rd24th25th26th27th28th29th
Std1501381291201111029690847872696663605754514845423936333027242118
L&H 500 Qual504643403734323028262423222120191817161514131211109876
L&H 500 Feature20018417216014813612812011210496928884807672686460565248444036322824
Bathurst3002762582402222041921801681561441381321261201141081029690847872666054484236

NOTES:
Std denotes all races except the L&H 500, Bathurst 1000, and Surfers Paradise. These three races have unique rules.
L&H 500: The Phillip Island event was split into two qualifying races and a 500 km feature race. The two drivers per team were grouped into separate qualifying races that counted towards drivers' individual point totals and towards the starting grid for the feature race. The two drivers then shared one car for the 500 km endurance race.
Bathurst: Two drivers shared one car for the race.
Armor All Gold Coast 600: Each V8 Supercar team was required to have an international driver included in its driver lineup for each 300 km race. The international driver was required to complete 30% of the race distance. The event was run under a National permit, allowing International licence holders to compete but not to score championship points. This differed from the Bathurst event which was run under an International permit.

Championship standings

Drivers Championship

Teams Championship

Holden took out the Champion Manufacturer of the Year award, having clinched the title at the Gold Coast 600 event with its 14th race win of the year. The award is given to the manufacturer that scores the most race wins during the Championship season.