2012 International V8 Supercars Championship


The 2012 International V8 Supercar Championship was an FIA sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the sixteenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the sixteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title. The championship began on 1 March at the Clipsal 500 and concluded on 2 December at the Homebush Street Circuit. The 53rd Australian Touring Car Championship title was awarded to the winner of the Drivers' Championship by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.
Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight Race Engineering started the season as the defending drivers' and teams' champions. At Winton, the penultimate event of the season, Whincup secured his defence of the Drivers Championship, with Triple Eight Race Engineering also wrapping up the Teams Championship. Whincup's teammate Craig Lowndes took second in the points standings from Mark Winterbottom, of Ford Performance Racing, at the final round of the series to give Triple Eight their second consecutive 1–2 finish in the Drivers Championship.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers contested the 2012 championship.
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The championship was contested over thirty races at fifteen events.
A provisional calendar was released on 8 October 2011.
RaceEventCircuitCity / StateDateWinnerTeamReport
1 Clipsal 500 AdelaideAdelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South Australia1–4 MarchJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
2 Clipsal 500 AdelaideAdelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South Australia1–4 MarchWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport
3 Falken Tasmania ChallengeSymmons Plains RacewayLaunceston, Tasmania30 March – 1 AprilWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport
4 Falken Tasmania ChallengeSymmons Plains RacewayLaunceston, Tasmania30 March – 1 AprilJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
5 ITM Hamilton 400Hamilton Street CircuitHamilton, New Zealand20–22 AprilWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport
6 ITM Hamilton 400Hamilton Street CircuitHamilton, New Zealand20–22 AprilMark WinterbottomFord Performance RacingReport
7 Trading Post Perth ChallengeBarbagallo RacewayPerth, Western Australia4–6 MayMark WinterbottomFord Performance RacingReport
8 Trading Post Perth ChallengeBarbagallo RacewayPerth, Western Australia4–6 MayWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport
9 Trading Post Perth ChallengeBarbagallo RacewayPerth, Western Australia4–6 MayWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport
10 Phillip Island 300Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, Victoria18–20 MayMark WinterbottomFord Performance RacingReport
11 Phillip Island 300Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, Victoria18–20 MayWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport
12 Skycity Triple CrownHidden Valley RacewayDarwin, Northern Territory15–17 JuneJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
13 Skycity Triple CrownHidden Valley RacewayDarwin, Northern Territory15–17 JuneCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
14 Sucrogen Townsville 400Townsville Street CircuitTownsville, Queensland6–8 JulyJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
15 Sucrogen Townsville 400Townsville Street CircuitTownsville, Queensland6–8 JulyJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
16 Coates Hire Ipswich 300Queensland RacewayIpswich, Queensland3–5 AugustCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
17 Coates Hire Ipswich 300Queensland RacewayIpswich, Queensland3–5 AugustCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
18 Sydney Motorsport Park 360Sydney Motorsport ParkEastern Creek, New South Wales25–26 AugustCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
19 Sydney Motorsport Park 360Sydney Motorsport ParkEastern Creek, New South Wales25–26 AugustJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
Dick Smith Sandown 500Sandown RacewayMelbourne, Victoria14–16 SeptemberLuke YouldenStone Brothers RacingReport
Dick Smith Sandown 500Sandown RacewayMelbourne, Victoria14–16 SeptemberShane van GisbergenStone Brothers RacingReport
20 Dick Smith Sandown 500Sandown RacewayMelbourne, Victoria14–16 SeptemberCraig Lowndes
Warren Luff
Triple Eight Race EngineeringReport
21 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000Mount Panorama CircuitBathurst, New South Wales4–7 OctoberJamie Whincup
Paul Dumbrell
Triple Eight Race EngineeringReport
22 Armor All Gold Coast 600Surfers Paradise Street CircuitSurfers Paradise, Queensland19–21 OctoberJamie Whincup
Sébastien Bourdais
Triple Eight Race EngineeringReport
23 Armor All Gold Coast 600Surfers Paradise Street CircuitSurfers Paradise, Queensland19–21 OctoberWill Davison
Mika Salo
Ford Performance RacingReport
24 Yas V8 400Yas Marina CircuitYas Island, United Arab Emirates2–4 NovemberJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
25 Yas V8 400Yas Marina CircuitYas Island, United Arab Emirates2–4 NovemberJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
26 Yas V8 400Yas Marina CircuitYas Island, United Arab Emirates2–4 NovemberJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
27 WintonWinton Motor RacewayBenalla, Victoria16–18 NovemberJamie WhincupTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
28 WintonWinton Motor RacewayBenalla, Victoria16–18 NovemberCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
29 Sydney Telstra 500Homebush Street CircuitSydney, New South Wales30 November – 2 DecemberCraig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringReport
30 Sydney Telstra 500Homebush Street CircuitSydney, New South Wales30 November – 2 DecemberWill DavisonFord Performance RacingReport

Calendar changes

Points system

Points were awarded to the driver or drivers of a car that had completed 75% of the race distance and was running at the completion of the final lap. Various different points scales were applied to events having one, two, or three, ensuring that a driver would be awarded 300 points for winning all races at any event.
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The Manufacturers Championship was awarded to Holden.