Shared DNA – more than just sister chassisĪnd in an interesting twist of DNA sharing, chassis 045 – ‘The Golden Child’ has the very same lightweight engine that was fitted to chassis 043 – the ‘Lap of the Gods’ car during the Top Ten shootout lap.Īlthough it is somewhat unclear, the engine was most likely still fitted to the chassis for the 2003 ‘Great Race’ victory which Murphy shared with a young Rick Kelly.Īt the time, within HRT circles this Chevrolet based racing engine which was mandated for Holden Supercars was regarded as being special and at the cutting edge of performance. Mark Skaife drove both of these chassis on his way to winning three Supercars Championships in a row, starting out in chassis 043 in 2000, then switching to chassis 045 halfway through the 2000 series.ĭriving the then K-Mart sponsored 043, it was Greg Murphy who stunned the Supercar paddock and fan base during the 2003 ‘Top Ten Shootout’ with a lap that came from heaven… Earning chassis 043 the well named ‘Lap of the Gods’ car.

Image: Mark Horsburgh – Image: Motorsport Images-LAT PhotographicĪs far as Holden Commodore V8 Supercars are concerned, these two HRT – Dencar built chassis – 043 and 045 Commodores, dominated the Supercars Championships from 2000 to 2002 and the Bathurst 1000 from 2001 to 2003.ĭuring a period when the Holden Racing Team was at the peak of its power, the two HRT Commodore V8 Supercars delivered some of the most memorable moments in the history of Supercars and the Bathurst 1000. He is just one of 19 Holden Commodore ZB's lining up on the grid though, alongside nine Ford Mustang GTs.Mark Skaife crosses the line in a litter filled ‘Golden Child’ in front of his overjoyed team to win the 2002 Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst 1000. Winning the Supercars title would make it Holden's 23rd overall. Given the expected conditions - the BOM predicts 80 per cent chance of 10mm of rain, far better than had been forecast earlier in the week - that recent rally experience might be incredibly valuable.

Van Gisbergen warmed up for Bathurst by finishing third in the WRC2 Rally of New Zealand last week. There are 300 points on offer for each race win, meaning a victory at Bathurst and anything lower than fourth for Waters will see the title once again be claimed by the flying Kiwi. Will Davison, Anton de Pasquale and Chaz Mostert are also in mathematical contention of claiming the title but their title shots are almost impossibly long. Van Gisbergen has 2,782 points thanks to his record-equalling 18 race wins so far this year, a 525-point lead over second-placed Cam Walters with three races to go. In doing so, he will go a long way to wrapping up the overall Supercars championship. Defending Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen will be desperate to claim a second career Bathurst crown to go with his 2020 title.

Holden v8 supercars