And then there were 6.....

Razor · 13 Nov 2005, 08:14 (Ref:1459421)

Well, well, well, biggest race in the season at Philip Island. Who will win and become champion you say? Well, last time the Tony Cocrahne and his V8 goons where there, a certain Mr Craig Lowndes got the top step of the podium, so my money is on him. Also, the HRT, HSVDT and the SuperCheap teams will go good, being their test track and know it like the back of their hands. Dark horses are the DJR boys as Mr Seton hasn't had much bad luck there (yet) and also FPR as also it is their test track and are the defending champions of that Moto GP track. So, enough of me talking, what do you good people say?

Raglanparade · 13 Nov 2005, 08:23 (Ref:1459426)

I would say Mr Seton has had some bad luck there...

Anyone remember his testing shunt there at the final corner a few years back... it nearly killed him (missed Sandown due to injury).

**GTRMagic** · 13 Nov 2005, 08:34 (Ref:1459429)

The unofficial championship points look like this:

1.Ingall 1754

2.Lowndes 1705

3.Ambrose 1668

4.T.Kelly 1632

5.Skaife 1622

6.S.Richards 1601

7.Tander 1552

8.Bright 1470

9.R.Kelly 1454

10.McConville 1409

With 192 points on offer at Phillip Island, there are still mathematically Six contenders..........

Who Will Win!

Grimace · 13 Nov 2005, 08:36 (Ref:1459433)

I hope its Lowndes

Average Punter · 13 Nov 2005, 08:38 (Ref:1459435)

Can someone remind me why Marcos was penalised 25 points??

Was it Barbagallo or EC???

I bet he wishes those points were still in the Bank...

James63 · 13 Nov 2005, 08:49 (Ref:1459441)

It was Barb for bad mouthing the "officials".

Razor · 13 Nov 2005, 08:59 (Ref:1459448)

Hopefully, we can see HRT win the championship (fingers crossed)

bestfit · 13 Nov 2005, 09:12 (Ref:1459455)

Lowndes and Ambrose can't win the title, but Ingall can lose it!
HRT forget it.

pete55 · 13 Nov 2005, 09:16 (Ref:1459458)

I'm going for Ingall. It will be one hell of a party. Got the ice cubes ready for the opening of the bourbon.

Pro Racer · 13 Nov 2005, 09:35 (Ref:1459466)

i would say murphy is in with a chance.

James63 · 13 Nov 2005, 10:12 (Ref:1459488)

I reakon Skaife. HRT been strong there in the past...had a few 1 & 2 shootout results with Kelly and Skaife and Bright and Skaife.

Christopher · 13 Nov 2005, 10:25 (Ref:1459497)

While not a Ingal fan, I hope he takes it out as he deserves to win at least one championship and to have beaten Ambrose would be even sweeter.

peckstar · 13 Nov 2005, 10:40 (Ref:1459507)

just wondering how your going to pay me my $80 when ingall wins the championship GTR? maybe you could just convert it into caltex shares for me (there a bit cheaper at the moment)

Ingall to win, me to be dancing on the floorpan of an upside down HRT vehicle at the end

Rombles1 · 13 Nov 2005, 12:24 (Ref:1459554)

Based on recent form, you'd have to suggest that Lowndes will go better at PI than Ingall.... but probably not better enough....

Kerri · 13 Nov 2005, 12:43 (Ref:1459559)

I voted for Ingall as I think it is his turn.

But my best finish would be

1. Lowndes
2. Ingall
3. Ambrose

Gaz170 · 13 Nov 2005, 13:25 (Ref:1459581)

I think Russell can hang on.

Dazz · 13 Nov 2005, 20:25 (Ref:1459854)

Ingall just has to keep Lowndes and Ambrose in sight and he will walk it in.

I think Ingall needs to finish 8 spots behind Lowndes in all three races to lose it, or DNF one race.

Ambrose needs Lowndes tp DNF once and Ingall to DNF twice to win so I think his three in a row is shot.

Skaife and Kelly need Ambrose, Lowndes and Ingall to DNF the whole weekend pretty much to win it. But as we've seen in the past, imagine a big touch up off the start line with Ingall, Lowndes and Ambrosee all wearing the tyre barriers Bargwanna style in race one!

Not the way to be gifted a Championship, but it's so tough these days anyone who is in a position to win has to have done something during the year to be there.

And apart from the three main title contenders, the likes of Skaife, T. Kelly, Tander, R. Kelly, Murphy and Steven Richards will simply be going for race wins with absolutely nothing to lose. There is no point in them being conservative and I can't see them having any hesitation when it comes to trying to beat the top three.

Could this be the best Grand Final we've had in a long time? I thnk so.

Dazz · 13 Nov 2005, 20:26 (Ref:1459858)

Ingall just has to keep Lowndes and Ambrose in sight and he will walk it in.

I think Ingall needs to finish 8 spots behind Lowndes in all three races to lose it, or DNF one race.

Ambrose needs Lowndes tp DNF once and Ingall to DNF twice to win so I think his three in a row is shot.

Skaife and Kelly need Ambrose, Lowndes and Ingall to DNF the whole weekend pretty much to win it. But as we've seen in the past, imagine a big touch up off the start line with Ingall, Lowndes and Ambrosee all wearing the tyre barriers Bargwanna style in race one!

xrystl · 13 Nov 2005, 20:29 (Ref:1459863)

Ingall only needs to finish in the top eight at each race to win the title - if he does that he can't be beaten by Lowndes , should be a walk in the park for him .

SRabbit · 13 Nov 2005, 21:46 (Ref:1459916)

well he finished 8th 9th and 10th this weekend so he better put his shoes on real soon...

retro · 14 Nov 2005, 02:33 (Ref:1460018)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christopher

While not a Ingal fan, I hope he takes it out as he deserves to win at least one championship and to have beaten Ambrose would be even sweeter.

For Ingall to beat his team mate who is the current #1 and get the #1 plate himself would be pretty good on a personal level....
....provided all this happens.

RedNine Racing · 14 Nov 2005, 02:58 (Ref:1460027)

I can see ingall finally crowned V8 supercar champion.

mac · 14 Nov 2005, 03:12 (Ref:1460030)

Ingall will win it.

To a certain extent I hope he doesn't. He has been but a shadow of himself for most of the year. And his championship would surely be proof-positive that the points system needs changing RAPIDLY.

To see Ingall merely roll over as soon as someone shows him the front of their car (as appeared the case at the weekend), is saddening.

And he has been driving conservatively all season (kind of a less-stubborn Steve Richards). He deliberately started the season with the aim of driving as such.

For that reason I hope Lowndes wins - as he has been racing hard and fast all season. To see a champion become champion by cruising around and casually grabbing points when others drop out would not be the great way to end the series that AVESCO has so desperately tried to manufacture.

Get it right people.

Henry · 14 Nov 2005, 07:00 (Ref:1460091)

A cynical little voice in the back of the cavernous space between my ears hopes that Ambrose puts in a blinder, and somehow takes it out... if only to see what they can penalise him with to prevent him taking the title... I've enjoyed seeing his red-mist charges into contention this year, but silly incidents early on (like Barbagallo or Pukekohe) blunted his challenge (not to mention put him into the positions where a red-mist charge was necessary in the ifrst place)... and then Bathurst and Indy finished it off. Love him or hate, I'm gonna miss him.

Seriously, Ingall's done what he needed to do... we've seen him challenge for the title in the past by being fast, and aggressive... but it ultimately didn't capture the crown. It wouldn't be the first time that the champion has won through a softly-softly approach, without being overtly dominant at any stage (1984 springs to mind as a title won through consistency).

A Lowndes victory would be a magnificent spectacle... and I believe it will be a close-fought thing; but as many have said, it's Russell's to lose.

The Holdens? They'd best hope that the Queensland Ford teams take a wrong turn on the way, and manage to get lost for a week.

Mattracer · 14 Nov 2005, 10:17 (Ref:1460213)

I voted Ingall to take the Championship, no surprises there. I'm an Ingall supporter since well, forever regardless of brand. He has done well this season, to topple Ambrose is a mighty effort and he has been right there all season long. It was his stated aim at the Clipsal 500 that he would be trying to take the Championship from Ambrose while Ambrose was still competing in it so if he does, hats off- top effort. Some might say he deserves it because he has been in the series so long and been runner-up four times already but let's lose the charity votes. He has been doing what has been required to win the Championship.

View Poll Results: Who will win the 2005 V8Supercar Championship Series??
Russell Ingall	61	60.40%
Craig Lowndes	34	33.66%
Marcos Ambrose	5	4.95%
Todd Kelly	1	0.99%
Mark Skaife	2	1.98%
Steve Richards	2	1.98%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 101. You may not vote on this poll