..Toddler stays...SBR now looking at Ford young talent...

[retro]

..credit to www. foxsports.com.au...

Holden is holding on to Kelly
By Ray Kershler
August 25, 2005

TODD Kelly will stay with the Holden Racing Team, leaving empty the seat to be vacated by V8 Supercar champ Marcos Ambrose at the end of the year.

HRT announced yesterday that Kelly had signed for the 2006 and 2007 seasons after half-hearted suggestions during the year that he would jump ship to Ford and take Ambrose's seat at Stone Brothers Racing.

At the heart of the discontent was a clash of ideologies when, early in the season, HRT didn't think Kelly was driving well enough and Kelly didn't think he was being given a fast enough car.

Consecutive championship round wins, first in China then in Darwin, put paid to the debate on both sides.

After that, it was only a matter of terms.

Ford sources indicate Kelly did have talks with Ross and Jimmy Stone. In the end, though, they say, Kelly was "trying it on" asking for too much money.

Most observers, though, believed Kelly would always stay with HRT, especially given his background.

He was brought into the team through the Young Lions program and raced for the associated Kmart team before joining team boss Mark Skaife at HRT.

"This is the result I wanted," he said yesterday. "To me, the Holden Racing Team represents the pinnacle of motorsport in Australia.


"I have always said I wanted to drive for the team which would give me the best opportunity to win a championship and I believe that is what I am going to get.
"After nearly three seasons, I know this team very well and I'm satisfied we have the resources, infrastructure, stability and knowledge to return to championship winning form."

Skaife yesterday acknowledged Kelly's wins this year had secured the job. "He has shown outstanding form this year and really made sure we couldn't look past him," Skaife said.

"At 25 it is likely he still has his best form in front of him so we're delighted to have him back for the next two years. There is the added bonus he is well entrenched at HRT. We don't believe in change for change's sake. Stability is one of the cornerstones on which we plan to rebuild,"

Kelly's decision leaves open the question of who will replace Ambrose, especially as Larry Perkins has issued a "hands off" warning to suitors of his lead driver Steven Richards.

Stone Brothers are now likely to scour the Ford ranks with every possibility they will revert to the tactic that has served them well so far - giving a talented young driver the chance to make a name for himself.

The Daily Telegraph

[Raglanparade]

"giving a talented young driver the chance to make a name for himself".

Which Aussies are overseas at the moment and might come home due to lack of funds...

[Sandgroper]

Yup just RED that and Im freaking stoked !!!!!!

[billy bigtime]

I think Toddler should thank the Stone Brothers. He got a fat juicy pay rise due to their interest.

[retro]

Toddler couldn/t get a Ford million $$$ contract...see below..

Kelly knocks back Stone Brothers offer to defect
Paul Gover
25aug05

THE hottest Holden runner in this year's V8 Supercar championship has resisted the blue bait for a switch to Ford.

Todd Kelly was the top choice to replace Marcos Ambrose in the crack Stone Brothers Racing squad.
But Kelly has chosen at least two more years with the red lion and will continue as Mark Skaife's sidekick at the Holden Racing Team through 2007.

His new deal will pay him an estimated $350,000 a year and cements his standing at Holden.

He has shaded Skaife for much of the year, with back-to-back wins at Shanghai and Darwin, and a series of solid results which have him running fifth in the V8 Supercar series.

"This is the result I wanted," Kelly said after signing with Skaife, who also owns HRT.

"I have always said that I wanted to drive for the team that would give me the best opportunity to win a championship and I believe that is what I'm going to get."

There had been friction between Skaife and Kelly earlier in the year, but the new deal -- and their pairing for the V8 Supercar endurance classics at Sandown and Bathurst -- points to a fresh approach on both sides. It also helped that Kelly was able to slam in his two wins while the boss was struggling.

Still, Skaife makes no secret of his long-term plan to bring former F1 test driver James Courtney into the reds.

Courtney will partner veteran Jim Richards in the enduros this year and Skaife is also working on a plan to put him into a third HRT satellite car in 2006.

Courtney is leading the Japanese Super GT championship in a factory-backed Toyota Supra and is more likely to continue in the Japanese series next year.

But Courtney would take time to adapt to V8 Supercars and Skaife says Kelly is the right choice as his teammate.

"We wanted the best available driver on the market, and right now that's Todd Kelly," Skaife said.

"At 25, it's likely that he still has his best form in front of him so we're delighted to have him back for the next two years.

"We've invested heavily in Todd and feel he is a young man with a great future. He has matured into a very complete racing driver."

Kelly has done all of his V8 Supercar racing with Holden, firstly as a member of the Young Lions program in 1999 and with HRT since 2003, and has five career wins in the series.