The 2002 V8 Supercar Challenge (known for naming rights reasons as the 2002 Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge) was the eleventh round of the 2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was the first V8 Supercar event to be held on the Gold Coast as an official championship round and was held on the weekend of 24 to 26 October at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in Gold Coast, Queensland. The event was run in support of the Honda Indy 300 run as part of the CART FedEx Championship Series.

Greg Murphy secured pole position and led the first race comfortably from start to finish to take victory. However, his second race was curtailed after making a wrong call on tyre strategy that left him tumbling down the order. Jason Bargwanna capitalised on this to take victory, and along with his strong finish in the first race, would take overall round honours. This marked Bargwanna and Garry Rogers Motorsport's first race and round victory since the 2000 Bathurst 1000. Craig Lowndes amassed the same points tally as Bargwanna but the latter's race victory meant Lowndes would have to settle for second. Murphy would round out the top five largely in thanks to his victory in race one.

Background The event was held on the weekend of 24 to 27 October 2002. It was the first V8 Supercar championship event to be held on the streets of the Gold Coast and consisted of two 100 km races. The V8 Supercar category had raced as part of the support package to the CART World Series since the 1990s as a non-championship affair.

Mark Skaife entered the round as the champion, having already sewn up the championship at the previous round at Bathurst.

Entry list

There were 32 drivers entered into the event with no necessitation for pre-qualifying.

Regular series competitor Paul Morris would miss this round after incurring substantial damage at the Bathurst 1000 that necessitated a rebuild of the car.

Greg Ritter would replace Steve Owen at Briggs Motorsport for this round. It would turn out to be Ritter's sole outing for the team in 2002.

Race report Qualifying Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.0045 2 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.0252 3 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.0640 4 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.1443 5 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.1908 6 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.4121 7 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.5839 8 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.8193 9 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.8337 10 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.8911 11 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.0803 12 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:52.0811 13 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:52.1247 14 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:52.1604 15 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.2733 16 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 1:52.3339 17 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 1:52.3678 18 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.3959 19 600 Greg Ritter Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.4042 20 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.4530 21 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.5459 22 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 1:52.6466 23 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:52.7642 24 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 1:52.9775 25 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:53.0561 26 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 1:53.0714 27 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:53.2572 28 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:53.3632 29 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:53.4109 30 02 Rick Kelly Holden Young Lions Holden Commodore (VX) 1:53.5421 31 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:55.1747 - 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) no time Source:

Top ten shootout Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 1:50.7030 2 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:50.7612 3 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:50.8228 4 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:50.8539 5 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.1620 6 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.3048 7 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:51.4883 8 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.7301 9 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 1:51.8816 10 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) no time Source:

Race 1 Pos No Name Team Vehicle Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 22 49:08.0240 1 2 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 0.700 6 3 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 7.436 3 4 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 9.901 10 5 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 11.669 14 6 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 12.551 9 7 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 13.161 16 8 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 15.432 7 9 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 15.736 15 10 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 16.236 21 11 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 16.646 20 12 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 16.980 13 13 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 17.563 17 14 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 22 + 19.874 22 15 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 20.046 32 16 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 21.531 8 17 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 21.852 18 18 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 23.180 26 19 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 26.000 29 20 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 28.434 31 21 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 30.206 23 22 02 Rick Kelly Holden Young Lions Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 31.480 30 23 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 33.082 27 24 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 36.588 4 25 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 38.647 11 26 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 46.580 2 27 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 47.958 25 28 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 1:09.553 28 29 600 Greg Ritter Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 20 + 2 laps 19 Ret 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 18 Retired 24 Ret 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 11 Accident 12 Ret 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 1 Accident damage 5 Fastest Lap: Marcos Ambrose (Stone Brothers Racing) - 1:51.6490 on lap 4 Source:

Race 2 Pos No Name Team Vehicle Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 22 52:48.4839 5 2 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 4.562 3 3 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 6.314 7 4 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 12.764 16 5 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 13.583 17 6 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 17.343 15 7 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 18.627 4 8 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VT) 22 + 18.836 14 9 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 25.192 32 10 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 26.010 10 11 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 29.224 6 12 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 29.923 30 13 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 31.399 23 14 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 32.572 19 15 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 34.520 26 16 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 38.981 20 17 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 43.269 13 18 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 46.387 1 19 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 22 + 53.318 12 20 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 1:02.362 9 21 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 1:02.988 28 22 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 1:15.873 21 23 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 22 + 1:43.532 27 24 600 Greg Ritter Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 21 + 1 lap 29 Ret 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 10 Retired 11 Ret 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 9 Retired 25 Ret 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 7 Retired 8 Ret 02 Rick Kelly Holden Young Lions Holden Commodore (VX) 4 Retired 22 Ret 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 4 Misfire 24 Ret 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 3 Retired 2 Ret 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0 Retired 18 DNS 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) Did not start Fastest Lap: Garth Tander (Garry Rogers Motorsport) - 2:08.3526 on lap 10 Source:

Championship points

Round points tally No Driver Team 1 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport 144 2 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport 144 3 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 115 4 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 100 5 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering 88

Drivers' Championship standings No Driver Team 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team 1984 2 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team 1290 2 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 1217 3 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering 1199 5 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 1146

References