The 2003 Perth 300 (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2003 VB 300) was the fifth round of the 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was held on the weekend of 6 to 8 June at the Barbagallo Raceway in Perth, Western Australia.

Greg Murphy kicked off the weekend strongly by claiming pole position in the shootout and winning the first race of the weekend. Following closely behind in second was Mark Skaife, who himself would strike back by claiming victory in the second race the following day. However, contact with a spinning Rodney Forbes stunted his charge in race three and a strong pit strategy by Stone Brothers Racing allowed Marcos Ambrose to hold off a determined charge by Todd Kelly to win race three. With his consistent run of podiums across the weekend, Ambrose was able to claim the overall round honours in the process with Murphy in second and Steven Richards in third.

Jason Bright still maintained the lead of the championship despite a difficult weekend.

Background The event was held on the weekend of 6 to 8 June 2003. It was the 27th ATCC/V8 Supercar event to be held at Barbagallo Raceway and consisted of three 100 km races with compulsory pitstops in each.

Entry list

There were 32 drivers entered into the event. It featured mixture of vehicle models - five AU Ford Falcon's, twelve BA Falcon's, six VY Commodore's, and ten VX Commodore's.

On the leadup to the event, Tom Walkinshaw Racing collapsed and the team was put up for sale by the administrator. The Holden Racing Team was purchased by Holden but as manufacturers were prohibited from owing teams, it was sold on to team driver, Mark Skaife. The second section of the team colloquially known as the K-Mart Racing Team was sold to John and Margaret Kelly and would henceforth be known as John Kelly Racing.

00 Motorsport would only field one car for the event, with Greg Ritter not competing and Rodney Forbes taking over Ritter's car. Wayne Wakefield of Paul Morris Motorsport would miss this, and the next round before returning to the championship at Ipswich. David Thexton would not enter this round.

Race report Qualifying Pos No Driver Team Vehicle Time 1 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.6298 2 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 0:57.6842 3 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.9195 4 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.0868 5 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.1673 6 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.1826 7 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.2282 8 23 Mark Noske Tony Noske Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.2504 9 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.2863 10 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.3002 11 2 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.3165 12 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.3384 13 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.3555 14 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.3715 15 00 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.3929 16 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.3968 17 20 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.4448 18 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.4713 19 18 Max Wilson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.5086 20 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.5445 21 19 David Besnard Rod Nash Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.6276 22 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.6488 23 45 Jason Richards Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.6635 24 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.7738 25 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.8338 26 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.8752 27 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.8767 28 65 Paul Radisich Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.9259 29 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.9721 30 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 0:59.0555 31 66 Dean Canto Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 1:00.0231 32 33 Jamie Whincup Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 1:00.1985 Source:

Top ten shootout Pos No Driver Team Vehicle Time 1 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.2022 2 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.2430 3 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:58.3595 4 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.4512 5 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.5710 6 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 0:58.7211 7 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:59.0811 8 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 0:59.4291 9 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0:59.7203 10 23 Mark Noske Tony Noske Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:59.7309 Source:

Race 1 Pos No Driver Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 42:44.5643 1 2 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 0.206 2 3 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 0.589 3 4 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 1.041 4 5 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 6.424 16 6 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 18.120 7 7 2 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 25.596 11 8 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 27.043 6 9 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 27.808 8 10 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 30.355 12 11 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 36.908 25 12 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 40.072 5 13 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 40.465 20 14 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 40.561 9 15 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 41.207 14 16 65 Paul Radisich Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 41.529 28 17 23 Mark Noske Tony Noske Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 42 + 42.410 10 18 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 42.981 29 19 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 44.952 24 20 19 David Besnard Rod Nash Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 47.725 21 21 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 48.178 30 22 33 Jamie Whincup Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 48.948 32 23 00 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 49.218 15 24 18 Max Wilson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 54.610 19 25 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 55.360 27 26 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 42 + 1:00.221 13 27 66 Dean Canto Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 1:00.988 31 28 45 Jason Richards Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 41 + 1 lap 23 29 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 41 + 1 lap 18 30 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 40 + 2 laps 22 31 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 40 + 2 laps 26 Ret 20 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 28 Engine 17 Fastest Lap: Mark Skaife (Holden Racing Team) - 59.0161 on lap 2 Source:

Race 2 Pos No Driver Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 42 50:46.6743 2 2 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 1.607 3 3 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 2.767 4 4 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 3.513 1 5 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 4.161 9 6 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 6.278 13 7 2 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 6.764 7 8 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 7.350 21 9 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 7.904 10 10 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 10.017 12 11 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 10.252 30 12 45 Jason Richards Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 42 + 10.718 28 13 65 Paul Radisich Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 10.950 16 14 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 11.222 15 15 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 11.690 14 16 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 12.739 11 17 18 Max Wilson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 13.804 24 18 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 14.050 29 19 23 Mark Noske Tony Noske Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 42 + 14.355 17 20 19 David Besnard Rod Nash Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 14.612 20 21 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 42 + 14.847 31 22 66 Dean Canto Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 15.492 27 23 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 42 + 15.910 26 24 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 42 + 17.576 25 25 00 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 42 + 19.181 23 26 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 37 + 5 laps 19 27 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 34 + 8 laps 5 Ret 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 39 Accident 8 Ret 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 Accident 6 Ret 33 Jamie Whincup Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 36 Mechanical 22 Ret 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 34 Spun off 18 DNS 20 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) Did not start Fastest Lap: Mark Skaife (Holden Racing Team) - 58.3547 on lap 3 Source:

Race 3