The 2004 V8 Supercar Challenge (known for naming rights reasons as the 2004 Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge) was the eleventh round of the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was held on the weekend of 21 to 24 October at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in Gold Coast, Queensland. The event ran in support of the Lexmark Indy 300 Champ Car World Series race.

Marcos Ambrose continued to solidify his championship charge by winning the first race of the weekend. Mark Skaife had taken pole position and had led the race for a sizeable portion of the event. However, brake fade led to a spin at the back end of the circuit that saw him tumble down the order. Stablemate Greg Murphy would finish second that day and would win the second race en route to claiming overall round honours from Ambrose.

Ambrose was in the midst of controversy when he was accused of brake-testing Rick Kelly at the end of race one. Ambrose claimed that Kelly, who was a lap behind, had attempted to force Ambrose into the wall during the race yet denied any claim of a post-race brake test. These claims were refuted by Kelly and Murphy, and the officials issued Ambrose a $10,000 AUD fine. Kelly himself was embroiled in controversy in light of an incident involving him and Jason Bright that saw the latter launched heavily into the barrier and carried major championship implications. Kelly was docked 50 championship points and deeply apologised for the incident.

Background The event was held on the weekend of 21 to 24 October 2004. It was the third V8 Supercar championship event to be held on the streets of Surfers Paradise and consisted of two 100 km races with compulsory pitstops each.

Entry list

There were 35 drivers entered into the event. It featured mixture of vehicle models - fifteen BA Falcon's, sixteen VY Commodore's, and three VX Commodore's.

With David Besnard partaking in the Champ Car event, his WPS Racing entry would be occupied by New Zealand touring car champion, John McIntyre. Alex Yoong would continue to drive the other entry.

Tony Longhurst returned to Rod Nash Racing after having competed in the endurance events with Perkins Engineering.

Race report Qualifying Mark Skaife claimed provisional pole position by two tenths of a second over Marcos Ambrose. Both Paul Radisich and Craig Baird failed to set a time owing to technical issues. They were nonetheless eligible to take part in the racing albeit from the rear of the grid.

Pos No Driver Team Vehicle Time 1 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:50.3768 2 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:50.5786 3 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:50.5878 4 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:50.6233 5 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:50.7828 6 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.0062 7 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.0302 8 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.2554 9 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.2962 10 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.2966 11 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.3406 12 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.3409 13 12 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.4574 14 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.5087 15 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.5229 16 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.5676 17 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.6971 18 18 Warren Luff Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.8894 19 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.9067 20 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 1:52.0735 21 33 Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:52.1209 22 20 Mark Winterbottom Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 1:52.2443 23 3 Jason Richards Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:52.5695 24 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:52.8991 25 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:52.9284 26 45 Dale Brede Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 1:52.9905 27 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:53.0985 28 23 John McIntyre WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:53.3698 29 48 Alex Yoong WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:53.4289 30 7 Tony Longhurst Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 1:53.6257 105% time - 1:55.8956 - 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) no time - 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VY) no time Source:

Top ten shootout Pos No Driver Team Vehicle Time 1 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:50.8455 2 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:50.8620 3 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.2248 4 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.2666 5 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.3283 6 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.3918 7 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.4860 8 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:51.4877 9 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:51.6114 10 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 1:52.1210 Source:

Race 1 Pos No Driver Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 41:36.8228 2 2 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 1.836 6 3 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 4.320 8 4 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 7.486 7 5 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 14.751 10 6 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 25.305 12 7 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 30.437 11 8 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 30.978 14 9 3 Jason Richards Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 31.302 23 10 33 Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 31.846 21 11 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 35.951 16 12 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 37.266 31 13 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 41.377 25 14 12 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 42.972 13 15 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 43.543 15 16 20 Mark Winterbottom Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 52.453 22 17 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 54.846 24 18 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 1:18.040 9 19 23 John McIntyre WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 22 + 1:24.296 28 20 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 1:54.951 27 21 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 21 + 1 lap 6 22 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 21 + 1 lap 17 23 7 Tony Longhurst Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 21 + 1 lap 30 24 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 21 + 1 lap 1 25 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 21 + 1 lap 4 26 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 21 + 1 lap 19 Ret 18 Warren Luff Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 19 Retired 18 Ret 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 15 Retired 5 Ret 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 15 Retired 20 Ret 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 5 Retired 32 Ret 45 Dale Brede Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 0 Retired 26 Ret 48 Alex Yoong WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 0 Retired 29 Fastest Lap: Craig Lowndes (Ford Performance Racing) - 1:52.1764 on lap 10 Source:

Race 2 Pos No Driver Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 30 01:00:46.3642 2 2 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 1.143 1 3 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 4.182 5 4 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 4.503 6 5 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 5.928 8 6 33 Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 6.198 10 7 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 6.753 12 8 3 Jason Richards Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 8.268 9 9 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 8.651 11 10 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 8.972 25 11 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 9.544 22 12 20 Mark Winterbottom Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 10.321 16 13 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 10.539 24 14 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 11.284 20 15 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 11.788 26 16 12 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 12.531 14 17 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 13.128 29 18 23 John McIntyre WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 13.540 19 19 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 14.556 15 20 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 16.232 17 21 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 16.450 18 22 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 17.092 30 23 48 Alex Yoong WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 30 + 18.289 32 24 45 Dale Brede Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 26.126 31 25 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 30 + 1:13.264 21 26 18 Warren Luff Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 29 + 1 lap 27 Ret 7 Tony Longhurst Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 27 Retired 23 Ret 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 22 Accident 7 Ret 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 17 Retired 4 Ret 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 16 Retired 28 Ret 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 15 Retired 13 DSQ 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) Disqualified 3 Fastest Lap: Marcos Ambrose (Stone Brothers Racing) - 1:52.2046 on lap 5 Source:

Championship standings No Driver Team 1 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing 1856 2 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing 1690 3 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing 1665 4 9 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing 1612 5 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing 1575

References