The 2004 V8 Supercars Grand Finale (known for naming rights reasons as the 2004 BigPond Grand Finale) was the thirteenth and final round of the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was held on the weekend of 3 to 5 December at the Eastern Creek International Raceway in Sydney, New South Wales.
Marcos Ambrose shrugged off a major practice crash to obliterate the competition throughout the weekend; taking pole position and winning every race throughout the weekend, with the fastest lap in each of them, to take overall round honours and clinched his second V8 Supercar championship in the first race after only having to finish 19th or better to do so. This made him the first back-to-back champion for the Ford brand in Australian Touring Car history since Dick Johnson in 1988 and 1989. Teammate Russell Ingall claimed third overall for the round, and with his championship rivals encountering tough weekends, was able to clinch second overall in the championship.
Background The event was held on the weekend of 3 to 5 December 2004. It was the 13th ATCC/V8 Supercar event to be held at Eastern Creek International Raceway, the second event to be held at the Sydney venue that year, and consisted of three 100 km races with compulsory pitstops each.
Marcos Ambrose entered the round as the championship leader. While Jason Bright and Greg Murphy were still in with a mathematical chance, Ambrose required a 19th-place finish in the first race to secure enough points to clinch the title.
Entry list
There were 35 drivers entered into the event. It featured mixture of vehicle models - one AU Ford Falcon, fifteen BA Falcon's, eighteen VY Commodore's, and one VX Commodore.
Garth Walden returned to the championship driving the sole AU Ford Falcon. Christian D'Agostin made his return to the series driving for John Faulkner Racing aboard the only VX Holden Commodore that weekend. Lee Holdsworth made his debut in the series driving for Robert Smith Racing aboard a VY Holden Commodore.
Rod Nash Racing debuted a brand-new VY Holden Commodore to be run by Alex Davison.
Race report Qualifying Pos No Driver Team Vehicle Time 1 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:31.7327 2 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.1841 3 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:32.6206 4 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:32.6686 5 23 David Besnard WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.6901 6 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.7007 7 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.7400 8 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.7988 9 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:32.8125 10 98 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.8876 11 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.8995 12 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.0055 13 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.0277 14 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.0473 15 18 Warren Luff Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.1758 16 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.1765 17 3 Jason Richards Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.3783 18 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.4190 19 33 Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.4216 20 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.5182 21 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.5267 22 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.5724 23 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.6160 24 20 Mark Winterbottom Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.8560 25 12 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.9321 26 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.9362 27 7 Alex Davison Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.9882 28 48 Owen Kelly WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:34.1488 29 45 Dale Brede Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 1:34.3090 30 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:34.4987 31 14 Lee Holdsworth Robert Smith Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:34.5383 32 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:35.1841 33 43 Christian D'Agostin John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 1:35.7221 34 24 Garth Walden Walden Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 1:36.2883 105% time - 1:36.3193 - 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VY) no time Source:
Top ten shootout
Pos No Driver Team Vehicle Time 1 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:32.4345 2 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:32.8835 3 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 1:33.1843 4 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:33.6643 5 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1:34.2743 6 98 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 1:34.3121 7 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 1:34.4234 8 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 1:34.4419 9 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 1:34.6899 EXC 23 David Besnard WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) time excluded Source:
Race 1 Pos No Driver Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 41:45.8004 1 2 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 11.872 4 3 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 12.604 5 4 23 David Besnard WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 27.092 10 5 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 30.334 21 6 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 30.838 8 7 98 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 31.300 6 8 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 31.679 14 9 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 38.069 12 10 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 39.241 11 11 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 40.539 16 12 33 Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 46.473 19 13 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 50.090 22 14 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 50.844 23 15 18 Warren Luff Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 51.447 15 16 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 53.226 26 17 3 Jason Richards Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 53.742 17 18 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 54.263 2 19 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 58.231 18 20 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 58.593 30 21 12 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 1:03.379 25 22 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 26 + 1:03.619 7 23 7 Alex Davison Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 1:12.316 27 24 14 Lee Holdsworth Robert Smith Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 1:12.506 31 25 45 Dale Brede Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 26 + 1:27.710 29 26 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 25 + 1 lap 20 27 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 25 + 1 lap 3 28 20 Mark Winterbottom Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 24 + 2 laps 24 29 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 22 + 4 laps 13 Ret 48 Owen Kelly WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 21 Retired 28 Ret 24 Garth Walden Walden Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 2 Retired 34 Ret 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 1 Engine 35 Ret 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 0 Driveline 9 Ret 43 Christian D'Agostin John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0 Mechanical 33 DNS 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) Did not start Fastest Lap: Marcos Ambrose (Stone Brothers Racing) - 1:33.4044 on lap 2 Source:
Race 2 Pos No Driver Team Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 1 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 01:03:10.4380 1 2 88 Paul Radisich Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 19.252 6 3 6 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 19.825 2 4 11 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 34.549 8 5 3 Jason Richards Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 35.302 17 6 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 39.587 9 7 2 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 40.421 18 8 888 Max Wilson Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 44.587 22 9 98 Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 44.922 7 10 33 Cameron McConville Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 52.238 12 11 10 Jason Bargwanna Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 54.871 10 12 22 Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:06.978 27 13 5 Glenn Seton Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 1:07.503 14 14 18 Warren Luff Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 1:08.253 15 15 12 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 1:10.557 21 16 021 Craig Baird Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:11.378 32 17 16 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:19.075 35 18 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:20.883 33 19 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 1:21.680 19 20 23 David Besnard WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 1:31.137 4 21 50 Jason Bright Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:31.951 3 22 20 Mark Winterbottom Larkham Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) 39 + 1:33.889 28 23 29 Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:38.057 29 24 51 Greg Murphy John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 39 + 1:39.840 13 25 8 Paul Dumbrell Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VY) 38 + 1 lap 16 26 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 38 + 1 lap 20 27 7 Alex Davison Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 38 + 1 lap 23 28 48 Owen Kelly WPS Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 38 + 1 lap 30 29 14 Lee Holdsworth Robert Smith Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 38 + 1 lap 24 30 45 Dale Brede Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 38 + 1 lap 25 31 43 Christian D'Agostin John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 38 + 1 lap 34 32 24 Garth Walden Walden Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 38 + 1 lap 31 33 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (BA) 37 + 2 laps 11 Ret 15 Rick Kelly John Kelly Racing Holden Commodore (VY) 16 Steering 5 Ret 44 Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore (VY) 6 Retired 26 Fastest Lap: Marcos Ambrose (Stone Brothers Racing) - 1:33.7276 on lap 5 Source:
Race 3