THE first Holden Commodore VE to win a V8 Supercar race is set to become one of the attractions at New Zealand’s Historic GP at Taupō International Motorsport Park on January 19-21.
The former Holden Racing Team Commodore VE was driven to victory on debut by Todd Kelly at the 2007 Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
It took Kelly to further race wins that year at Eastern Creek and in the very last race of the season at Phillip Island. The race marked Kelly’s last with the factory Holden team.
The car was sold to Brad Jones Racing and later raced in the hands of Kiwi ace Jason Richards. He and Cameron McConville finished second in it in the 2009 Bathurst 1000 running as the #8 Team BOC Commodore.
It will be driven in New Zealand at the Historic GP by 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Champion Harri Jones, who will make his return to competing in the Australian series next year after spending 2023 racing Porsche Supercup.
The car – chassis WR 003 – features among V8 Sleuth’s book documenting the history of every Holden Racing Team Commodore, available here now at a special sale price in the V8 Sleuth Superstore.
The ex-HRT Commodore joins a range of historically-significant Holdens heading to the event.
It was recently confirmed that Jack Perkins will demonstrate the 1993 Bathurst 1000-winning Castrol Commodore VP and four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy will take the wheel of the Garry Rogers Motorsport-built Monaro he drove to victory in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour alongside Peter Brock, Todd Kelly and Jason Bright.
Seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes and five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Steve Richards will also be appearing at the event.
V8 Sleuth is the official media partner for the event that will be held on January 19-21 in 2024 at the Taupō International Motorsport Park and broadcast live on Sky Sport in New Zealand and Fox Sports in Australia.
The Taupō Historic GP is the second round of the Super Sprint MotorSport NZ Championship and will host the opening round of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship (CTFROC) as part of a unique modern/historic flavoured race meeting.
The event is also a unique celebration of Trans-Tasman Holden history and will feature a ‘Holden All-Comers’ race open to all Holden race cars with a homologated roll cage and logbook.
Also set to appear are Historic Touring Cars NZ, Historic Sports Sedans, Historic Saloons, Sports and GTs, Formula 5000, Formula Open NZ and Formula Junior/F3/Historic Formula Ford. Tickets can be purchased online here now.
WATCH THE HRT COMMODORE FROM ON-BOARD: Check out Harri Jones aboard WR 003 at Phillip Island in 2007 here …
