For 15 years, the Clipsal 500 has proved itself to be one of the toughest tests on the V8 Supercars calendar.
The high-speed run between the ex-F1 circuit’s unforgiving concrete walls, combined with the heat means both drivers and cars are punished for 500 long kilometres over the weekend.
The event also rapidly became one of the most prestigious among the teams and drivers, each year playing out to bumper crowds.
It’s hard to narrow down the biggest moments to occur since the V8s hit the Adelaide streets in 1999.
Here’s our list of the 10 biggest moments in the Clipsal 500’s history:
No.10 – Murph hits a sitting duck; 2012
Clipsal 2012 was shaping up to be a good one for both Jonathan Webb and Greg Murphy, until a Saturday morning practice crash. Both cars were ruled out for the weekend, while Murph aggravated a back injury that would continue to plague him throughout the season.
Murphy’s car was badly damaged in the crash.
No.9 – The Rat’s wild ride; 2002
This isn’t how you should treat a brand new, $300,000 racecar. Paul Radisich became the first victim of Adelaide’s now-infamous Turn Eight in 2002’s Friday morning practice session. Heavy contact with the concrete on the exit of the high-speed sweeper sent his Ford pinballing along the barriers, wiping out his Dick Johnson Racing Falcon before the racing even began.
Radisich was lucky not to be hit by following cars.
No.8 – Adelaide becomes Kelly country; 2007
V8 Supercars’s visit to Adelaide in 2007 is remembered fondly by the Kelly family. Todd took Holden’s brand new VE Commodore to victory on Saturday, before Rick led home a brotherly one-two on the Sunday. The pair finished one-two in the weekend points, the Mildura brothers sharing the podium on one of V8’s biggest stages.
Rick and Todd Kelly on the 2007 Sunday podium.
No.7 – Lowndes’s loss, Whincup’s gain; 2006
After dominating Saturday opening blast, Craig Lowndes looked to do the same on Sunday. An unfortunate series of dramas left him deep in the field, where it becomes easy to get caught up in strife. Lowndes had nowhere to go when a four-car tangle happened in front of him, putting him out of the race. But teammate Jamie Whincup saved the day for Triple Eight, taking his very first V8 Supercars win.
Lowndes (rear left) was a helpless victim in the crash.
No.6 – Welcome V8 Supercars, Marcos; 2001
Marcos Ambrose shocked the V8 establishment with his speed when he debuted for Stone Brothers Racing in 2001, but Todd Kelly crashed his welcome party when the V8s hit the streets of Adelaide. The pair collided half-way down the track’s front straight, Kelly’s KMart Commodore sending Ambrose’s Pirtek Falcon backwards into the pit wall at a great rate of knots.
No.5 – Red vs Blue, mate vs mate; 2012
Saturday’s race in 2012 boiled down to a straight fight between Ford and Holden, with good mates Will Davison and Jamie Whincup duking it out for the win. Davison had the edge on the reigning V8 champ in the closing stages but his Falcon ran out of fuel on the last lap, handing the victory to Whincup, who dedicated it to his late father.
Davison and Whincup shake hands post-race.
No.4 – Track takes its toll; 1999
The mean streets of Adelaide earnt their reputation during the furnace-like Leg 2 in the event’s debut. The concrete walls trapping exhaust fumes, combined with soaring temperatures, left several drivers in need of medical assistance, Paul Radisich and John Faulkner both collapsing in the cockpit mid-race.
Radisich is carried to an ambulance by team members.
No.3 – Jones goes over and out; 2000
After many years as a hired gun, Brad Jones brought his production car, AUSCAR, NASCAR and Supertouring championship winning team to V8 Supercars in the year 2000 but copped a harsh reception in Adelaide. The crash at Turn Eight ruled his car out for the second leg on Sunday.
Jones points out the extinguisher button. He would need it.
No.2 – SVG for victory; 2013
Shane van Gisbergen sensationally exited Ford, Stone Brothers and V8 Supercars at the end of 2012, only to make a shock return with Holden and Tekno Autosport just a couple of months later. Amid a swirl of controversy and divided fan opinion, the flying Kiwi let his driving do the talking, taking two pole positions and the race win on Sunday – the Tekno team’s first victory.
SVG took the Adelaide streets by storm last year.
No.1 – Lowndes goes from first to last to first; 1999
After soaring to victory in the very first 250-kay sprint on the Adelaide streets, Craig Lowndes copped a massive grid penalty overnight. The Holden Racing Team star had inadvertently punted a backmarker in the wall during Saturday’s race, officials relegating him from pole position to the back of Sunday’s grid. Throwing caution to the wind, Lowndes charged from last to first to win the race and the weekend.
SOURCE: ADELAIDE NOW
