This weekend’s race, the eighth event in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series, will also see Holden’s factory team lead the official racing debut of the V8 Supercar variant of Holden’s recently unveiled, future friendly, flex-fuel VE Commodore Series II.

Tander has taken dramatic victories in both the past two years, the first with Mark Skaife in a rain drenched race, the second in a thriller with Toll HRT team-mate Will Davison – both over arch rivals, Triple Eight’s Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup – and, understandably, Tander is keenly looking forward to this weekend’s event.

“We’re all looking forward to going racing again, nine weeks has been far too long between events,” Tander said. “Everyone at the Toll HRT has fond memories of the last two years at Phillip Island. There’s been a degree of luck involved in both those races, but we’ve traditionally had fantastic speed over the ‘500’ weekends and we’ve been in positions to capitalise when it counted.”

“Our motivation is not to win the race just because it’s ‘three-in-a-row’, we’re going there to do a good job for our team and get a result for everyone involved. It will be nice to win a third straight, we believe we’re capable, but it’s not going to be a walk up start.”

Due to new series regulations, this year Tander will be joined by proven race winner Cameron McConville, while Davison is teaming with the talented David Reynolds, who is making his first start for Holden’s factory team.

The 2007 V8 Supercar Champion believes the #2 Toll HRT Commodore is the best possible driver combination under the new rules for the traditional Bathurst warm-up.

“For me, we’re in a fortunate position where we really do have two number ‘one’ drivers in the car with Cameron and me,” Tander said. “There will be some cars there that are perhaps weakened by not being able to run both drivers together, but in cases some teams may be stronger by splitting their drivers up, so I think it will average out. We’re still going to see the best cars at the front racing for the win – hopefully the #2 Toll HRT Commodore is one of them.”

Team-mate Davison and Reynolds present one of the race’s most interesting and promising combinations, Davison saying he had worked hard over the extended mid-season break, while he was confident co-driver Reynolds, who missed out on a full time role in this year’s series after driving for Bundy Red Racing in 2009, would play an important role in the team’s success.

“I love the endurance races and winning both [Phillip Island and Bathurst] last year was sensational, so I’m very keen to go racing again,” Davison said. “I can’t wait to get back into the seat, particularly after a tough start to the year. We have been working hard trying to rectify our issues and looking at where we can improve.

“I think I have an awesome co-driver with David Reynolds, he’s not a big name, he’s not a retired legend with a spotlight on him, but he is an exceptionally talented driver who is young and hungry, wanting to prove a point and in the right frame of mind – I’m very lucky to have him in the #22 Toll HRT Commodore.”

Davison said he felt this year’s change in driver rules where the V8 series regulars must remain in their ‘own’ cars would add depth to an already tough enduro roster.

“The new rules have changed the enduro game, these events will be much more like a normal race with all the number one drivers in their cars, so there will be far more depth,” he said. “The strategies change too as in the past multi-car team focus has normally been on just one car, with the second effectively playing a different role. Now we have two number one cars and everyone will want to race to the same strategy. Hopefully it doesn’t affect one car, but every multi-car team will have the same issue.”

The new flex-fuel VE Commodore Series II is the first Australian-made car capable of running on environmentally friendly bio-ethanol fuel up to E85 – fuel consisting of up to 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol – which the Toll HRT has been using in V8 Supercars since 2009. E85 is a cleaner-burning fuel that can enhance vehicle performance and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent, compared to petrol.

In recognition that September is Prostate Cancer awareness month, the Toll Holden Racing Team will join with arch rivals Ford Performance Racing and proudly display the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia blue ribbon throughout the weekend.

The ribbon will be seen on both its Toll HRT VE Commodore Series II race cars, all in the bid to raise awareness for the PCFA.

It is estimated that almost 20,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 and more than 3,300 will lose their lives to the disease. The PCFA is dedicated to funding research, raising awareness and providing support to those impacted by prostate cancer.

Practice for this weekend’s L’H 500 kicks off at Phillip Island Friday morning. The unique format will see each driver compete in their own qualifying and qualifying races on Saturday, with the combined results determining the grid for Sunday’s race.

Wathch the HRT TV preview here

Jimmy 9/09/2010 10:00:33 AM Good luck for the weekend Alert Moderator Lyndell 9/09/2010 8:32:10 PM Goodluck GT, Will and co-drivers, will be there cheering you on .. Alert Moderator Add New Comment Author * Email *   500  Characters remaining Comment *   Please enter the code Terms and Conditions