2015: Major changes
As the sydney.com SuperTest kicks off 2015, v8supercars.com.au takes you through the big changes that occurred during the off-season that will affect the way this year's Championship plays out.
All 25 cars will be unveiled this weekend, ahead of the first race in two weeks, the Clipsal 500 Adelaide.
Will Red Bull Racing Australia take the first win straight out of the box, or will the challengers pull the team up early?
Here's the guide to the game-changing factors that will take effect in the 2015 Championship.
25 cars, different configuration
While there is the same number of cars on the grid, the make-up of the teams has changed significantly.
DJR Team Penske downgrades to a single car, focusing all efforts on returning star Marcos Ambrose.
The REC (Racing Entitlement Contract) underpinning DJR's second car in 2014 has shifted to Prodrive Racing (Australia -formerly known as Ford Performance Racing), utilised by newcomer, kiwi team Super Black Racing.
Meanwhile, Charlie Schwerkolt has moved his REC to Walkinshaw Racing, with Lee Holdsworth to steer a Holden Commodore. The spot opened up after James Rosenberg failed to enter his licence, which supported Nick Percat's entry.
The young star has relocated to Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport and looks forward to helping the team -growing to two cars this season - push up the grid. Tim Blanchard returns full-time to the category to race the second LDM Commodore.
IN:
Marcos Ambrose - DJR Team Penske
Andre Heimgartner -Super Black Racing
Ash Walsh - Erebus Motorsport V8
Tim Blanchard - Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport
OUT:
Scott Pye - was DJR
Jack Perkins - was Charlie Schwerkolt Racing
Robert Dahlgren - was Volvo Polestar Racing/GRM
Russell Ingall - was Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, retired full-time
NEW HOMES:
Nick Percat -Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport
Lee Holdsworth -Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, now Walkinshaw Racing
David Wall -Wilson Security Racing GRM
FG X joins the grid
Prodrive Racing (Australia) leads the charge, with its two title contenders in Mark Winterbottom and Chaz Mostert piloting the final iteration of Falcon.
The model was homologated over the off-season, with both team boss Tim Edwards and V8 Supercars happy with the outcome.
DJR Team Penske's returning legend Marcos Ambrose will also have his hands on the new model - different to the new generation racer he sampled in Sydney last year.
David Reynolds and Andre Heimgartner are expected to upgrade to FG X early in the season, depending on how the group performs at the Clipsal 500.
Will the newest -and last -Falcon prove a better package than the FG?
The Holden Commodores and Nissan Altimas were also re-homologated at the annual pre-season aero test.
Lowndes and Winterbottom's new right hand men
The two big names were locked in battle in the final stages of the season for second in the Championship -and as they were dicing it out, Shane van Gisbergen slipped through and stole the prize.
Shortly after, it was announced that Winterbottom's right hand man, race engineer Grant McPherson, was leaving his home of eight years to run Craig Lowndes.
Winterbottom's data engineer Jason Gray steps up to run the #5 -Frosty's fourth engineer in so many years.
A number of other engineering changes occurred throughout pit lane, with movement at Nissan Motorsport, Brad Jones Racing also making headlines.
TEKNO emerges as big contender
After finishing second, swooping at the final event last season, Shane van Gisbergen's stocks have risen and the young kiwi is emerging as one of the favourites to topple Whincup in the title chase.
The one car team - that races a Triple Eight built Holden Commodore -will be looking to go one better and be the first single car team to nab a title since Glenn Seton in 1997, at Glenn Seton Racing.
TEKNO team bosses Jonathon Webb and Steve Hallam have praised van Gisbergen's talent, backing the 25-year old to go one better this time around, and Holden Racing Team's James Courtney has already implied Whincup is worried about TEKNO's surge.
Which of these 25 drivers will be the 2015 Champion? Stay tuned to this weekend's sydney.com SuperTest for an early form guide, as each driver has one solo lap to prove himself in Sunday afternoon's SuperShootout.
Click here for more on the free SuperTest, which begins at Sydney Motorsport Park tomorrow.
