Biggest stories of 2014
As 2015 approaches, we look back at the top moments of the 2014 V8 Supercars season.
Jamie Whincup was crowned Champion, Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris won Bathurst with FPR going back-to-back, rivalries heated up and Volvo debuted - but what was the year's biggest story according to readers of v8supercars.com.au?
Here are the highest rating stories of the 2014 season - which do you think was the most season defining?
10. Kiwi conflict
A fiery exchange occurred between Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen after close racing in Perth, with McLaughlin accused his Kiwi countryman of giving him 'the bird' on his way past the TEKNO Commodore.
"I've always tried to race that bloke pretty clean and with respect, because we've got like a little Kiwi code going on, and I would say he was very unsportsman-like towards myself - and he let a lot of other people through, and nice without touching them. And then when it came up to me, he was an arsehole," McLaughlin told v8supercars.com.au at the time.
Click here to read.
9. Tander withdraws from Bathurst
After a huge crash in Saturday morning qualifying at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Holden Racing Team was forced to withdraw the mangled #2 Commodore from the Great Race.
Co-driver Warren Luff was behind the wheel when his brakes failed at turn two, turning the Holden VF on its side and tagging the back of Craig Lowndes.
The Red Bull team worked hurriedly and had the #888 out for the afternoon's Top 10 Shootout, but the Tander-Luff entry could not be repaired.
"After further assessment, it became clear that the #2 Commodore's roll cage had sustained damage beyond what we could physically repair in the time remaining before tomorrow's Bathurst 1000," team boss Adrian Burgess said on the Saturday.
Click here to read.
8. V8 Supercars blueprint for 2017 and beyond
Ahead of the final round in Sydney, V8 Supercars announced its 'Gen2' strategy for the future, enabling more variation in engine configuration and body shape, making the sport more attractive to manufacturers and sponsors by increasing its relevance.
The move was met with positive feedback from drivers, teams and fans alike, with more news to come as plans and rules are further locked down as 2017 approaches.
"The current climate in world motorsport is absolutely clear. Manufacturers want choice in what they go racing with, otherwise they won't participate. They want their DNA represented and so do we. We will not compromise our DNA - fast, loud and fierce racing," James Warburton said.
Click here to read.
7. FPR fuming after Frosty decision
Mark Winterbottom was bumped back from third to fourth by the Stewards after a last lap move on Tim Slade at the Gold Coast.
Winterbottom, who was informed of the decision during his post-race interview, was accepting of the call deemed a 'bump and run' but team boss Tim Edwards was much less pleased.
"I think it's a disgrace and that everyone involved needs to have a good look in the mirror," Edwards told v8supercars.com.au when asked about the decision.
Click here to read.
6. Ingall and LDM issue statement
Never one to shy away from an opinion, Russell Ingall created controversy early in the season with comments spectators would kick the shit out of officials for penalising a pass at Winton.
His comments meant an escalated investigation, which saw the team respond to the fine eventually handed down with a formal statement.
"One thing that is certain, I have and always will express my opinion on situations as I see them, but will choose the words more carefully in the future. Now, let's just get on with the racing," Ingall said.
Click here to read.
5. V8 Supercars announces 2015 calendar
At the Sandown weekend in September, dates and format changes were revealed for the 2015 V8 Supercars calendar.
The biggest date change went to the New Zealand event, which shifts back to an end of year position next year; while the Townsville street race will go back to a 400km event.
"V8 Supercars has refined its formats with the goal of maximum attack and multiple race winners with the release of the 2015 racing calendar," the article read.
Click here to read.
4. BREAKING: 888 under investigation
The second Championship event this season was tough for Red Bull Racing, with Lowndes' car under investigation early for a technical breach.
The team taped over a safety hole on Lowndes' Holden Commodore, which eventually saw him excluded from qualifying for Saturday's second race.
He then powered through the field for an amazing second-place finish - this story broke the news of the investigation.
Click here to read.
Click here for the follow up interview with Lowndes, once the penalty was official, where he also talks about contact between he and his teammate in the first race in Tasmania.
3. Lay by Lap: Bathurst 1000
It was the year's biggest race and with a last-to-first winner, red flag stopping the race, number of intense incidents, last lap past for the lead, and the Champion out of fuel just before the finish line, it was an extraordinary battle.
Fans were able to follow along with v8supercars.com.au's lap by lap, which detailed all the action as the 1000km unfolded.
Aligned with the V8 Supercars Twitter feed - which rated second in the year's Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings for an event- there was plenty of coverage for those following on the official website, including video replays.
Click here to read.
2. Ingall's penalty handed down
The Stewards' penalty for Ingall's conduct at Winton was a $15,000 fine, with $10,000 suspended until the end of the year.
The announcement came on the Monday evening following the event, as fans waited with baited breath for Ingall's fate after his words about the officials.
"It is not our intent to suppress comment but encourage it. There have been many instances of it so far this season when drivers and teams have openly expressed their views to the media," V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said.
"In this circumstance, however, the comments were found to have included direct threats towards officials which in any sport is unacceptable."
Click here to read.
1. Dane to Whincup: 'you lost us the race'
It's only fitting the year's biggest race created the year's biggest story.
Champion Jamie Whincup once again looked unstoppable at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, driving from the back of the grid to the lead, recovering from a drive through penalty and pushing on for the win.
However, failing to listen to his crew's calls to conserve fuel late in the race meant the #1 Commodore fell short on the final lap, allowing Chaz Mostert to make a late pass and take the win.
Team boss Roland Dane was furious with Whincup's decision to take the race into his own hands.
"One hundred per cent that was against our advice and that's just not clever," said Dane of Whincup's strategy. "And that is disappointing that we didn't manage the fuel as well as we could have done."
The team later admitted there was an error with fuel calculations, which could have led to Whincup's confusion.
Click here to read.
