From Shanghai to Hidden Valley: Kelly's historic run

Walkinshaw Commodores have done plenty of winning in Hidden Valley since Supercars began racing at the Darwin circuit in 1998.

Under the Holden Racing Team banner, Walkinshaw Andretti United was a force in the Top End, winning the very first race through Craig Lowndes 23 years ago.

Despite a Walkinshaw car failing to win since 2008, the team is level with Triple Eight in Darwin with 14 wins in total.

WAU, however, hasn’t had a driver stand on a Darwin podium since 2013.

WATCH: KELLY WINS IN CHINA

One of the team’s highlights in the Top End, which will host this weekend’s Merlin Darwin Triple Crown, came 16 years ago.

Having claimed the overall round win in 2004, Todd Kelly made it back-to-back round wins the following season in Darwin in a special-liveried #22 HRT Commodore VZ.

It came after Kelly scored HRT’s 50th round win with victory in the previous round in the category's inaugural trip to Shanghai in China.

The Kelly and Mark Skaife cars arrived in Darwin with special '50 Round Wins' bonnets in celebration of the feat.

Kelly, who combined with Skaife to win the Bathurst 1000 later that year - on his birthday, no less - was on a tear in Darwin.

He qualified second in the Top 10 Shootout behind Skaife and claimed victory in the first two races before finishing runner-up to Garth Tander in Race 3.

The first-first-second results were more than enough to hand Kelly a second straight round win, making him the first repeat round winner in 2005.

It came in a car which debuted at the non-championship Albert Park Grand Prix event, with Kelly finishing fourth in the standings.

It was his his best finish in the Supercars Championship.

The Sunday in Darwin was a dramatic day, with Stone Brothers Racing’s Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall both struggling.

Ambrose and Ingall could only finish ninth and 17th, but under the 2005 rules, drivers could drop their worst round up until Bathurst.

Ambrose retained his series lead, but Ingall, who failed to compete in the last race with electrical problems, dropped to second behind Steven Richards.

However, the weekend was all about Kelly, who made Darwin his playground for a weekend.

"If we keep it together for the rest of the year we will be right up there," Kelly said, eyeing the title.

WATCH: NINE SEARING DARWIN MOMENTS

"It's the kind of momentum I was talking about in China that is now driving us.

"We are right up there now instead of playing catch-up.

"Now that the team at the top of the field has had a bad weekend it really gives us great confidence."

The Repco Supercars Championship field will return to the Northern Territory this weekend for the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown. Tickets are available here.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo, and will be broadcast live and free on Seven.

Most race wins in Darwin (teams)

14: Walkinshaw Andretti United, Triple Eight Race Engineering9: Dick Johnson Racing8: Tickford Racing5: Perkins Engineering, Stone Brothers Racing3: Kmart Racing/HSV Dealer Team<2: Garry Rogers Motorsport, Kelly Racing/Nissan Motorsport, Erebus Motorsport

Most race wins in Darwin (manufacturers)

37: Holden26: Ford1: Nissan