The five most winning Holdens in Supercars history

Holden drivers have won more races in the history of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the modern Repco Supercars Championship than any other brand.

Along the way some of the biggest stars of the sport have greeted numerous chequered flags at the wheel of Monaros, Toranas and Commodores – but which of these individual cars has been the greatest?

We’ve delved into the files and here are the five most winning Holdens in ATCC/Supercars history.

1) Jamie Whincup’s ‘Kate’ Vodafone Commodore VE/VE II: 28 race wins

This very car started Triple Eight’s new relationship with Holden in winning style in Abu Dhabi in 2010 with Jamie Whincup and went on to become the most winning chassis in the history of the championship.

Whincup drove this chassis to six wins in the early part of 2010 before it was benched. Returning in 2011 it simply swept all before it, taking Whincup to his third championship and 10 wins in that season.

But it's ‘season of seasons’ was 2012, the dominant nature of man and machine resulting in Whincup sealing the championship with a round to go. His 12 wins in 2012 – including Adelaide 500 and Bathurst 1000 victories – gave Whincup his fourth championship.

Nicknamed ‘Kate’, this particular car is now owned by Whincup and generally spends its time on display at The Bend Motorsport Park’s Welcome Centre.

This car, plus all of the cars in this story, are featured prominently in the collector’s book, ‘Racing the Lion’ celebrating Holden’s history in Australian motorsport. Take advantage of a discounted price here and order your copy now.

2) Jamie Whincup’s 2013 & 2014 Red Bull Commodore VF: 22 race wins

Something of a quiet achiever over the course of its racing career, this car debuted with victory in Whincup and Paul Dumbrell’s hands at Sandown in 2013.

It helped Whincup seal the 2013 championship and also the 2014 crown and is the most winning car of the Car of the Future era.

Chassis 888A-037 won three races in 2013, 14 in 2014 (including Sandown and a win on the Gold Coast with Paul Dumbrell co-driving) and five more in 2015.

Later raced in the Dunlop Super2 Series by Kostecki Brothers Racing, it has been returned to its Whincup Red Bull livery as it carried to championship glory.

3) Mark Skaife’s ‘Golden Child’ HRT Commodore VX/VY: 20 race wins

One of only two cars to win the Bathurst 1000 twice (Peter Brock’s 1982/83 HDT Commodore VH is the other), this Holden Racing Team Commodore is the ultimate example of ‘red baron’ success from the early 2000s.

Mark Skaife drove it to victory at Bathurst with Tony Longhurst in 2001 and Jim Richards in 2002, clinching the V8 Supercars Championship in each of those seasons.

Upgraded to ‘Project Blueprint’ VY Commodore specification in 2003, it carried on winning and took Skaife to the 2003 Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

Its 2002 season was incredible – chassis HRT 045 won a total of 15 races to help Skaife to his fifth championship win.

This piece of Holden history is included on the front cover of the ‘Racing The Lion’ book documenting the history of Holden in Australian motorsport and is retained by a private owner in Sydney.

4) Skaife/Lowndes/Bright/Murphy HRT/Kmart Commodore VT/VX: 16 race wins

Starting its life as a VT Commodore with the Holden Racing Team, this car won races with four Holden heroes – Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes, Jason Bright and Greg Murphy – across two teams and three seasons of racing.

Debuted by Skaife with a first-up win at Oran Park in ’99 it became Lowndes’ 2000 HRT car and claimed six race wins in his last year with the factory Holden squad.

HRT chassis 041 won the 2001 Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in the hands of Bright (by now upgraded to VX specification) before it was passed on to HRT’s sister squad Kmart Racing and driven to six more race wins that year, including a clean sweep of the three races at the inaugural championship round at Pukekohe in New Zealand with hometown hero Murphy at the helm.

5) Greg Murphy’s ‘Lap of the Gods’ Kmart Commodore VY: 15 race wins

The shackles were indeed released from car #51 at Bathurst in 2003 as Greg Murphy took perhaps the most famous pole position in Supercars history with his ‘Lap of the Gods’.

The Kiwi’s record-setting Kmart Holden went on to win The Great Race the following day with co-driver Rick Kelly, but its 2m06-second lap will forever be the stuff of Mountain legends.

Starting its life as a VT Commodore in the hands of the Holden Racing Team, this car won four races in 2000 (all at Queensland Raceway, three in the sprint round and the enduro with Lowndes and Skaife driving) and seven in 2001 as a VX in the hands of Skaife. In essence, it set up his ’01 championship win.

Later converted to VY specification for Murphy and Kmart it added three more race wins in 2003 (including Bathurst) and a single race victory on the Gold Coast in 2004 that sealed the round win for the Kiwi.

It found its way into the Development Series in the years that followed and was painstakingly restored to concourse condition. It’s retained by a private collector, forever a special part of Holden racing history.

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.