Top 10 biggest news stories of 2015

17 Dec 2015

It was a year that couldn’t be scripted with plenty of twists and turns off-track as well as on. Here are the biggest stories of the season, as read by V8 Supercars fans.

4 mins by James Pavey

Marcos Ambrose

Paul Dumbrell

Mark Winterbottom

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It was a year that couldn’t be scripted, with twists and turns off-track as well as on.

A new champion in Mark Winterbottom, a hundred for Craig Lowndes and a stellar comeback from Jamie Whincup in the late stages of the season were just some of the key stories we saw play out.

What were the biggest news stories of the year? Here are the top 10 determined by fans – according to numbers from v8supercars.com.au, the most read and followed stories of 2015.

10. Clipsal 500 last lap crash

Back in March, Chaz Mostert described this one as the biggest hit of his career.

On the final lap on Sunday, Mostert badly damaged his Falcon, tangling with Jamie Whincup and James Moffat.

In the flurry post race, details weren’t all immediately available – v8supercars.com.au spoke with the three drivers involved for their stories, as the Stewards ruled no breach of the rules.

9. Startline chaos at the Grand Prix

The unique rolling start at the Australian Grand Prix ended in damage for some of the drivers in the back half of the field, with five drivers unable to finish and Nick Percat’s car hugely damaged with big ramifications for the following event in Tasmania.

It was Marcos Ambrose’s last race as a primary driver, and he was one of the unlucky ones, picking up plenty of damage across the four demonstration races that weekend.

8. New Erebus direction?

Betty Klimenko opened up about her uncertainty moving forward and sure enough the team announced a relocation to Melbourne and talks with other possible engine suppliers shortly after.

The team said it would provide more information as it comes to light.

7. Reynolds’ slip of the tongue

It was a foot in mouth moment for the man who drank from his boot earlier in the year, when a remark about an all-female driver line-up drew the wrath of officials.

Reynolds was handed a whopping fine for his troubles on the biggest weekend of the year, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and after nabbing ARMOR ALL Pole Position for the event said from there on in he’d be Dave “no comment” Reynolds.

6. The 2016 calendar

With news V8 Supercars would stage the first ever Championship round in Malaysia, the 2016 calendar had fans talking.

The demonstration run in Kuala Lumpur was deemed a success, and next year’s event became one of the key changes on the calendar for next season.

Along with it was news of a more compact schedule with shorter breaks between events.

5. Roland Dane: “Why we signed Gizzy”

Triple Eight boss explained his reasons for welcoming Shane van Gisbergen into the group for 2016, after the news he would run three cars.

Expanding on why he chose to do something he said he always wouldn’t – running three V8 Supercars – Dane spoke candidly about quick Kiwi van Gisbergen and Craig Lowndes’ talent and value.

4. Frosty clinches title and thanks mum

Mark Winterbottom earned his first V8 Supercars championship after 10 years of trying on the streets of Sydney.

Crossing the line, he thanked his team and his family – and one special person who wasn’t there to see him presented with the trophy.

3. Ambrose out

After qualifying for the ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout at the Clipsal 500, two-time champ Marcos Ambrose decided that driving the car was not the way forward for DJR Team Penske.

The shock announcement was hard to grasp with many wondering how he’d improve on the sidelines. But the plan proved perfect for Scott Pye who took on the challenge of developing the FG X and was rewarded with his first V8 Supercar podium under the watchful eye of Roger Penske in New Zealand.

2. Red Bull’s Bathurst

It was a win for Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards on one side of the garage, but a hard pill to swallow for Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell on the other.

Lowndes and Richards’ drives were impressive with the #888 driver showing why Roland Dane is accommodating him next year and notching up his sixth victory at Mount Panorama.

Whincup’s dramas began with a sensor issue while leading, but reached fever pitch when he made a split second call not to pit when asked, and passed the safety car on track after being “green lighted”.

Race control didn’t take kindly and gave him a drive-through for the efforts – a race Whincup to this day is frustrated about.

1. Mostert’s monster

It’s rare to see a driver injured badly enough to miss a race meeting after crashing a modern day V8 Supercar. But Chaz Mostert’s accident, which ended qualifying and had him airlifted to hospital immediately, was huge.

A broken leg and wrist meant the front-runner was unable to contest the rest of the season.

The good news is, his recovery is going to plan and he was still able to claim a prestigious award in the ARMOR ALL Pole Award after scoring 10 P1 starts in the first half of the season.

What do you think the year’s biggest news story was? Comment below and stay tuned for the ‘Season in Review’ series where drivers give their opinion on the big moments of 2015.