Finally, finally, finally Frosty has done it. 2015 has a new V8 Supercar champion and his name is Mark Winterbottom. Ford fans can rejoice. It's a celebratory time of year, so it's only fitting we offer our kudos to the Prodrive Racing Australia driver now sporting the coveted #1. 
    Mark Winterbottom won 10 Australian kart championships, 25 state kart championships and was crowned Australian Formula A Kart Champ (Rotax 125CC class) in 2001. He also debuted in Victorian Formula Ford in 2001. Winning the Ford Kart Stars Scholarship Championship earned him a Ford supported drive in Australian Formula Ford for 2002, of which he finished 2nd to Jamie Whincup. 2003 saw Frosty move into V8's via the development series, winning the championship on debut. Courtesy of Larkham Motor Sport, Frosty stepped up to the main V8 Supercar game for 2004 and 2005. 2006-2014 saw Frosty driving for the Ford factory backed Ford Performance Racing with mixed results leaving him tantalisingly close to championship glory. Despite winning the signature event, the Bathurst 1000 in 2013, he'd finished 3rd five times and runner up once in the championship. Mark Winterbottom was always there or thereabouts. With Ford involvement diminishing, FPR morphed into Prodrive Racing Australia for 2015, producing the pace setting Falcon FG X and the rest as they say, is history. 
    Congratulations to Mark Winterbottom on finally reaching the pinnacle of Australian motorsport. Question is, can he back it up? This time next year, will we be celebrating a back-to-back champion? The back half of 2015 saw Jamie Whincup and Red Bull virtually back to their title winning best. That new car for Whincup since the start of the enduros worked a treat didn't it?. Don't forget, one of the most talented and versatile drivers on the grid, Shane van Gisbergen, will be piloting a Red Bull in 2016. We better leave the speculating for another time. When's Adelaide? Well done Frosty. 

    Best wishes to all our friends for the New Year. Thanks for your support. See you at the track in 2016....      
    

    You alight from the train. As you travel up the escalators from the subway, that distinctive engine note reverberates off the buildings and pavilions that guard the circuit. Upon hitting the surface, another change up the 6 speed sequential gearbox just whacks your eardrums. The circuit's narrow. The punters are close to the action. The cars flirt with the intimidating walls. There's no mistaking it. V8 Supercars are on track at the Sydney 500.
    For a few seasons now the Sydney 500 has played host to the V8 Supercars season finale. However, fans' response to the Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit has been mixed. Many love the closeness of racing and unpredictability that comes with a narrow street circuit. The cars ride the kerbs and are frequently up on two wheels. The indoor paddock is unique and allows fans unprecedented access to the teams as they prepare the cars. The flipside is that despite fans being close to the action, the viewing is not good. They cannot access all parts of the circuit. Many decree the circuit uninspiring that consequentially only allows processional racing. Punter numbers were definitely down at this year's event.
    The contract for the Sydney 500 has another year to run, but at the time of writing, no contract extension had been agreed upon. Will 2016 be the Sydney 500's finale? Does the Sydney Olympic Street Circuit have a future in V8 Supercars? Would you prefer to see another circuit accept the mantle of showcasing Australia's premier motorsport category's season ending decider?
    Congratulations to Mark Winterbottom in winning his first V8 Supercar championship. 

    Best wishes to all our friends for the Christmas season. Cheers....
      

    Come this Sunday evening, what stories will the unforgiving confines of the Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit be able to tell? The finale of the 2015 V8 Supercars championship will be played out at the Sydney 500. Two 125km races on Saturday and a 250km feature race on Sunday will decree this year's champion. 
    Prodrive Racing Australia's Mark Winterbottom has lead the championship throughout the season and takes a 179 point advantage over Red Bull Racing's Craig Lowndes with 300 points on offer this weekend.
    The Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit rewards cars with excellent brakes and robust suspension, as the ability to stop at the end of the numerous straights and aggressively ride the kerbs is paramount. Check out V8 Supercars at their two-wheeled best at the Turns 2, 3 and 4 chicane. The narrow circuit and ever present walls place an extra emphasis on qualifying well. Staying out front and hopefully avoiding any potential carnage to achieve a favourable result is key for the two title protagonists. Frosty has been there or thereabouts in recent years and would be ecstatic to win his first championship. Lowndsey would also dearly love to attain the double of a Bathurst 1000 victory and championship victory in the same season for the first time since way back in 1996.  
    As much as we love speculating over possible scenarios, in this case there's no point. Whether it's the racing or the weather, this event is always unpredictable. But let's just say a DNF could prove disastrous to Frosty and open a door for Lowndes. 
    See you out there and don't forget the Nikon. Cheers....