The Australian V8 Supercar Kelly clan has decided to go it alone this year and brothers Todd and Rick will race together in their own team sponsored by Jack Daniel's. The decision was prompted by the Kelly family, including parents John and Margaret who own their two V8 Supercar licences,
to take back control of the family team after disagreements with the Tom Walkinshaw-run Holden Racing Team.
Setting up one of the sport's newest teams was also prompted by the decision of Larry Perkins to pull back on his investment in racing at the end of last season. His two Supercar licences are now also part of the Kelly Racing set-up, making now a four-car outfit.
"For us it was more about timing. Todd went to Larry Perkins at the start of last year and really enjoyed that and got more involved with the cars and stuff," said Rick Kelly. "The timing was right for me as Mum and Dad, who own the franchise for the team I drove for (HRT), as the relationship they were having with the team was less than ideal. And the opportunity for us to expand and have four cars underneath us arose and we grabbed. To start with, I'll be honest with you, I was a bit skeptical about it but Todd, myself and the whole team have been very much hands-on and it's something we really enjoy."
The new team starts with an impressive record in V8 racing as between them they have won two championships, two drivers titles and two Bathursts. (See separate story for full biography of both drivers). Todd and Rick will still be driving a Holden but the workshop has moved to the brand new, state-of-the-art Kelly Racing headquarters in Braeside, Melbourne. And all pit lane decisions will revert back to John Kelly and his team of mechanics.
"Growing up as kids it was always competitive between us," said Rick Kelly. "Whatever it was, either our remote-controlled boats, motorbikes or whatever. But I think Supercars are a bit different. It's a big sport and we now tend to work together to beat everyone else."
Todd Kelly said the two Jack Daniel's cars were like magnets at the moment, racing each other more than anyone else.
Whether or not the brothers will drive together in the endurance rounds at Bathurst or Phillip Island has yet be decided. The brothers now coming together in the one team has caused a few ripples to spread through the rest of the field.
Will Davison is now with HRT alongside Garth Tander, James Courtney now resides with the Jim Beam outfit and Steven Johnson has left his father's team to take Courtney's place at Stone Brothers Racing.
Operating four entries in the V8 series, a brave initiative from a brand new squad, is an indicator as to how seriously the team is taking its new venture. The team came together quite late and the official sign-off on the new team only came on December 12, 2008.
The other two cars in the team are the Dodo Holden Commodore driven by Jack Perkins and the Hi-Tec Oils Holden of Dale Wood.
It is not something that Todd and Rick Kelly have always aspired to, but rather a case of things coming together in a case of "perfect timing" for the brothers.
The team will work out of two workshops - the Perkins Engineering workshop adjacent to Moorabbin Airport, just 5km up the road from the Braeside headquarters. Fifty staff members make up Kelly Racing and operate the team across 15 events each season in all states of Australia as well as New Zealand and Bahrain.
Both brothers play an active role in Kelly Racing, working full-time at the workshop, Todd in engineering and fabrication and Rick as the team's signwriter.
The team got two cars in the top 10 in its debut race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in March. More recently, the team was in New Zealand at the second running of the Hamilton 400 around the streets of Frankton.
Rick Kelly sits seventh in the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship standings after a solid 14th place finish in the second race on Sunday.
But it wasn't all smiles for the two-time Bathurst winner, who was on course for his fourth top 10 finish from the first four races of the season until a clash with young Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen.
Despite these setbacks, Kelly remains pleased with the progress of the new team.
Todd Kelly was clipped by another car in the run to the first corner, bending the lower control arm on the front right corner of his car. The 29-year-old limped his car back to the pit lane, resulting in him losing seven laps.
He was able to complete enough laps to complete 75 per cent of the race and therefore be classified a finisher and earn championship points. He now sits 15th in the championship standings.
"It was just a bad day," said Todd.
Driver biographies
Todd Kelly
1999
V8 Supercar Series selected events (Holden Young Lions)
Bathurst 1000: Sixth place
Holden Young Lions (co-driver: Mark Noske)
2000
First full season in V8 Supercar Championship Series
Championship position: 17th place (Holden Young Lions)
Bathurst 1000: Fifth place
Holden Young Lions (co-driver: Nathan Pretty)
2001
Kmart Racing (teammate: Greg Murphy)
Championship position: Sixth place
Bathurst 1000: Third place
Kmart Racing (co-driver: Greg Murphy)
2002
Kmart Racing (teammate: Greg Murphy)
Championship position: Fifth place
Bathurst 1000: 13th place
Kmart Racing (co-driver: Greg Murphy)
2003
Holden Racing Team (teammate: Mark Skaife)
Championship position: Ninth place
Bathurst 1000: Eighth place
Holden Racing Team (co-driver: Mark Skaife)
Bathurst 24 Hour: First place (co-drivers: Peter Brock, Greg Murphy, Jason Bright)
2004
Holden Racing Team (teammate: Mark Skaife)
Championship position: Seventh place
Bathurst 1000: 14th place
Holden Racing Team (co-driver: Mark Skaife)
2005
Holden Racing Team (teammate: Mark Skaife)
Championship position: Fourth place
Bathurst 1000: First place
Holden Racing Team (co-driver: Mark Skaife)
2006
Holden Racing Team (teammate: Mark Skaife)
Championship position: Sixth place
Bathurst 1000: Second place
HSV Dealer Team (co-driver: Rick Kelly)
2007
Holden Racing Team (teammate: Mark Skaife)
Championship position: Sixth place
Bathurst 1000: DNF
Holden Racing Team (co-driver: Mark Skaife)
2008
Perkins Motorsport (teammate: Shane Price/Jack Perkins)
Championship position: 12th place
Bathurst 1000: 17th place
Perkins Motorsport (co-driver: Shane Price)
Rick Kelly
2001
Australian Driver's Championship (Formula Holden)
First Place
Bathurst 1000 debut (14th place)
Kmart Racing (co-driver: Nathan Pretty)
2002
Holden Young Lions
Championship position: 18th place
Bathurst 1000: Fourth place
Holden Young Lions (co-driver: Nathan Pretty)
2003
Kmart Racing (teammate: Greg Murphy)
Championship position: Eighth place
Bathurst 1000: First place
Kmart Racing (co-driver: Greg Murphy)
2004
Kmart Racing (teammate: Greg Murphy)
Championship position: Sixth place
Bathurst 1000: First place
Kmart Racing (co-driver: Greg Murphy)
2005
HSV Dealer Team (teammate: Garth Tander)
Championship position: Eighth place
Bathurst 1000: 16th place
HSV Dealer Team (co-driver: Garth Tander)
2006
HSV Dealer Team (teammate: Garth Tander)
Championship position: First place
Bathurst 1000: Second place
HSV Dealer Team (co-driver: Todd Kelly)
2007
HSV Dealer Team (teammate: Garth Tander)
Championship position: Fourth place
Bathurst 1000: DNF
HSV Dealer Team (co-driver: Garth Tander)
2008
HSV Dealer Team (teammate: Shane Price/Jack Perkins)
Championship position: Seventh place
Bathurst 1000: 20th place
HSV Dealer Team (co-driver: Paul Dumbrell)
Todd (left) and Rick Kelly - the brothers who have set up a new V8 Supercar Team. Photo / Supplied
The Australian V8 Supercar Kelly clan has decided to go it alone this year and brothers Todd and Rick will race together in their own team sponsored by Jack Daniel's. The decision was prompted by the Kelly family, including parents John and Margaret who own their two V8 Supercar licences,
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