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Team Australia was anauto racing team competing in theV8 Supercars andChamp Car World Series. It was created in early 2005 when twoAustralian businessmenCraig Gore and John Fish bought intoDerrick Walker'sWalker Racing operation. After the 2007 the operation was scaled back to justWill Power who joinedKV Racing, before ending entirely a year later.
After sponsoring young Australian driver Josh Hunt in theToyota Atlantic Championship, AustralianmillionaireCraig Gore began to investigate fielding aChamp Car team. His empire already included aV8 Supercar team competing in Australia, and at the 2004Surfers Paradise round of the CCWS, on theGold Coast, Australia, Gore's V8 driverDavid Besnard made his debut with a WPS sponsored Walker Racing Champ Car. He finished a creditable 7th place, and the seeds were sewn for Gore's assault on the Champ Car series.
In late 2004 and early 2005 Gore, his associateJohn Fish and long time Champ Car World Series team owner Derrick Walker, created the Team Australia race program. ObsoleteReynardchassis were replaced with bespokeLola units, and the team signedCanadian Champ Car veteranAlex Tagliani and AustralianFormula 3 driverMarcus Marshall for the 2005 season.
With a new chassis to learn, Team Australia was hardly going to upset the establishment in 2005. However, Tagliani's consistent, solid drives took the team to many top-ten finishes and several podiums through the year. Tagliani finished the season in seventh place, equaling his career best finish. Marshall, by contrast, was unspectacular, struggling to break the top ten. By Team Australia's homecoming at the 2005 Surfer's Paradise race, they had announced that a third car would be run for Australian international driverWill Power. Power outpaced both teammates before a collision with Tagliani took him out of the race.Amongst some controversy it was announced that Marshall's contract had been cut, and he was to leave the team. His attempt to appeal this in court was unsuccessful, and he was dropped in favour of Power, who signed a three-year contract.The team ran their third car again in the season finale atMexico, where newly crowned Atlantics champion DutchmanCharles Zwolsman made his debut.
Rumours thatRyan Briscoe would be taking the #15 car were crushed when Tagliani re-signed prior toLong Beach. In 2006, Team Australia's commitment extended not only to two Champ Cars, but a two-car Atlantic squad, all aimed at fostering young talent.The team showed fantastic pace at the opening round at Long Beach, with Tagliani and Power running third and fourth respectively before a forced error dropped him down the order. He then suffered from brake problems but finished a competitive 9th, while Tagliani took a podium.
The team had consistent top-ten finishes, never really achieving more until Will Power took a pole position at his home race at Surfer's Paradise. He led the race comfortably untilSébastien Bourdais made a move on Power which damaged both cars. Power finished well down the order, but made up for it with a podium at the season finale in Mexico. He also won the Roshfrans Rookie of the Year title, as well as the Bridgestone Passion for Excellence award, the first driver other than Bourdais to win it.
Craig Gore expanded the Team Australia stable of global motorsport interests with a partnership with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing that included the naming-rights sponsorship ofMarcos Ambrose's entry in theNASCARCraftsman Truck Series in 2006.
The sponsorship was weaved into a nationwide marketing campaign designed to promote quality Australian and Australian-themed products and Australia as a tourism destination. The new green and goldFord F-150 truck carried Team Australia, Aussie Vineyards andR. M. Williams signage.
Driving the #20 Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150, Ambrose had best finishes of 3rd in Kansas and Nashville and took the pole position in Kentucky.
In their first year of Atlantic, the team won their first title, with youngFrench driverSimon Pagenaud. He was partnered byJames Davison initially, until the underperforming Australian was dropped in favour of countrymateMichael Patrizi.
The team gained most of its sponsorship from the businesses of Gore and Fish. Gore's financial company, Wright Patton Shakespeare, features on the sides and nosecone of the cars,Fish Liquor are sponsors and their wine businessAussie Vineyards was the title sponsor. The team was also sponsored by theQueensland State Government,Visa credit cards,R. M. Williams, andQantas. The relationship ended in early 2008 and Gore, Fish and Walker are no longer directly involved, with Walker announcing that Walker Racing will not contest the unified 2008 IRL season.[1] Gore has taken driver Will Power and the Team Australia name toKV Racing.
to be completed(key)
| Year | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | ADL | ECR | PUK | HDV | BAR | QUE | WIN | ORP | SAN | BAT | SUR | SYP | ECR | ||||
| 13 | 17 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 19 | 32 | 31 | 16 | Ret | 12 | 13 | 30th | 790 | ||||
| 28 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 30 | 35th | 304 | |||||||||||
| 16 | 60th | 132 | |||||||||||||||
| 21 | Ret | 18 | 46th | 199 | |||||||||||||
| 21 | 15 | 28 | 36th | 278 | |||||||||||||
| 15 | 43rd | 226 | |||||||||||||||
| 21 | 33 | 44th | 214 | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | ADL | PUK | BAR | ECR | SHA | HDV | QUE | ORP | SAN | BAT | SUR | SYP | PHI | ||||
| 23 | 32 | 16 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 27 | 25th | 904 | |||
| 28 | 28 | 19 | 15 | 20 | 23 | 16 | 33 | 19 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 31 | 23rd | 980 | |||
| 22 | 13 | 54th | 144 | ||||||||||||||
| 22 | 13 | 53rd | 144 | ||||||||||||||
| 2006 | ADL | PUK | BAR | WIN | HDV | QUE | ORP | SAN | BAT | SUR | SYP | BAH | PHI | ||||
| 9 | 22 | 23 | 10 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15th | 2038 | |||
| 25 | 14 | 17 | 24 | 10 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 10 | 14th | 2053 | |||
| 11 | 14 | 45th | 220 | ||||||||||||||
| 7 | 10 | 38th | 287 | ||||||||||||||
| 2007 | ADL | BAR | PUK | WIN | ECR | HDV | QUE | ORP | SAN | BAT | SUR | BAH | SYP | PHI | |||
| 26 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 13 | 19 | 13 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 17th | 110 | ||
| 19 | 25 | 30 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 21 | Ret | 7 | 11 | 10 | 29 | 21 | 18th | 109 | ||
| Ret | 15 | 49th* | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Ret | 15 | 50th | 6 |
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Car | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | D.C. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Swift-MazdaCosworth | LBH | HOU | MTY | POR | CLE1 | CLE2 | TOR | EDM | SJO | DEN | MTL | ROA | ||||
| 5 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 17th | 69 | |||||
| 8 | 15 | 25th | 21 | ||||||||||||||
| 15 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 1st | 258 | |||
| 2007 | Swift-MazdaCosworth | LVG | LBH | HOU | POR1 | POR2 | CLE | MTT | TOR | EDM1 | EDM2 | SJO | ROA | ||||
| 5 | 17 | 28 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 13 | 22 | 10 | 22 | 19th | 69 | |||
| 15 | Wth | 25 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 10 | 12th | 107 |
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | D.C. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | LBH | MTY | MIL | POR | CLE | TOR | EDM | SJO | DEN | MTL | LSV | SRF | MXC | |||||||
| Lola B02/00 | FordXFEV8t | 15 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7th | 207 | |||
| 5 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 16th | 104 | ||||||
| 10 | 22nd | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 27th | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | LBH | HOU | MTY | MIL | POR | CLE | TOR | EDM | SJO | DEN | MTL | ROA | SRF | MXC | ||||||
| Lola B02/00 | FordXFEV8t | 5 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 6th | 213 | ||
| 15 | 3 | 11 | 5 | Wth | 11 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8th | 205 | ||||
| 2007 | LSV | LBH | HOU | POR | CLE | MTT | TOR | EDM | SJO | ROA | ZOL | ASN | SFR | MXC | ||||||
| PanozDP01 | CosworthXFEV8t | 5 | 1* | 3 | 11 | 4 | 10* | 3 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 4th | 262 | ||
| 15 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8th | 232 | ||||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCARCraftsman Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | NCTC | Pts | ||||||||||||||
| 2006 | 20 | Ford | DAY | CAL | ATL | MAR 33 | GTY 34 | CLT 36 | MFD 23 | DOV 26 | TEX 27 | MCH 26 | MLW 18 | KAN 3 | KEN 19 | MEM 34 | IRP 22 | NSH 3 | BRI 26 | NHA 23 | LVS 7 | TAL 17 | MAR 25 | ATL 16 | TEX 10 | PHO 15 | HOM 27 | 21st | 2228 | |||||||||||||||
| NASCARBusch Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | NBSC | Pts | |
| 2007 | 59 | Ford | DAY 16 | CAL 25 | MXC 8 | LVS 10 | ATL 28 | BRI 28 | NSH 17 | TEX 31 | PHO 22 | TAL 25 | RCH 26 | DAR 19 | CLT 20 | DOV 6 | NSH 36 | KEN 11 | MLW 15 | NHA 30 | DAY 35 | CHI 37 | GTY 18 | IRP 32 | CGV 7 | GLN 13 | MCH 19 | BRI 37 | CAL 13 | RCH 15 | DOV 20 | KAN 39 | CLT 40 | MEM 4 | TEX 30 | PHO 15 | HOM 10 | 8th | 3477 | ||
| Series | Seasons | Races | Poles | Wins | Podiums (Non-win) | Point Finishes (Non-podium) | Total points | Championships | Best finish (Championship) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champ Car | 4 | 69 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 47 | 1,054 | 0 | 6th (2006) |
| Champ Car Atlantic | 2 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 473 | 1 | 1st (2006) |
| NASCAR Truck | 1 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 2,228 | 0 | 21st (2006) |
| NASCAR Busch | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1,939 | 0 | N/A |