2003 V8 Supercar season


The 2003 V8 Supercar season was the 44th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.
There were 21 touring car race meetings held during 2003; a thirteen-round series for V8 Supercars, the 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series, two of them endurance races; a six-round second tier V8 Supercar series 2003 Konica V8 Supercar Series along with a non-point scoring race supporting the Bathurst 1000 and V8 Supercar support programme event at the 2003 Australian Grand Prix.

Season review

The 2003 season brought substantial change at the pointy end of the series, with the era of the Holden Racing Teams dominance of V8 Supercar ending and the era of Stone Brothers Racing beginning. Marcos Ambrose form throughout the series was irresistible. From the series third round at Eastern Creek Raceway to the eighth round at Oran Park Raceway SBR Falcons took all six wins, Ambrose five of them with a second place behind Ingall at Queensland Raceway the only aberration. Ingall would win again in the Gold Coast street race with Ambrose confirming his championship at the Eastern Creek championship finale. Holden did not give in willingly, Mark Skaife and Greg Murphy each winning two rounds, with Skaife and Todd Kelly taking the reborn Sandown 500 as one of them, while one of Murphy's wins was Bathurst with his co-driver Rick Kelly becoming the youngest Bathurst winner. The only other round winner was Craig Lowndes had his first win for new team Ford Performance Racing.
Apart from the enduros, Stone Brothers Racing swept all before them with Mark Winterbottom dominating the Konica V8 Supercar Series in SBR's older AU Falcon. Winterbottom won four of the six rounds, the others were won by Andrew Jones and eventual series runner up Matthew White.

Results and standings

Race calendar

The 2003 Australian touring car season consisted of 20 events.
DateSeriesCircuitCity / stateWinnerTeamCarReport
23 FebKVS Round 1Wakefield ParkGoulburn, New South WalesMark WinterbottomStone Brothers RacingFord AU Falcon
7–8 MarNetspace V8Supercar ShowdownAlbert Park street circuitMelbourne, VictoriaRussell IngallStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falconreport
18–22 MarKVS Round 2Adelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South AustraliaMark WinterbottomStone Brothers RacingFord AU Falcon
18–22 MarClipsal 500 VCS Round 1Adelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South AustraliaMark SkaifeHolden Racing TeamHolden VY Commodore
13 AprVCS Round 2Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, VictoriaCraig LowndesFord Performance RacingFord BA Falcon
3–4 MayKVS Round 3Eastern Creek RacewaySydney, New South WalesMark WinterbottomStone Brothers RacingFord AU Falcon
3–4 MayVCS Round 3Eastern Creek RacewaySydney, New South WalesMarcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon
25 MayVCS Round 4Winton Motor RacewayBenalla, VictoriaMarcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon
7–8 JunVB 400 VCS Round 5Barbagallo RacewayPerth, Western AustraliaMarcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon
28 JunVCS Round 6Hidden Valley RacewayDarwin, Northern TerritoryMark SkaifeHolden Racing TeamHolden VY Commodore
6 JulKVS Round 4Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, VictoriaMatthew WhiteMatthew White RacingHolden VT Commodore
19–20 JulVCS Round 7Queensland RacewayIpswich, QueenslandRussell IngallStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon
3 AugKVS Round 5Winton Motor RacewayBenalla, VictoriaAndrew JonesBrad Jones RacingFord AU Falcon
16–17 AugVCS Round 8Oran Park RacewaySydney, New South WalesMarcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon
31 AugKVS Round 6Mallala Motor Sport ParkAdelaide, South AustraliaMark WinterbottomStone Brothers RacingFord AU Falcon
12–13 SepBetta Electrical 500 VCS Round 9Sandown RacewayMelbourne, VictoriaMark Skaife
Todd Kelly		Holden Racing TeamHolden VY Commodorereport
11–12 OctKonica V8 Supercar ChallengeMount Panorama CircuitBathurst, New South WalesMark WinterbottomStone Brothers RacingFord AU Falconreport
11–12 OctBob Jane T-Marts 1000 VCS Round 10Mount Panorama CircuitBathurst, New South WalesGreg Murphy
Rick Kelly		K-Mart Racing TeamHolden VY Commodorereport
25–26 OctGillette V8 Supercar Challenge VCS Round 11Surfers Paradise street circuitSurfers Paradise, QueenslandRussell IngallStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon
8–9 NovPlacemakers V8 International VCS Round 12Pukekohe Park RacewayPukekohe, New ZealandGreg MurphyK-Mart Racing TeamHolden VY Commodore
29–30 NovVIP Pet Foods Main Event VCS Round 13Eastern Creek RacewaySydney, New South WalesMarcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon

Netspace V8Supercar Showdown

This meeting was a support event of the 2003 Australian Grand Prix.
DriverNo.TeamCarRace 1Race 2

Konica V8 Supercar Challenge Race

This race was a support event of the 2003 Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.
DriverNo.TeamCarGridRace