Holden snatches V8s team title off Ford

Holden's Red Bull Racing Australia have taken out this year's V8 Supercars teams' title, denying Ford rivals Prodrive Racing a double championship win.

Craig Lowndes of Red Bull Racing Australia

Craig Lowndes' disastrous Sydney 500 has continued, the V8 Supercars veteran failing to qualify. (AAP)

Ford may have delivered this year's V8 Supercars title winner, but Holden signalled they are not going to let it happen again in 2016.

Mark Winterbottom was officially crowned champion on Sunday after the season's final race at the Sydney 500, won by Commodore driver Shane van Gisbergen.

His fourth-place means he finishes the year 238 points ahead of main rival Craig Lowndes.

"It's probably the first time in three months I really got to enjoy racing again," said Winterbottom, drove with a special 2015 Champion sticker on the bonnet of his Falcon FGX.

"The guys had a lot of pride in the bonnet and I've smashed it.

"But it was a lot of fun that race."

Van Gisbergen crossed the line ahead of his soon-to-be Triple Eight teammate Jamie Whincup, and in the process denied Winterbottom's Prodrive Racing Australia the teams' championship.

It means Triple Eight will retain the No.1 garage in pitlane for a sixth straight year.

"We ended off strong which has put us in a good position for next year," said Whincup.

"It's good to have the first garage and lead the pack away for every session. It was a good little win for us today."

It looked an unlikely scenario earlier in the year, with Winterbottom and teammate Chaz Mostert the form drivers of the series.

But Mostert's spectacular crash at Bathurst cruelled their campaign, just as six-time champion Whincup and Craig Lowndes hit some form.

A bad run for Mostert's replacement Steve Owen at Sydney Olympic Park put the teams' title firmly out of reach.

The season-closer didn't disappoint with a fair share of drama, with van Gisbergen spinning polesitter James Courtney into a tyre barrier and Tim Slade sending his Holden heavily into a concrete wall after his throttle jammed.

Slade, who replaces Fabian Coulthard at Brad Jones Racing next year, escaped unhurt but the frontend of his Commodore was destroyed.

Van Gisbergen's victory was the 11th of his career and ninth with Tekno Autosports, who welcome Will Davison in 2016.

He's now won the past three Sunday races at the Sydney 500.

"What an awesome way to finish, it's been a great three years," he said.

A bad start to the season put Whincup out of contention for a record seventh championship, but the 32-year-old said he was happy with finishing fifth overall.

He had the second-most race wins behind Winterbottom.

"To be honest, we're all pretty spent, we're all pretty done," he said.

"It's been a very very long year. I'm looking forward to the next month getting away from motorsport."


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Source: AAP



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