Pye, 22, brings with him extensive experience in some of the world’s most fiercely competitive open-wheel series.

He was the 2010 British Formula Ford Champion after graduating from a top three finish in the domestic series.

2011 was spent honing his skills in British Formula 3, and 2012 will mark his first year of competition in a touring car.

Triple Eight Race Engineering has been a driving force behind Pye in seasons past, and Team Owner Roland Dane is confident that the Adelaide born-and-raised pilot has what it takes to succeed in the V8 Supercar Development Series.

“Scott has been on our radar for some time and we have supported him in his Formula Ford and Formula 3 pursuits overseas where he has tasted great success,” said Dane.

“At 22 he is still a star on the rise and we believe he has the skills and determination to succeed in touring cars.

“We have signed Scott on a two-year deal which will see him involved in day-to-day operations at the workshop and ride days, a program we believe will truly allow him to develop as an all-round driver,” he continued.

“Last year we selected a driver with experience and set ourselves a clear goal of a championship win which we achieved.

“Our goal with Scott is to see him improve and learn everything there is to know about these cars. He has the potential to be successful at the highest level and most importantly has the attitude and desire to get it done,” Dane added.

Pye said he was excited to continue his association with Triple Eight Race Engineering and had high expectations for his debut touring car championship season.

“It’s fantastic to be returning home and working with Triple Eight Race Engineering who made my last two years racing in Europe possible,” said Pye.

“The team is the benchmark in Australian motorsport and I’ll do everything I can to capitalise on this opportunity.

“Like many aspiring drivers my goal was always Formula 1 but I have never overlooked V8 Supercars.

“Roland and I have realistic expectations. I’ve never competed with a roof over my head and this will be something different but I’ll be learning from every experience.

“It’s also great to be joining up with Monster Energy, GearWrench, Miracle Recreation Equipment and Key Produce. I look forward to building longstanding relationships with these companies,” he said.

Monster Energy Australasian Manager Adrian Hunter said Pye was an exciting addition to the Monster Army and hoped for another successful season on-board the dominant and distinct matte black Holden Commodore.

“We’re pleased to be backing Triple Eight’s Development Series entry for a second year after a fantastic maiden championship in 2011,” said Hunter.

“Scott’s proven himself in open wheel racing and we’re looking forward to getting behind his campaign in the coming seasons.

“Monster Energy is all about supporting its athletes, and nurturing and developing talent. We believe this is the perfect pedestal for him to hone his skills and look forward to some great results as he finds his feet in this category.”

Pye will make his first on-track appearance in the opening round of the Development Series at the Clipsal 500 from March 1-4.

The Australian got his best start of the year, winning the Nuclear Cowboys holeshot and leading the first nine laps of the ‘Main Event’. 

A small error allowed rival James Stewart to pass Reed up the inside, and he soon came under pressure from defending champion Ryan Villopoto.



The Honda rider fiercely defended his position and eventually greeted the chequered flag four seconds ahead of Villopoto.



“We have come away from tonight with some good points and the red plate, but I wasn’t that happy with the way I rode,” Reed explained.



“I got a good start, the track was tricky. The moisture was coming up and the lines changed a little bit.



“It is a very competitive field. We have seen four different winners across four events so I am going to have to work a lot harder if I want to pull away from this group,” Reed stated.



Taking 22 points from tonight’s event sees Reed sit on top of the championship standings with 85 points.



The next event on the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship calender sees the series return to Anaheim’s Angel Stadium on Saturday February 4.



Monster Energy AMA Supercross Round 4 Results – Oakland



1. James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Yamaha

2. Chad Reed, Kurri Kurri, AUS, Honda 

3. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, WA, Kawasaki

4. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, MN, KTM

5. Andrew Short, Smithville, TX, Honda

6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, MS, Honda�

7. David Millsaps, Murrieta, CA, Yamaha 

8. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID, Kawasaki

9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, NC, Honda 

10. Josh Hanson, 14 Elbert, CO, Kawasaki 



Monster Energy AMA Supercross Season Standings after Round 4 of 17



1. Chad Reed, Kurri Kurri, AUS, Honda – 85pts

2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, MN, KTM – 85

3. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, WA, Kawasaki – 83

4. James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Yamaha- 73 

5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID, Kawasaki – 61 

6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, MS, Honda – 58 

7. Andrew Short, Smithville, TX, Honda – 52 

8. Josh Hanson, 14 Elbert, CO, Kawasaki – 47

9. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, CA, Suzuki – 45

10. David Millsaps, Murrieta, CA, Yamaha – 42

The Australian, who crashed in his heat race and finished eighth, rebounded to take victory in the ‘Main Event’ three seconds ahead of Ryan Dungey and James Stewart.

The 20-lap final was marred by a red flag on the opening lap, after a horrific mid-air clash between fellow Honda rider Trey Canard and Ryan Morais.

Reed got away well on the race restart and was sitting third at the end of the opening lap. He moved into second on Lap 3 and took control of the race on Lap 5.

“It was awesome to bounce back after last weekends result,” Reed said. “Week after week we are learning from our mistakes and we are doing all we can to makes sure the momentum keeps moving forward.

“That first lap was scary stuff, it all happened right in front of me. You never like to see your fellow riders go down like that.

“Throughout practice and my heat race I wasn’t really feeling it with the bike,” Reed explained.

“I just couldn’t get into a good rhythm so for the main we actually took it a step backwards and used the same compound Dunlops we used last year, which in conjunction with the chassis changes gave me a good feel.

“The bike felt much better after the start of the main so we made a couple of small changes before the restart which made it even better,” Reed added.

Tonights result is Reed’s 41st Supercross ‘Main Event’ victory and it sees him move into second in the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship standings.

With little time to reflect TwoTwo Motorsports will now prepare for next weekends event at Oakland’s O.com Coliseum.

Monster Energy AMASupercross Class Results: Los Angeles

1. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
4. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
5. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
6. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
7. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki
9. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
10. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki

Monster Energy AMA Supercross Season Standings after Round 3 of 17

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 67
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 63
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 63
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 48
5. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 48
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 43
7. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 38
8. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 36
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 36
10. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha

Reed endured a difficult run in Phoenix, with a crash in his heat compounded by a slow start in the Main Event.

A fifth place finish saw him slip a position to third in the championship hunt, but he said progress had been made despite the obvious setbacks.

“To come away with fifth wasn’t bad, I felt like we’d make a lot of headway in Phoenix but it just turned out one of those nights where nothing went our way,” said Reed.

“We’ve taken the positives from the experience and had the chance to address some issues through the week so we go to LA feeling pretty strong.”

The two-time AMA Supercross Champion once again identified the Main Event start as the most crucial part of the night.

“Last week’s track was better than the first week but it was one that rewarded the guy that got the holeshot,” he said.

“If you’re back in the pack you’re continually adjusting how you’re riding to think about a pass or trying to second guess what the guy ahead is doing.

“This is where the time is lost and is ultimately the difference between being able to fight back for a podium or finishing top 5.

“It’s a very long season and consistency pays off over risky moves – we’re happy to be in third and will be fighting hard for another podium result this Saturday night.”

The Australian rider currently sits third on the standings, just 7 points off the joint lead held by Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto.

Monster Energy AMA Supercross Season Standings (After Rd 2 of 17)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 45
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 45
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 38
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 38
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 31
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 29
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 28
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 25
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 22
10.Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 22

After 10 race wins, 9 pole positions and 19 podium finishes, Whincup has written himself into the history books with a third V8 Supercar Championship title, tying with Peter Brock and TeamVodafone teammate Lowndes.

After an incredible end to a dramatic season which has seen the TeamVodafone teammates trade the championship lead with only 35 points between the pair, Lowndes has recorded his seventh consecutive top four championship finish.

In what has been a stellar season for Lowndes, the three-time champion has enjoyed 5 pole positions, 5 race wins and 14 podium finishes.

With a total of 14 pole positions, 15 race wins and 33 podium finishes, TeamVodafone are unbeaten in their field, also now holding the record for having one of their drivers in the top-two of the Championship for the last seven season, a new record in V8 Supercar history.

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com.au

Top Ten Race 28 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series Results – Sydney Telstra 500

1: Mark Winterbottom
2: Craig Lowndes
3: Shane Van Gisbergen
4: Jonathon Webb
5: Russell Ingall
6: Michael Caruso
7: James Courtney
8: Jamie Whincup
9: Jason Bright
10: Tim Slade

V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Jamie Whincup, 3168 pts.
2: Craig Lowndes, 3133 pts.
3: Mark Winterbottom, 2710 pts.
4: Shane Van Gisbergen, 2672 pts.
5: Garth Tander, 2574 pts.
6: Rick Kelly, 2358 pts.
7: Will Davison, 2345 pts.
8: Lee Holdsworth, 1920 pts.
9: Tim Slade, 1904 pts.
10: James Courtney, 1869 pts.

During the 2011 series, Thompson amassed six round wins, 11 race wins and five pole positions and finished 295 clear of second placed Jack Perkins.

“I couldn’t be happier to finish off the season the way we have, it’s been an incredible ride with Triple Eight Race Engineering,” Thompson said

“I had a lot of critics over the season and it feels good to prove them wrong but it also feels great to show my team they made the right choice when they chose me to drive their car.”

“To everyone at Triple Eight, Monster Energy, Gear Wrench and Miracle Recreation Equipment, thank you so much for the support you have shown me over the season, it has been simple amazing.

“Now we can all unwind over the break and who knows where I’ll be this time next year, I’m just grateful for the dream run we had this year.” Thompson concluded.

Triple Eight Race Engineering is now the 12th team to win the Fujitsu Series Championship Crown .

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com.au

Top Ten Fujitsu V8 Supercar Race 2 results – Sydney Telstra 500

1: Jack Perkins
2: Nick Percat
3: Andrew Thompson
4: Scott McLaughlin
5: Chaz Mostert
6: Geoff Emery
7: Aaron McGill
8: David Russell
9: Drew Russell
10: Tony Bates

Fujitsu V8 Supercars Round Seven Results -Sydney Telstra 500

1: Andrew Thompson, 279 pts.
2: Nick Percat, 276 pts
3: Jack Perkins, 261 pts.
4: Chaz Mostert, 240 pts.
5: David Russell, 210 pts.
6: Scott McLaughlin, 198 pts.
7: Geoff Emery, 168 pts.
8: Drew Russell, 168 pts.
9: Andrew Jones, 156 pts.
10: Tim Blanchard, 150 pts.

Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Andrew Thompson, 1896 pts.
2: Jack Perkins, 1601 pts.
3: David Russell, 1594 pts.
4: Scott McLaughlin, 1461 pts.
5: Tim Blanchard, 1262 pts.
6: Chaz Mostert, 1253 pts.
7: Nick Percat, 1207 pts.
8: Paul Morris, 944 pts.
9: Rodney Jane, 827 pts.
10: Daniel Jilesen, 816 pts.

After posting the fastest time in Saturday’s qualifying session, Whincup was met with tough competition in the Top Ten Shootout and ended the session fifth.

Lowndes couldn’t get the power he was looking for throughout both sessions, posting the ninth fastest time in Qualifying and losing control of Car #888 in the Top Ten Shootout. Lowndes started the 74-lap race from tenth on the grid.

The championship leader made a good start to Race 27 and was steadily progressing through the order until Lap 24 when he clipped a curb, damaging the right damper. Whincup then glanced the wall at Turn 5 and was forced to the pits for repairs.

The TeamVodafone pitcrew worked frantically to get the car back out on the track, Whincup’s race became a salvage operation, the Holden driver collecting 45 points and finishing in 20th position.

Lowndes’ worked his way from 10th to first and turned his Championship prospects around.

On the final lap of the 74-lap race, Tander made a charge at Lowndes, the TeamVodafone pilot held on to take the top step on the podium.

Whincup now sits 83 points ahead of Lowndes heading into tomorrow’s final race of the 2011 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The Sydney Telstra 500 will conclude tomorrow with Qualifying for Race 28 at 10.40am (AEDST) ahead of the final 74-lap race of the weekend at 3.05pm (AEDST).

TeamVodafone’s live race day blog from the pit garage will commence on www.teamvodafone.com at 3:05pm (AEDST).

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com

Top Ten V8 Supercars Championship Series Race 27 Results – Sydney Telstra 500

1: Craig Lowndes
2: Garth Tander
3: Shane Van Gisbergen
4: Michael Caruso
5: Mark Winterbottom
6: Tim Slade
7: James Courtney
8: James Moffat
9: Todd Kelly
10: Rick Kelly
20: Jamie Whincup

V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Jamie Whincup, 3078 pts.
2: Craig Lowndes, 2995 pts.
3: Mark Winterbottom, 2560 pts.
4: Shane Van Gisbergen, 2543 pts.
5: Garth Tander, 2526 pts.
6: Will Davison, 2345 pts.
7: Rick Kelly, 2289 pts.
8: Lee Holdsworth, 1920 pts.
9: Alex Davison, 1850 pts.
10: Fabian Coulthard, 1839 pts.

Putting yesterday’s mishaps behind him, Thompson stole the spotlight in Qualifying, posting his fastest lap time mid-session.

The Monster Energy/ Gear Wrench supported driver launched off the line for the 58km race. A yellow flag on lap one not deterring his efforts, Thompson holding the lead until the race end.

“To wrap up the Championship on Saturday was our ideal scenario, to be able to do that and to do it with a race win is an unbelievable feeling,” Thompson said.

“Our main goal was to win the Championship but to do it in style by taking out pole and the win was unreal.

“We had a bad day Friday but we fought back today and it’s a massive relief to finally get the Championship out of the way. We can now hit the track tomorrow and have some fun instead of worrying about messing up the Championship.

“For me it’s been an amazing year. It has been a massive come back from where I was last year and the support Triple Eight has given me, along with Monster Energy and Gear Wrench has been incredible, they made it easy for me to keep my focus on driving,” Thompson concluded.

Sunday will see Triple Eight Race Engineering hit the track for the final Fujitsu Series race at 12.55pm where Thompson will start from pole position.

For regular news and updates on Andrew Thompson, head to www.teamvodafone.com.au

Top Ten Fujitsu v8 Supercar Race 1 Results – Sydney Telstra 500

1: Andrew Thompson
2: Nick Percat
3: Chaz Mostert
4: David Russell
5: Jack Perkins
6: Tim Blanchard
7: Paul Morris
8: Andrew Jones
9: Drew Russell
10: Scott McLaughlin

Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Andrew Thompson, 1767 pts.
2: David Russell, 1504 pts.
3: Jack Perkins, 1451 pts.
4: Scott McLaughlin, 1341 pts.
5: Tim Blanchard, 1214 pts.
6: Chaz Mostert, 1142 pts.
7: Nick Percat, 1069 pts.
8: Paul Morris, 969 pts.
9: Rodney Jane, 770 pts.
10: Daniel Jilesen, 744 pts

The championship rivals took to the Sydney street circuit for the first time in the third practice session, Lowndes getting an early handle on the tricky 3.42km circuit to post the fourth fastest time.

On the other side of the garage Whincup used the opening session to familiarise himself with the track, a measured approach seeing him end the session 11th.

The final session was where the battling teammates turned up the heat, Whincup’s fastest lap being 1:27.3813 which was a new practice lap record.

Lowndes was hot on his teammate’s tail, just one-hundredth of a second separating them on the timesheets.

Saturday’s on-track activities will see the V8 Supercars qualify for Race 27 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at 10.20am (AEDST) followed by the Top Ten Shootout at 11.25am(AEDST). The 74-lap race will kick off at 3.05pm (AEDST).

TeamVodafone’s live race day blog from the pit garage will commence on www.teamvodafone.com at 3:05pm (AEDST).

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com

Top Ten V8 Supercar Championship Series Practice Results – Sydney Telstra 500

1: Jamie Whincup, 1:27.3813.
2: Craig Lowndes, 1:27.4767.
3: Shane Van Gisbergen, 1:27.7744.
4: Jonathon Webb, 1:27.8325.
5: Rick Kelly, 1:27.8959.
6: Will Davison, 1:27.9186.
7: Mark Winterbottom, 1:27.9354.
8: Russell Ingall, 1:28.0000.
9: Lee Holdsworth, 1:28.1318.
10: Paul Dumbrell, 1:28.1443.

The Monster Energy/GearWrench-supported driver encountered a clutch problem in the opening session which saw him unable to progress further up the order than 23rd.

“The car is reasonably good, obviously we didn’t get a great run but we will fix the gremlins we had today and hopefully we will have a better run tomorrow.” Thompson concluded.

The Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series will return to the track at 9.00am (AEDST) for qualifying ahead of the first 17-lap race at 12.45pm (AEDST).

Top Ten Fujitsu V8 Supercars Practice Results – Sydney Telstra 500

 
1: Scott McLaughlin, 1:29.1142.
2: Chaz Mostert, 1:29.2529.
3: David Russell, 1:29.2897.
4:Jack Perkins, 1:29.6105.
5: Andrew Thompson, 1:29.8060.
6: Andrew Jones, 1:29.9907.
7: Nick Percat, 1:30.0037.
8: Paul Morris, 1:30.3202.
9: David Wall, 1:30.6058.
10: Taz Douglas, 1:30.6169.

The TeamVodafone car #88 pilot started the day on top, securing pole position for the 200km race and tying up the Armor All Pole Position award for the fourth year in a row.

Lowndes had better luck in today’s qualifying session, the Car #888 driver fourth fastest, cementing a start from the second row off the grid.

Making a bold move off the line Whincup secured the lead on the opening lap and held a comfortable gap for the duration of the race.

The win marked the 50th race win for Whincup with his Engineer Mark Dutton.

On the other side of the TeamVodafone garage, Lowndes battled to gain positions and resorted to an early pitstop strategy to move him in front of the two ford drivers ahead.

Proving to be the right strategy, Lowndes moved into third but lost a spot coming out of the pits after his final pitstop.

Whincup currently sits 188 points ahead of teammate Lowndes in the V8 Supercar Championship Standings.

TeamVodafone will head back to Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Banyo headquarters to prepare for the Grand Finale of the V8 Supercars Championship Series, the Sydney 500 which kicks off from December 2 – 4.

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com.au

Top Ten Race 26 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series Results – Norton 360 Sandown Challenge

1: Jamie Whincup
2: Mark Winterbottom
3: Will Davison
4: Craig Lowndes
5: Garth Tander
6: Shane Van Gisbergen
7: Tim Slade
8: Lee Holdsworth
9: Rick Kelly
10: Steve Owen

V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Jamie Whincup, 3033 pts.
2: Craig Lowndes, 2845 pts.
3: Mark Winterbottom, 2449 pts.
4: Shane Van Gisbergen, 2414 pts.
5: Garth Tander, 2388 pts.
6: Will Davison, 2345 pts.
7: Rick Kelly, 2211 pts.
8: Lee Holdsworth, 1857 pts.
9: Alex Davison, 1781 pts.
10: Fabian Coulthard, 1767 pts.

The American teenager, who was fifth coming into the round, won his heat race and stormed to the lead in the 15-lap final after taking the holeshot.

A few small mistakes late in the race saw Faith’s lead diminish, with championship winner Matt Moss passing the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing rider with just one lap remaining.

“My goal was to come here tonight and secure second in the championship and I am really pleased that I did that,” Faith said.

“I won my heat race, holeshot the main and was on course for the win, but I made a couple of little mistakes that allowed Mossy (Matt) to catch me. Then he got past me with a lap to go.

“I had a great time racing out here in Australia. I can’t thank Yarrive and the whole Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing team enough.  Hopefully I will get the chance to come back again,” Faith continued.

Teammate Todd Waters also ended the year with a night of solid results in the Open class.

The Queenslander, who was strong throughout practice and qualifying finished his heat race second and greeted the chequered flag fifth at the completion of the 20-lap Open Final.

“I felt really strong tonight,” Waters said. “I had a good heat race and was leading my man-on-man qualifier but I made a mistake and Tye passed me in the last section.

“I didn’t get the best start in the final, but I stayed out of trouble and worked my way through to fifth.

“It has been a difficult year for me, trying to come back after injuring my wrist at the beginning of the year.  I felt I was finally getting some momentum and now the season is over,” Waters admitted.

With yesterday’s announcement confirming World Motocross Champion Ben Townley to the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing team line-up for 2012 there will be little time to rest.

Townley will be back in Australia in the coming weeks to test with the Melbourne based team.

Top Ten Monster Energy Super X Lites Results– Ipswich, QLD

1. Matt Moss
2. Gavin Faith
3. Kirk Gibbs
4. Luke Arbon
5. Luke Styke
6. Jackson Richardson
7. Robbie Marshall
8. Adam Monea
9. Dean Ferris
10. Ben George

2011 Monster Energy Super X Lites Standings after Rd 5 of 5

1. Matt Moss 118
2. Gavin Faith 89
3. Luke Styke 87
4. Brendan Harrison 70
5. Luke Arbon 70
6. Adam Monea 70
7. Steven Clarke 68
8. Dean Ferris 64
9. Robbie Marshall 61
10. Kirk Gibbs 57

Top Ten Monster Energy Super X Open Results– Ipswich, QLD

1. Jay Marmont
2. Tye Simmonds
3. Chris Blose
4. Billy Mackenzie
5. Todd Waters
6. Daniel McCoy
7. Craig Anderson
8. Lewis Woods
9. Ryan Marmont
10. Michael Phillips

2011 Monster Energy Super X Open Standings after Rd 5 of 5

1. Jay Marmont 105
2. Tye Simmonds 97
3. Daniel McCoy 87
4. Billy Mackenzie 79
5. Lawson Bopping 74
6. Todd Waters 72
7. Chris Blose 67
8. Ryan Marmont 64
9. Dan Reardon 55
10. Michael Phillips 50

The event, which was Reeds first race in 10 weeks, also marked the first event for newly appointed Technical Director Mike Gosselaar under the TwoTwo Motorsports banner.

Reed won his heat race but a first turn melee in the opening 15-lap final left him back in the pack. The Australian thrilled the Italian crowd, coming through the field to second.

Reed won the final 15-lap race ahead of race one winner Justin Barcia and was awarded the overall.

“I had a great time out there,” Reed said. “It was good to get a couple of races under my belt and see where I am at with my preparations for 2012.

“The track was tight so it was important to get good starts. I had a crash in the first race but still came through to second.

“As a team we learnt a lot and it will definitely help our preparations for 2012,” Reed added.

Reed will now return to the United States to continue testing ahead of the opening round of the 2012 AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium on Saturday 7th January.

SX1 Main Event#1

1.Justin Barcia
2. Chad Reed
3. Arnaud Tonus
4. Coulon Cyrille
5. Thomas Ramette
6. Martin Christophe
7. Bonini Matteo
8. Angelo Pellegrini
9. Boris Maillard
10. Cedirc Mannevy
11. Jean Baptiste
12. Romain Berthome
13. Jason Clermont

SX1 Main Event#2:

1. Chad Reed
2. Justin Barcia
3. Cyrille Coulon
4. Arnaud Tonus
5. Bonini Matteo
6. Martin Christophe
7. Boris Maillard
8. Jason Clermont
9. Cedric Mannevy
10. Thomas Ramette
11. Jean Baptiste Marrone
12. Stefano Dami
13. Romain Berthome
14. Angelo Pellegrini

Thompson started Sunday’s opening race fifth and meticulously manouevered his way through the opening lap carnage.

The car #80 driver used the ensuing safety car to his advantage, gaining ground off the restart.  By Lap 6 Thompson had taken the race lead and he was never headed on his way to the chequered flag.

The final race saw Thompson start from the front row off the grid, the Monster Energy/Gear Wrench supported driver got the jump on the field and held his position throughout the entire 15 laps.

“I’m happy with how today went, it was good to come back from yesterday,” Thompson said.

“Race One was a tough race but it was my mistake that hurt us, to come back and win the two races today made up for that.

“We had young Chaz Mostert pushing us pretty hard in the last race but for our Championship contention and the team it’s been a good weekend,” Thompson concluded.

The final round of the 2011 Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series will be at the Sydney Telstra 500 from December 2-4.

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com.au

Top Ten Race Two Results for the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series – Norton 360 Sandown Challenge

1: Andrew Thompson
2: Tim Blanchard
3: Paul Morris
4: Luke Youlden
5: Geoff Emery
6: Marcus Zukanovic
7: Cameron Waters
8: Rodney Jane
9: Tom Tweedie
10: Robert Cregan

Top Ten Race Three Results for the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series – Norton 360 Sandown Challenge

1: Andrew Thompson
2: Chaz Mostert
3: Jack Perkins
4: Scott McLaughlin
5: David Russell
6: Paul Morris
7: Geoff Emery
8: Marcus Zukanovic
9: Rodney Jane
10: Nick Cassidy

Round Six of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series – Meeting Points

1: Andrew Thompson, 262 pts.
2: Jack Perkins, 253 pts.
3: Chaz Mostert, 243 pts.
4: David Russell, 207 pts.
5: Scott McLaughlin, 185 pts.
6: Geoff Emery, 183 pts.
7: Tim Blanchard, 174 pts.
8: Rodney Jane, 156 pts.
9: Marcus Zukanovic, 155 pts.
10: Luke Youlden, 151 pts.

Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Andrew Thompson, 1617 pts.
2: David Russell, 1384 pts.
3: Jack Perkins, 1340 pts.
4: Scott McLaughlin, 1263 pts.
5: Tim Blanchard, 1112 pts
6: Chaz Mostert, 1013 pts.
7: Nick Percat, 956 pts.
8: Paul Morris, 873 pts.
9: Rodney Jane, 820 pts.
10: Daniel Jilesen, 744 pts.

The TeamVodafone duo’s result was enough to secure TeamVodafone the 2011 Teams Championship.

While wet weather lashed Qualifying, Whincup braved the conditions and qualified Car #88 on the front row.

Lowndes struggled to get a good lap out of the tyres, qualifying 27th for the 39-lap race.

Whincup struggled for grip off the start and lost a couple of spots, the TeamVodafone driver reclaimed second but lost multiple positions during later stages of the race finishing 13th.

Lowndes showed true grit throughout the race, starting at the back of the field and using each of the safety cars to manoeuvre up the order. By race end, the TeamVodafone #888 driver made up 21 places to finish in sixth position.

Whincup still remains ahead in the V8 Supercar Championship points standings, 158 points clear of teammate Lowndes.

However, TeamVodafone ended as the hero of the day, with1,111 points separating ourselves from second position in the Team Championship standings, thereby claiming the V8 Supercars Teams Championship for the consecutive year.

The Norton 360 Sandown Challenge will conclude tomorrow with Qualifying for Race 26 at 11.15am (AEDST) ahead of the final 65-lap race of the weekend at 3.35pm (AEDST).

TeamVodafone’s live race day blog from the pit garage will commence on www.teamvodafone.com at 3:35pm (AEDST).

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com

Top Ten Race 25 of the V8 Supercars Championship Series Results – Norton 360 Sandown Challenge

1: Rick Kelly
2: James Courtney
3: Todd Kelly
4: Will Davison
5: Shane Van Gisbergen
6: Craig Lowndes
7: Mark Winterbottom
8: Garth Tander
9: Fabian Coulthard
10: Steve Owen
13: Jamie Whincup

V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Jamie Whincup, 2883 pts.
2: Craig Lowndes, 2725 pts.
3: Shane Van Gisbergen, 2312 pts.
4: Mark Winterbottom, 2311 pts.
5: Garth Tander, 2277 pts.
6: Will Davison, 2216 pts.
7: Rick Kelly, 2127 pts.
8: Lee Holdsworth, 1767 pts.
9: Alex Davison, 1721 pts.
10: Fabian Coulthard, 1698 pts.

Saturday’s Qualifying saw the Gold Coast based driver opt to play it safe and settle for fourth, not wanting to push too hard in the heavy rain.

Thompson got the Monster Energy/Gear Wrench Commodore off the line well but lost grip at Turn 2 in the wet conditions and dropped back to eighth. Thompson struggled to make up ground and eventually finished sixth.

“In Qualifying we tried to be careful,” Thompson explained. “It was risk versus reward and we weren’t about to risk sticking the
car into the wall, so we were happy with fourth considering the weather.

“I got a good start for the race, the car was feeling good but I went a little bit too hard, losing the rear and ran wide which made me lose a few spots. After that, I struggled to get back through the field.

“Tomorrow’s a new day. All I can do is focus on what I need to do to keep my foot in the door for the Championship,” Thompson concluded.

Sunday will see Thompson start fourth off the grid for the top ten reverse grid race. A third and final 15-lap race will then conclude Round
Six of the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series for the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge.

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com.au

Top Ten Race Results for Fujitsu V8 Supercars – Norton 360 Sandown Challenge

1: Jack Perkins
2: Chaz Mostert
3: Nick Percat
4: David Russell
5: Scott McLaughlin
6: Andrew Thompson
7: Tim Blanchard
8: David Wall
9: Tony Bates
10: Geoff Emery

Fujistu V8 Supercar Championship Standings

1: Andrew Thompson, 1437 pts.
2: David Russell, 1273 pts.
3: Jack Perkins, 1207 pts.
4: Scott McLaughlin, 1167 pts.
5: Tim Blanchard, 1015 pts.
6: Nick Percat, 981 pts.
7: Chaz Mostert, 880 pts.
8: Paul Morris, 739 pts.
9: Rodney Jane, 717 pts.
10: Daniel Jilesen, 671 pts.

Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes got their first hit-out on the 3.1km track during the third V8 practice session but wrestled with a gusty tailwind which proved troublesome for the duo.

With the extremely hot conditions literally melting the Dunlop soft tyres, the series points leader finished the session ninth while his team-mate and championship rival Lowndes ended the session 13th.

Whincup posted the third fastest lap time of the final session before his tyres went off and ended the day in an overall position of fifth.

Lowndes continued to struggle throughout the final session, posting the 12th fastest lap and ending the day 14th on combined results.

Saturday’s on-track activities will see the V8 Supercars qualify for Race 25 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at 11.15am (AEDST) followed by the 39-lap race which will kick off at 4.05pm (AEDST).

TeamVodafone’s live race day blog from the pit garage will commence on www.teamvodafone.com at 4:05pm (AEDST).

For regular news and updates, head to www.teamvodafone.com

Top Ten V8 Supercar Championship Series Practice Results – Norton 360 Sandown Challenge

1: Paul Dumbrell, 1:10.4085.
2: Mark Winterbottom, 1:10.6030.
3: Tim Slade, 1:10.6153.
4: James Courtney, 1:10.6278.
5: Jamie Whincup, 1:10.6374.
6: Shane Van Gisbergen, 1:10.7837.
7: Alex Davison, 1:10.8165.
8: Russell Ingall, 1:10.8536.
9: Will Davison, 1:10.8847.
10: Fabian Coulthard, 1:10.8952.
14: Craig Lowndes, 1:10.9882.

Faith was impressively quick in Maitland last weekend and was unlucky not to make the podium.  The american qualified first, was the only Lites rider to record a lap time in the 29-second bracket

“I was unlucky last weekend,” Faith admitted. “Had I not crashed in the final race I would have most certainly been on the podium.

“My goal is to take second in the championship, there are only four points separating fifth to second in the championship and I think this weekends traditional 15-lap format will really suit me.

“I came up to Queensland straight from Maitland to acclimatise and I have been doing some riding at both Robbie Marshall’s and Dan Reardon’s which has been great,” he added.

Todd Waters is hoping to break through for his first Super X podium of the year after he was relegated to fourth on a count back last weekend when he tied for third on points.

“It has been a hard Supercross series for me,” Waters admitted. “I feel I am finally starting to get momentum and now the season is over.

“I came so close to a podium last weekend but bad luck in the last race cost me on a count back. This weekend we race the traditional 20lap final which I am really looking forward to.

“I really want to end the year on a positive note, I am feeling good I have had a week of productive training,” he added.

The final round of the 2011 Super X Series will be held on Saturday 19 November at North Ipswich Oval.

Super X Lites Overall Standings after round 4 of 5

1. Matt Moss, 93
2. Luke Styke, 71
3. Brendan Harrison, 70
4. Steven Clarke, 68
5. Gavin Faith, 67
6. Adam Monea, 57
7. Dean Ferris, 52
8. Luke Arbon, 52
9. Robbie Marshall, 47
10. Kirk Gibbs, 37

Super X Open Overall Standings after round 4 of 5
1. Jay Marmont, 80pts
2. Tye Simmonds, 75pts
3. Daniel McCoy, 72pts
4. Lawson Bopping, 65pts
5. Billy Mackenzie, 61pts
6. Todd Waters, 56pts
7. Dan Reardon, 55pts
8. Ryan Marmont, 52pts
9. Chris Blose, 47pts
10. Michael Phillips, 39pts

TeamVodafone have put the call out to all Sydney locals to get their nominations in for a chance to race against the TeamVodafone duo, with locals being asked to send in their best duck impressions to get the chance to win the water-based challenge of racing against Lowndes and Whincup on giant rubber ducks at Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

“I can’t wait to actually see these ‘ducks’ we are racing on, they are apparently massive.” Lowndes said. “I think I can safely assume neither us nor the two locals would have ever raced a giant duck so it will be a pretty even playing field.”

“I saw photos of the giant ducks we are racing on and it’s going to be interesting trying to control them, but it will definitely be a fun spectacle for the locals and fans to come down and watch,” Whincup said.

This is the last of the five You vs TeamVodafone events, TeamVodafone dominating three of the previous fourmand hoping to make winners of the new Holden Commodore Equipe and Nokia N9 work for their prize.

“Giving a Holden Commodore Equipe and a Nokia N9 away as a prize will end the series on a great high, although the winners are going to have to earn that car,” Whincup said.

“All five events were a great chance to involve the fans in a part of some of the greatest race weekends on the V8 Calendar, throwing a brand new car in as a final prize is a great end to something we certainly won’t be forgetting any time soon,” Lowndes said.

Not only will the winner receive a Holden Commodore Equipe and a chance to race against Jamie and Craig, they will receive two three-day VIP passes to the Sydney Telstra 500 and a Nokia N9

The final You vs TeamVodafone challenge will kick off on Wednesday 30th November at 8.30am at Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour.

For more information or to nominate, head to www.raceteamvodafone.com.au