HRT, HSVDT to share enduro drivers

The two teams will combine a lead driver from each team into one of their team's cars. Holden Racing Team's Mark Skaife will be joined by Toll HSV Dealer Team's Garth Tander in the number 2 Holden Racing Team Commodore, while Toll HSV's Rick Kelly will be partnered by older brother Todd from HRT in the number 15 Toll HSV Dealer Team car.

Each of the drivers is a former Bathurst winner: Skaife in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2002 and 2005, Tander in 2000, Rick Kelly in 2003 and 2004 and Todd Kelly in 2005.

The teams, whose preparation are overseen by Tom Walkinshaw's Walkinshaw Racing, decided on the driver swap to give Rick Kelly and Tander the best chance of becoming champion this year.

It was thought that sponsorship issues, and possible problems with V8 Supercar rules may have prevented the swap, but it appears these problems have been overcome.

Toll HSV Dealer Team's other choices would have been to pair the drivers together, which could have seen both drivers score no points in the event of a crash or mechanical failure, or to pair them with co-drivers and possibly lose out because of incidents or through lack of speed from their co-driver.

Currently, Rick Kelly is second in the championship, Tander third, Mark Skaife eleventh and Todd Kelly eighteenth.

Realistically, only the two Toll HSV drivers are placed well enough to win the title. Any success for Skaife in the next two events also would mean success for Tander, who is 330 points ahead of Skaife and 140 points behind leader Craig Lowndes.

A round win is worth 320 points. Four rounds remain after the two enduros.

The Kelly brothers are ecastatic that they can finally race together in the same car. "Being paired for the enduros is something that Rick and I have talked about forever and we're thrilled it has finally found a way to happen," said older brother Todd.

Rick then gave his view on the Kelly pairing: "We have an enormous amount of respect for each other's driving ability and total faith in each other not to make silly mistakes. To win Bathurst back-to-back was incredible, but it would be even more special to win with my brother."

Despite the driver swap, both teams will still enter two cars for the endurance events.

Holden Racing Team will pair multiple Bathurst winner and touring car champion Jim Richards with V8 Supercar rookie Ryan Briscoe, better known for his exploits in open-wheel racing, in their number 22 car. At Toll HSV Dealer Team, the number 16 car will be driven by Anthony Tratt and V8 Supercar development series driver Tony D'Alberto.