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Rick Kelly confirmed as champion

Toll HSV Dealer Team's Rick Kelly has been confirmed as the 2006 V8 Supercar champion after a marathon appeal hearing today

The appeal hearing, which lasted over four hours, saw three stewards once more review the incident in race three at Phillip Island where Rick Kelly made contact with the back of Craig Lowndes' car.

This caused Lowndes' car to make contact with Todd Kelly, with Lowndes and Todd Kelly spinning before Lowndes' car was struck by Will Davison.

The incident badly damaged Lowndes' car while Kelly's was virtually unscathed, the subsequent drive-through penalty given to Kelly costing him far less time during the race than the bent steering cost Lowndes.

The two drivers had entered the race equal on points after 33 of 34 races. With Kelly finishing eleven places ahead of Lowndes in the final race, Kelly won the title.

As with the Investigating and Prosecuting Officer's review yesterday, the stewards today decided that the original decision of a drive-through penalty was the correct punishment for Kelly's actions, and that no further punishment was necessary.

With the results remaining unchanged, Rick Kelly was confirmed (again) as this year's V8 Supercar champion.

Unsurprisingly, Kelly was happy with the decision: "It wasn't the ideal way to finish the championship but we're certainly glad it's all over now.

"There's always a level of concern going into something like this but we were quite confident that the original penalty was more than adequate for the crime. For that reason we weren't too worried."

Meanwhile, Lowndes was disappointed but philosophical about the decision: "We are disappointed but we respect the rules and regulations. The stewards have made a decision and we will just get on with it.

"We believe we are the moral champion."

Triple Eight could take the matter further, to the V8 Supercar court of appeal, or to the FIA, but with three separate decisions having reached the same conclusion so far, it is believed they have decided to let the results stand and look forward to next season.

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