Todd Kelly

Jack Daniel's Racing driver Rick Kelly has performed admirably to finish sixth in the final race of the Clipsal 500 in the streets of Adelaide in South Australia today. But it could have been even better for Kelly, with a podium chance slipping away when a lengthy Safety Car period in the second half of the race erased the advantage Kelly had gained through smart strategy and solid car speed in his #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore.

With around 20 laps remaining Kelly was fuelled to go to the finish and set for a podium as the second car in the race order to have completed three pit stops.

But on Lap 58 the race was held up as officials worked to repair the broken apex kerb at Turn 8, with the lengthy Safety Car period allowing cars that had made two pit stops to save enough fuel to make it to the finish.

Kelly came home in sixth position after qualifying in that same position earlier today, maintaining seventh place in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series standings after six races. Todd Kelly drove a steady race today aboard the #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, recovering from a disappointing qualifying performance earlier in the day where he was down in 22nd place.

To view photos from the Clipsal 500 click here

Adelaide-born music act the Hilltop Hoods have experienced a thrilling ride in Todd Kelly's #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide today.

Todd Kelly, a big fan of the hip-hop group, was excited to take MC Pressure and DJ Debris for some hot laps around the Adelaide street circuit today, shortly before the pair were to join fellow band member MC Suffa on-stage in the Friday evening concert at the Clipsal 500.

The ARIA-award winning group, who have two previous Australian number one albums to their credit, are also keen motorsport fans and were understandably thrilled following their rides.

In practice for the Clipsal 500 today Todd Kelly was 15th fastest on combined times with Jack Daniel's Racing team-mate Rick Kelly in 17th position on the timesheets. Neither driver set a fast lap on new tyres today, with the focus on tomorrow's opening qualifying session of the weekend.

Jack Daniel's Racing drivers Todd and Rick Kelly are aiming at top results at the Clipsal 500 in South Australia this weekend, just one year on from their team's debut on the streets of Adelaide.Twelve months ago the Clipsal 500 represented the first race meeting for the Kelly's brand new four-car V8 Supercar team, with the achievement of rolling the team out for the first time overshadowing Rick Kelly's two top 10 finishes in his #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore.

One year on and already two events into the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series, expectations are high for the brothers from Mildura, Victoria as they aim to deliver Jack Daniel's Racing its first podium finish for the season.

Rick Kelly currently sits sixth in the championship standings with two fourth places finishes aboard his #15 Jack Daniel's Commodore from the championship's recent trip to the Middle East.

The younger of the Kelly brothers, who rates his 2007 Clipsal 500 victory as second only to his Bathurst victories in terms of his career highlights, believes that the team has what it takes to run right at the front in Adelaide this weekend.

Rick Kelly has scored his second fourth place finish for the season with a top drive in the second race of the Gulf Air Desert 400 at the Bahrain International Circuit today. Kelly put in a strong performance aboard the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, in the end narrowly losing out in a battle for the final podium position with Shane van Gisbergen.

Kelly retains sixth place in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series standings after the first four races of the season, all held in the Middle East.

Earlier in the day Kelly qualified in 11th position and he dropped places at the start as he ran wide to avoid a first corner melee.

To view photos from Saturday's qual and race click here

Jack Daniel's Racing driver Rick Kelly has risen to sixth in the V8 Supercar Series Championship standings after a third consecutive top 10 finish at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain today. Kelly got his campaign at the Gulf Air Desert 400 off to a solid start by claiming ninth place in today's race, giving him three top 10 finishes from three races so far this season aboard the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore.

Kelly qualified in 13th position earlier in the day but was able to use good car speed to move up the order. Kelly lost two positions late in the race to Will Davison and Russell Ingall as his tyres 'went off', but the 27-year-old is confident that he can improve his car's pace for tomorrow's second race.

Jack Daniel's Racing team-mate Todd Kelly looked on course for a strong result in today's 37-lap race aboard his #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore.

Jack Daniel's Racing driver Todd Kelly has bounced back from his Abu Dhabi disappointment to be third fastest in practice for the Gulf Air Desert 400 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain today. Kelly topped two of the four practice sessions held at the desert venue today aboard his #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, ending the day with the third fastest time on combined results behind Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup.

Kelly has a luckless weekend at the opening event of the season in Abu Dhabi, but has now put that behind him to 'start afresh' in Bahrain.

Jack Daniel's Racing team-mate Rick Kelly currently sits seventh in the championship standings and therefore missed the first two practice sessions of the day, which are allocated solely for rookie drivers and those in the both 50 percent of the points standings.

To view photos from Thursday's practice sessions click here

Jack Daniel's Racing pairing Todd and Rick Kelly are aiming for big results in the second leg of the V8 Supercar Middle Eastern swing at the Gulf Air Desert 400 in Sakhir, Bahrain this weekend. Rick Kelly finished in fourth place at the second race in Abu Dhabi aboard his #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore and is determined to repeat that form in Bahrain.

Todd Kelly had no luck last week in Abu Dhabi, but rather than dwell on two poor finishes, Kelly is viewing the Bahrain event as a fresh start to his 2010 campaign.

Todd Kelly is a former race winner at the Bahrain International Circuit and has always showed strong pace at the desert venue.

Jack Daniel's Racing driver Rick Kelly has grabbed an impressive fourth place finish in the second race of the Yas V8 400 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi today.
Kelly had a superb day aboard the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, qualifying third earlier in the day to equal his best qualifying performance for Jack Daniel's Racing.

In the race the 27-year-old got a great jump off the line, passing polesitter Mark Winterbottom on the run to the first corner to slot into second place.

Kelly then drove a smart race, staying out of trouble and collecting a fourth place finish in the 43-lap event, holding out a fast finishing Craig Lowndes in the final stages.

The result leaves Kelly in seventh place in the championship standings after the opening event of the year, with the 2006 V8 Supercar champion pleased to have posted a solid points score to kick-off the season.

Unfortunately Todd Kelly again had a tough time aboard the #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, involved in three separate on-track incidents in today's race. His chances were dashed early when caught up in an incident in the opening laps of the race.

To view photos from Saturday's action click here

Jack Daniel's Racing driver Rick Kelly has started the 2010 V8 Supercar season with a strong top 10 finish in the opening race of the Yas V8 400 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi today.

Kelly started back in 16th position after a poor qualifying run earlier in the day, but got off to a lightning start aboard his #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore.

Kelly was up into ninth position by the first corner and held a top 10 position for most of the 43-lap race, eventually finishing in 10th place.

The 27-year-old is confident that he can improve the set-up of his car in several areas overnight ahead of tomorrow's second race, where Kelly is aiming to break into the top five.

  To view photos from Friday's qualifying and race 1 click here

Jack Daniel's Racing drivers Todd and Rick Kelly have both had to work hard on the opening day of the Yas V8 400 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi today.
Learning the new circuit and developing a car set-up for the challenging venue was the priority for the Kelly brothers, with oversteer issues on the low-grip circuit a significant factor in set-up decisions.

A spin for Rick Kelly saw him flat spot two tyres on his first set of Dunlop rubber, but a switch to another set saw him gain time aboard the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore to eventually finish the day 19th fastest on combined times.

Todd Kelly was down in 25th fastest aboard his brand new #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, running the same set of tyres for all four segments of today's practice to not only save his tyres for qualifying and racing action, but also evaluate his car on older rubber around the 4.7-kilometre circuit.

To view Thursday's photos click here

Jack Daniel's Racing team-mates Todd and Rick Kelly cannot wait to take their team to the Middle East for the Yas V8 400 at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE this weekend.
Both drivers have identified a strong start to the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series as a crucial element to building a championship attack this season.

The Kelly brothers are entering their second season as team-mates and team owners and the Mildura-born duo are setting their sights on big things in 2010. As V8 Supercar team owners, they also fully appreciate the significance of this first Abu Dhabi.

With three podium finishes in the latter part of the team's inaugural season, the former Bathurst winners enter this year more motivated and determined than ever before.

 

V8 Supercar stars Todd and Rick Kelly have started 2010 with a victory of a different kind, winning their class at the prestigious Southern 80 water ski race on the River Murray near Echuca, Victoria over the weekend.

Rick Kelly drove the team's boat, named 'Esky Mojo' with fellow V8 Supercar driver Dale Wood alongside as observer, while Todd Kelly and Lloyd Woolman. The impressive Velocity boat is powered by a 300 Mercury XS outboard motor.

The team won the F2 Expert class, breaking the previous class record for the event with a time of 40 minutes 20 seconds with an average speed of 120km/h.

On a successful outing for the Kelly family, father John was also a class winner, taking out the Six Litre Expert class in his boat 'Mojo', which is powered by a NASCAR engine.

 

V8 Supercars will have improved side impact safety in 2010 as a result of measures born out of Todd Kelly's accident at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth, Western Australia last November.
Kelly Racing has worked side-by-side with officials and other teams in implementing new standards that will improve driver safety and 'beef up' the side intrusion protection on the V8 Supercar roll cage.

Todd Kelly's #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore was hit in the passenger's side by Lee Holdsworth in the Sunday race in Perth last year.

The chassis, PE049, was close to being a right-off, forcing Kelly into the team's spare chassis for the final event of the season.

Jason Bargwanna and Rick Kelly have topped the time sheets at the first official test day of the 2010 V8 Supercar season at Winton Motor Raceway in rural Victoria today.
Bargwanna's best time aboard the #11 Rock Holden Commodore was under the V8 Supercar lap record for the 3.0-kilometre circuit, giving him the fastest time for the day in his first full-blown hit-out for Kelly Racing.

Second fastest was Rick Kelly aboard his Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore, making it a fantastic day for the squad.

Both Bargwanna and Kelly stuck to their own testing schedules throughout the day, each saving their best set of tyres for the final stages of proceedings to rocket to the top of the timesheets.

Todd Kelly was also pleased with his efforts today, turning his first laps in a brand new Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore at Winton today.

To view photos from the test day click here

To view photos from today's launch click here

Todd and Rick Kelly have unveiled one of the largest team sponsorship deals in Australian sport in Melbourne today with the iconic Jack Daniel's brand re-signing with Kelly Racing.
The extension of the relationship will see the Kelly brothers race in the colours of Jack Daniel's Racing well into the future as the pair aims to take their one-year-old team to the very front of the V8 Supercars field.

Team co-owner and Jack Daniel's Racing driver Todd Kelly said that he and the entire team enjoyed a special relationship with Jack Daniel's.

"The relationship that we've built with Jack Daniel's has been awesome," said Todd Kelly.

"To have a sponsor that is so involved with the team and is not just a sponsor, but a friend, is great for us."

"Having Jack Daniel's confirmed is fantastic. It gives us real security and stability and that's incredibly important when you are building a team.

Jack Daniel's Racing has its sights set on a big season in 2010 as brothers Todd and Rick Kelly seek to take their team to the next level in the ultra-competitive V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Rick Kelly, driver of the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore, has used the off-season break to assess his goals for the new season.

Kelly, who recently turned 27, has set himself the goal of winning a second V8 Supercar championship crown in 2010.

"It's a very different approach in 2010 compared to 2009 in terms of how we will go about our racing and it's exciting to build up to this point after only one year and go 'right, let's hit it hard'," said Rick Kelly.

"When we set our goals for this year, I was sitting at the farm back home in Mildura and I thought to myself 'what should I aim for this year? Third place in the championship in our second year?' But I don't think it's worth doing that.

Bathurst winning brothers and Jack Daniel's Racing team-mates Todd and Rick Kelly have ambitious goals for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series.
The pair will remain actively involved in the day-to-day running of Kelly Racing in its second year of operation in 2010, but admit that they will focus more intently on driving duties this season now that their four-car V8 Supercar team is well established.

Rick Kelly, driver of the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore, says that he has never been fitter, more focused or more determined than he is right now, with the first race of the season just weeks away.

"It was great to get the team to the level that we did in our first year and compete for podiums," said Rick Kelly.

"It was a good achievement but we can't just do that this year. We've all been hell bent on getting to a point where we are ready to win races. We think we are at that point now.

Jack Daniel's Racing drivers Todd and Rick Kelly have both failed to finish the final race of the Sydney Telstra 500 at the brand new Sydney Olympic Park street circuit in New South Wales today.
The double DNF was an unfortunate end to a stellar first year of Kelly Racing, which opened its doors in March and scored three podiums in its first season in a strong final phase of the 2009 season.

After qualifying third earlier today, Rick Kelly made a strong start to today's 74-lap race aboard the #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore to quickly move into second place.

But the dual Bathurst winner was one of many drivers caught out by the treacherous Turn 8, first making contact with the tyre wall on the exit of the corner on lap 10 and then spearing into the same tyres on lap 12, ending his day with suspension damage.

To view photos from the weekend click here

Todd Kelly - #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:
QUESTION: The crash today was not ideal but the crew did another great job to fix the car in time for you to do some laps in Meeting Rides.

"We were tracking along pretty well until we hit the fence and it's a shame that it ended our day short, because the track obviously kept getting more and more rubber on it as people put better and better tyres on.

"It's certainly going to make it a bit harder to go straight into qualifying now but we're confident that we had a reasonably good car.

"Hopefully people haven't made too many improvements - we'll certainly find out tomorrow."