"Todd, Nathan and I all used to drive to Bathurst together in an old motorhome and we used to call it the 'happy camper'," said Rick Kelly.
"Ever since then, we have formed a tradition of driving to Bathurst each year. After the motorhome we did up a combi van, we drove up in a Hummer once, we bought an old Kingswood and towed a caravan one year and now it's snowballed into something that's a lot of fun.
"We've always driven to Bathurst and we've always tried to do it in something different. We've had this '53 Chev for a while so we thought we would pull it out, finish it off and give it a drive.
"Next year, we will try to do something even bigger and better again.
"It's something we look forward to every year and a lot of the fans get right into it. They always ask what we are driving to Bathurst this year and they enjoy a few of us drivers doing something a little bit different and also doing something that so many of the fans do themselves, driving to Bathurst each year.
"It's great that the fans enjoy it and we definitely have a great time doing it as well. We'll also get to show Ben a few things along the way, which should be a bit of fun."
Collins hails from Bristol in England and includes driving as a stunt double for actor Daniel Craig behind the wheel of James Bond's Aston Martin in the 'Quantum of Solace' Bond film on his impressive racing CV.
The Brit admits to being both apprehensive and excited about the drive to Bathurst in the ‘black beast' after hearing some tall tales from his three team-mates in recent weeks regarding past Bathurst adventures.
"I'm a bit scared about driving up to Bathurst really," joked Ben Collins.
"But I'm also looking forward to it and what I've seen of Bathurst so far has been amazing.
"It's going to be a brilliant experience and doing it with the right guys at Jack Daniel's Racing, with Nathan as my team-mate and the Kelly brothers guiding me, is a great thing for me.
"Todd and Rick love extreme machines and they've got some great things that they love working on themselves. They're both awesome guys and a lot of fun to be around.
"I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the Australian outback. I'm not sure what stories I'm supposed to believe. I don't know if we take a kangaroo with us or what goes on out there once we're out of the city.
"It should be great to get out in the middle of nowhere and see what the real Australia is like and I'm sure it's going to be a great trip."
KEY FACTS:
- Todd and Rick are attempting to become the first brothers to win the Bathurst 1000 in a V8 Supercar ...
* only once have brothers teamed up to win the Bathurst 1000, with Geoff and David Brabham winning the Super Touring version of The Great Race in 1997 in a BMW 320i, after Craig Baird and Paul Morris crossed the line first but were later disqualified. Two versions of the Bathurst 1000 were staged in 1997 and 1998.
- Few families can boast multiple Bathurst winners ...
* Brothers Todd and Rick Kelly have three Bathurst 1000 crowns between them
* Jim Richards is a seven-time Bathurst winner and son Steven Richards has won twice at The Great Race
* Geoff and David Brabham, son of three-time F1 World Champion Sir Jack, won the Super Touring Bathurst 1000 together in 1997
- Only THREE pairings in this year's race can boast both drivers as former Bathurst 1000 winners ...
* Rick Kelly (2003, 2004) and Todd Kelly (2005)
* Mark Skaife (1991, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2005) and Greg Murphy (1996, 1999, 2003, 2004)
* Craig Lowndes (1996, 2006, 2007, 2008) and Jamie Whincup (2006, 2007, 2008)
- Rick Kelly continues to hold the record as the youngest ever Bathurst winner from his 2003 victory with Greg Murphy...
* Rick also holds the record as the youngest driver to win a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercar Championship Series as a result of the same win
* At Symmons Plains in May this year, Rick claimed brother Todd's record as the youngest driver to compete in 100 Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercar Championship Series events
- Holden looking to bounceback after three-year Bathurst drought ...
* The last drivers to win Bathurst in a Holden were Todd Kelly and Mark Skaife in 2005
* The two years prior to that, Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy won back-to-back Bathursts for Holden
JACK DANIEL'S RACING KEY STATISTICS
Todd Kelly - #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:
Born: 9 October 1979 in Mildura, Victoria
ATCC/V8SCS Debut: 1999 Eastern Creek
ATCC/V8SCS Starts: 129
ATCC/V8SCS Event Wins: Eight
ATCC/V8SCS Event Podiums: 25
TODD KELLY AT BATHURST:
Bathurst Debut: 1998 (with John Faulkner)
Bathurst Events: 11
Best Bathurst Race Start: Second (2007 with time set by Mark Skaife)
Best Bathurst Race Finish: FIRST (2005 with Mark Skaife)
Top 10 Finish in Race: Six
1999 - Sixth with Mark Noske
2000 - Fifth with Nathan Pretty
2001 - Third with Greg Murphy
2003 - Eighth with Mark Skaife
2005 - First with Mark Skaife
2006 - Second with Rick Kelly
NB: 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour winner with Peter Brock, Greg Murphy and Jason Bright aboard the #05 Holden Monaro.
2008 Qualifying: 18th (time set by Todd Kelly)
2008 Race: 17th (with Shane Price)
Rick Kelly - #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:
Born: 17 January 1983 in Mildura, Victoria
ATCC/V8SCS Debut: 2001 Queensland Raceway
ATCC/V8SCS Starts: 105
ATCC/V8SCS Event Wins: Five
ATCC/V8SCS Event Podiums: 24
RICK KELLY AT BATHURST:
Bathurst Debut: 2001 (with Nathan Pretty)
Bathurst Events: Eight
Best Bathurst Race Start: First (2003 with time set by Greg Murphy)
Best Bathurst Qualifying: Third (2006 with Todd Kelly, time set by Rick Kelly)
Best Bathurst Race Finish: FIRST (2003 with Greg Murphy AND 2004 with Greg Murphy)
Top 10 Finish in Race: Four
2002 - Fourth with Nathan Pretty
2003 - First with Greg Murphy
2004 - First with Greg Murphy
2006 - Second with Todd Kelly
2008 Qualifying: Sixth (time set by Rick Kelly)
2008 Top 10 Shootout: Fourth (time set by Paul Dumbrell)
2008 Race: 20th (with Paul Dumbrell)
Nathan Pretty - #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:
Born: 11 November 1973 in Albury, New South Wales
ATCC/V8SCS Debut: 1999 Barbagallo
ATCC/V8SCS Starts: 22
ATCC/V8SCS Event Wins: -
ATCC/V8SCS Event Podiums: -
NATHAN PRETTY AT BATHURST:
Bathurst Debut: 1998
Bathurst Events: 11
Best Bathurst Race Finish: Fourth (2002 with Rick Kelly)
Top 10 Finish in Race: Six
2000 - Fifth with Todd Kelly
2002 - Fourth with Rick Kelly
2004 - 10th with Alan Simonsen
2005 - Sixth with Owen Kelly
2006 - Eighth with Paul Weel
2008 - Eighth with Jack Perkins
NB: 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour winner with Garth Tander, Cameron McConville and Steven Richards aboard the #427 Holden Monaro.
2008 Qualifying: 19th (time set by Jack Perkins)
2008 Race: Eighth (with Jack Perkins)
Ben Collins - #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore:
Born: 13 February 1975 in Bristol, England
ATCC/V8SCS Debut: 2009 Phillip Island
ATCC/V8SCS Starts: One
ATCC/V8SCS Event Wins: -
ATCC/V8SCS Event Podiums: -
BEN COLLINS AT BATHURST:
2009 Bathurst debut.
2009 V8 Supercar Championship Standings
Championship Points - After Race 17 of 26
1. Jamie Whincup 2254
2. Will Davison 2083
3. Garth Tander 1738
4. Craig Lowndes 1725
5. Steven Johnson 1590
6. Mark Winterbottom 1574
7. James Courtney 1370
8. Russell Ingall 1364
9. Rick Kelly 1336
10. Lee Holdsworth 1310
16. Todd Kelly 1095
SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000 DETAILS:
Circuit: Mount Panorama
Location: Bathurst, NSW
Circuit Length: 6.213 kilometres
Format: 161-lap race (two drivers per car)
2008 Polesitters: Garth Tander and Mark Skaife
2008 Winners: Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes
See ‘The Ultimate Endurance' at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 8-11. Weekend tickets from $106 can be pre-purchased from Ticketek.com or a Sunday-only ticket for $86 is available at the gate. Visit v8supercarevents.com.au for information on accommodation packages.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
All times are local Australian Eastern Standard Time
Thursday 8 October 2009
12:40pm - 1:15pm: Practice 1 - Part A
1:30pm - 2:20pm Practice 1 - Part B
3:00pm - 3:50pm: Practice 1 - Part C
Friday 9 October 2009
9:55am - 10:25am: Practice 2
10:35am - 11:05am: Practice 3
2:10pm - 2:50pm: Qualifying Leg 1
3:00pm - 3:30pm: Qualifying Leg 2
Saturday 10 October 2009
10:00am - 11:00am: Practice 4
3:45pm - 4:30pm: Top 10 Shootout
Sunday 11 October 2009
8:00am - 8:20am: Warm Up
10:30am: 2009 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
161 laps of one lap after 5:27pm (whichever occurs first)
TELEVISION SCHEDULE - SEVEN NETWORK
Times subject to amendment - please check local guides.
Friday 9 October 2009
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Bathurst Qualifying
Saturday 10 October 2009
12:00pm - 2:30pm: Top 10 Preview
2:30pm - 5:00pm: Top 10 Shootout
11:00pm - 12:00am: Battle to Bathurst
Sunday 11 October 2009
6:00am - 7:00am: Battle to Bathurst
7:00am - 9:30am: Bathurst Pre-Race
9:30am - 5:00pm: Bathurst Race Coverage
5:00pm - 5:30pm: Bathurst Presentation
NB: Sunday coverage times are Australian Eastern.
30 Minutes earlier in South Australia
One Hour earlier in Queensland
Two Hours earlier in Western Australia
