2008 Hamilton 400

V8 Supercar race report
Date = 18 - 20 April
Year = 2008
Race_No = 3
Season_No = 14
Location = Hamilton, New Zealand
Course_name = Hamilton street circuit
Course_km = 3.4
Distance_laps = 3x36
Distance_km = 367
Weather =
Pole_Driver = Steven Richards
Pole_Team = Ford Performance Racing
Pole_Time = 1:24.7270
First_Race1 = Garth Tander
First_Race1_time = 1:02:38.9460
First_Team_Race1 = Holden Racing Team
Second_Race1 = Rick Kelly
Second_Race1_time = 1:02:40.0641
Second_Team_Race1 = HSV Dealer Team
Third_Race1 = Steven Richards
Third_Race1_time = 1:02:40.4931
Third_Team_Race1 = Ford Performance Racing
First_Race2 = Garth Tander
First_Race2_time = 54:47.9366
First_Team_Race2 = Holden Racing Team
Second_Race2 = Steven Richards
Second_Race2_time = 54:48.7254
Second_Team_Race2 = Ford Performance Racing
Third_Race2 = James Courtney
Third_Race2_time = 54:53.5696
Third_Team_Race2 = Stone Brothers Racing
First_Race3 = Garth Tander
First_Race3_time = 1:00:27.5864
First_Team_Race3 = Holden Racing Team
Second_Race3 = Steven Richards
Second_Race3_time = 1:00:28.7499
Second_Team_Race3 = Ford Performance Racing
Third_Race3 = James Courtney
Third_Race3_time = 1:00:31.5311
Third_Team_Race3 = Stone Brothers Racing
First_Driver = Garth Tander
First_Team = Holden Racing Team
Second_Driver = Steven Richards
Second_Team = Ford Performance Racing
Third_Driver = James Courtney
Third_Team = Stone Brothers Racing|

The 2008 Hamilton 400 was the third round of the 2008 V8 Supercar season. It was held on the weekend of April 18 to 20 on the streets of Hamilton, in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand.

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Saturday April 19. Steven Richards gave the big New Zealand something to shout about, securing pole position in the Ford Performance Racing Falcon after Garth Tander's last ditch effort fell five hundredths short. Rick Kelly was third fastest ahead of Stone Brothers Racing driver James Courtney. Crowd favourite Greg Murphy made a welcome return to the top ten in seventh. Michael Caruso, who has struggled since graduating since arriving in the V8 Supercar Championship Series, was a top performer, topping one of the practice sessions and backing it up with eighth grid position, three behind his Garry Rogers Motorsport teammate Lee Holdsworth. A heavy practice crash limited Round 2 winner Will Davison's progress to 16th, while Jamie Whincup looked a good bet for pole position until he crashed heavily after contact with Todd Kelly. The car was not repairable and the series points leader was reduced to a spectator for the weekend. A miserable weekend for Team Vodafone saw Craig Lowndes qualify back in 21st, caught out by the changeable weather in the first part of qualfying, failing to make the first qualifying cut.

Race 1

Race 1 was held on Saturday April 19. Garth Tander took his fourth consecutive win after clean-sheeting at Albert Park. The race wasn't without incident though as Mark Winterbottom and Shane Van Gisbergen collided with each other off the start line while Greg Murphy was spun around by Mark Skaife at the exit of turn 1.

The chaos continued into turn 2 when Van Gisbergen locked up while Russell Ingall went down the inside of a Steven Johnson car which caused a collision collecting Paul Morris, Shane Price, Michael Patrizi, Steven Johnson and Craig Lowndes. Johnson, Price and Ingall retired to the pits. Steven Richards had managed to run wide at turn 5 which gave the lead to Tander and gave Rick Kelly second place. The Safety Car was deployed until the end of lap 5. The Safety Car was back on track at the end of that lap though thanks to an incident for Patrizi at turn 7. Most people pulled into the pits except for a few people like Mark Skaife. This decision, forced by HRT's decision to pit Tander first, would cost Skaife dearly later in the race. The Safety Car pulled in on lap 11 and racing resumed.

Jason Richards and Lowndes were both given drive through penalties for pitlane infringements after Murphy pulled into pitlane with a broken steering plate. Murphy returned to the track 2 laps later to the delight of the crowd and Paul Morris had also returned to the track.

Skaife pitted on lap 20 and fell well down the order while Caruso spun his GRM Holden Commodore. Craig Lowndes entered pitlane on lap 26 for a flat tyre when he clipped the tyre bundle at turn 4. Andrew Jones pulled into the garage to retire at lap 30. Van Gisbergen also pitted on lap 33 for some damage and was subsequently lapped. In the end Tander won from Rick Kelly and Steven Richards.

Race 2

Race 2 was held on Sunday April 20. A fifth consecutive victory for Garth Tander in Race 2.

Race 3

Race 3 was held on Sunday April 20. Six on the trott wrapped up the round victory for Garth Tander.

Results

Results as follows: [cite web | url=http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?20/04/2008.HAM | title=Hamilton Street Circuit 20/04/2008 Hamilton 400 - 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series - Rd 3 | publisher=National Software | date=April 20 2008 | accessdate=2008-04-20]

Qualifying

Race 3 Results

References

External links

* [http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?20/04/2008.HAM Official timing and results]

V8 race report
Name_of_race = 2008 Eastern Creek round of the V8 Supercar Championship
Year_of_race = 2008
Previous_race_in_season = 2008 Eastern Creek round of the V8 Supercar Championship
Next_race_in_season = 2008 BigPond 400
Previous_year's_race = inaugural
Next_year's_race = 2009 Hamilton 400