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Kellys & Pretty In Kingswood Country For Big Race |
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Monday, 01 October 2007 |
Holden V8 Supercar stars Todd and Rick Kelly like to travel in style to the annual Bathurst 1000 race at Mount Panorama, teaming up with their racing mate Nathan Pretty to take the long road to the biggest motor racing event of the year.
Last year, they cruised from Melbourne to Bathurst in a Hummer; the year before it was a rented Britz motor home.
But this year, the boys from Mildura have excelled themselves by buying a 1976 HX Holden Kingswood for the journey, adding a matching 1970s caravan for the complete 1970s holiday experience.
The 202 Kingswood, with Trimatic transmission and a nice beige paint job with not-too-much-rust, was personally chosen by Todd who insists the well-loved Holden is as neat and tidy as they come, at least for something original with almost a quarter of a million kilometres on the clock.
 The Holden racing stars insist they will be riding three abreast on the vinyl-upholstered front bench seat and sleeping in the caravan during their three-day journey from Melbourne to Bathurst, via Pretty’s home town of Wodonga.
Once they arrive at the big race, they will park their rolling road show behind the pits, with the caravan serving as the Kelly racing headquarters for the duration of the event.
And while they can’t bear to think about parting with their new pride and joy, the complete package will be donated to the Peter Brock Foundation.
Todd and Rick insist their Kingswood and caravan are priceless, but they will increase the value by cajoling all the Holden racing drivers at Bathurst to autograph them.
And they will even leave the genuine 1970s carpet in the van, along with all the camping accessories that came as a bonus with their recent purchase.
Todd Kelly, who will share Holden Racing Team’s #2 Commodore with Mark Skaife at Bathurst, says the Kingswood will have no trouble conveying the trio to the race, on time and in comfort.
“This car is so good you could drive straight on past Bathurst and keep going around Australia,” he said. “Mind you, I am not sure you would want to with Rick and Nathan on the seat beside you.”
Brother Rick, who will line up with Toll HSV team-mate Garth Tander in the #1 Commodore on Sunday, was in charge of putting stickers on the Kingswood, even adding the driver names on a side window, V8 Supercar style.
“That really adds value,” he said. “How much depends on how we go Sunday.”
Pretty, who will join Glenn Seton in the HRT #22 Commodore – the car usually driven by Todd Kelly in the championship – says that while Todd was happy to turn over his HRT race car to him for the gruelling 1000km race this weekend, the Kingswood might be off limits.
“I think Todd likes this one too much,” he said. “They’ve even given it a new Z-160 - that’s an oil filter!” Pretty says he is looking forward to the trio’s now traditional drive to Bathurst, which includes passing through his hometown of Wodonga. “Before I moved to Melbourne, the Kellys used to pick me up from home in Wodonga on the way through, so it’ll bring back good memories.”
Visitors to Bathurst can admire the Kelly Kingswood and caravan in the pit paddock.
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