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PHILLIP ISLAND - The Australian V8 Supercar series title will be decided in the race stewards' room after a controversial end to the 2006 season here yesterday.
Holden's Rick Kelly provisionally won the title after he finished ahead of his only challenger, Craig Lowndes, in the final race.
Kelly and Lowndes entered the final race level on series points. But Lowndes' Triple Eight Racing team were set to protest after an early incident with Kelly which cost the Ford driver any chance at the title.
Kelly's car came into contact with Lowndes' from behind early in the 31-lap race, the Ford driver spinning sidewards and being slammed into by another car.
Kelly was given a black flag drive-through penalty for causing the crash but was able to recover and finish the race in 18th place.
Lowndes, however, suffered extensive car damage and spent the remainder of the race driving in and out of the pits to ensure his Falcon at least reached the finish line.
Ford's Mark Winterbottom won the final race from Garth Tander while Kelly's older brother Todd claimed the round win.
Kelly, 23, received the championship trophy amid cheers and jeers from the partisan crowd and admitted his victory had not come the way he wanted.
"It's not the ideal way to win, but we got here, so yeah baby," he said. "It's fantastic, the team really deserves this."
Subject to protest, it is Holden's first V8 series title since Mark Skaife won in 2002.
Kelly is the first driver to win the V8 title without winning a championship round all season.
- AAP
