Team Australia was an auto racing team competing in the V8 Supercars and Champ Car World Series. It was created in early 2005 when two Australian businessmen Craig Gore and John Fish bought into Derrick Walker's Walker Racing operation. After the 2007 the operation was scaled back to just Will Power who joined KV Racing, before ending entirely a year later.

A Team Australia-run Panoz DP01 Champ Car chassis in 2007.

Origins

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After sponsoring young Australian driver Josh Hunt in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, Australian millionaire Craig Gore began to investigate fielding a Champ Car team. His empire already included a V8 Supercar team competing in Australia, and at the 2004 Surfers Paradise round of the CCWS, on the Gold Coast, Australia, Gore's V8 driver David Besnard made his debut with a WPS sponsored Walker Racing Champ Car. He finished a creditable 7th place, and the seeds were sewn for Gore's assault on the Champ Car series.

In late 2004 and early 2005 Gore, his associate John Fish and long time Champ Car World Series team owner Derrick Walker, created the Team Australia race program. Obsolete Reynard chassis were replaced with bespoke Lola units, and the team signed Canadian Champ Car veteran Alex Tagliani and Australian Formula 3 driver Marcus Marshall for the 2005 season.

A learning year

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With a new chassis to learn, Team Australia was hardly going to upset the establishment in 2005. However, Tagliani's consistent, solid drives took the team to many top-ten finishes and several podiums through the year. Tagliani finished the season in seventh place, equaling his career best finish. Marshall, by contrast, was unspectacular, struggling to break the top ten. By Team Australia's homecoming at the 2005 Surfer's Paradise race, they had announced that a third car would be run for Australian international driver Will Power. Power outpaced both teammates before a collision with Tagliani took him out of the race. Amongst some controversy it was announced that Marshall's contract had been cut, and he was to leave the team. His attempt to appeal this in court was unsuccessful, and he was dropped in favour of Power, who signed a three-year contract. The team ran their third car again in the season finale at Mexico, where newly crowned Atlantics champion Dutchman Charles Zwolsman made his debut.

2006

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Rumours that Ryan Briscoe would be taking the #15 car were crushed when Tagliani re-signed prior to Long Beach. In 2006, Team Australia's commitment extended not only to two Champ Cars, but a two-car Atlantic squad, all aimed at fostering young talent. The team showed fantastic pace at the opening round at Long Beach, with Tagliani and Power running third and fourth respectively before a forced error dropped him down the order. He then suffered from brake problems but finished a competitive 9th, while Tagliani took a podium.

The team had consistent top-ten finishes, never really achieving more until Will Power took a pole position at his home race at Surfer's Paradise. He led the race comfortably until Sébastien Bourdais made a move on Power which damaged both cars. Power finished well down the order, but made up for it with a podium at the season finale in Mexico. He also won the Roshfrans Rookie of the Year title, as well as the Bridgestone Passion for Excellence award, the first driver other than Bourdais to win it.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

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Craig Gore expanded the Team Australia stable of global motorsport interests with a partnership with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing that included the naming-rights sponsorship of Marcos Ambrose's entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2006.

The sponsorship was weaved into a nationwide marketing campaign designed to promote quality Australian and Australian-themed products and Australia as a tourism destination. The new green and gold Ford F-150 truck carried Team Australia, Aussie Vineyards and R. M. Williams signage.

Driving the #20 Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150, Ambrose had best finishes of 3rd in Kansas and Nashville and took the pole position in Kentucky.

Atlantic series

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In their first year of Atlantic, the team won their first title, with young French driver Simon Pagenaud. He was partnered by James Davison initially, until the underperforming Australian was dropped in favour of countrymate Michael Patrizi.

Team details

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The team gained most of its sponsorship from the businesses of Gore and Fish. Gore's financial company, Wright Patton Shakespeare, features on the sides and nosecone of the cars, Fish Liquor are sponsors and their wine business Aussie Vineyards was the title sponsor. The team was also sponsored by the Queensland State Government, Visa credit cards, R. M. Williams, and Qantas. The relationship ended in early 2008 and Gore, Fish and Walker are no longer directly involved, with Walker announcing that Walker Racing will not contest the unified 2008 IRL season.[1] Gore has taken driver Will Power and the Team Australia name to KV Racing.

Drivers who have driven for Team Australia

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IndyCar (2008) (KV Racing)
Champ Car (2005–2007) (Walker Racing)
V8 Supercars (2004–2007) (WPS Racing)
Champ Car Atlantics (2006–2007) (Walker Racing)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2006) (Wood Brothers/JTG Racing)
NASCAR Busch Series (2007) (Wood Brothers/JTG Racing)

Complete motorsport results

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V8 Supercar

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to be completed (key)

  • Bold indicates pole position.
Year Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Pts
2004  
ADL
 
ECR
 
PUK
 
HDV
 
BAR
 
QUE
 
WIN
 
ORP
 
SAN
 
BAT
 
SUR
 
SYP
 
ECR
  Besnard 13 17 25 29 30 19 32 31 16 Ret 12 13 30th 790
  Noske 28 20 20 21 30 35th 304
  O'Brien 16 60th 132
  McIntyre 21 Ret 18 46th 199
  Yoong 21 15 28 36th 278
  McFadyen 15 43rd 226
  Kelly 21 33 44th 214
2005  
ADL
 
PUK
 
BAR
 
ECR
 
SHA
 
HDV
 
QUE
 
ORP
 
SAN
 
BAT
 
SUR
 
SYP
 
PHI
  Besnard 23 32 16 29 32 32 13 16 19 8 21 29 27 25th 904
  Baird 28 28 19 15 20 23 16 33 19 8 14 23 31 23rd 980
  Tagliani 22 13 54th 144
  Marshall 22 13 53rd 144
2006  
ADL
 
PUK
 
BAR
 
WIN
 
HDV
 
QUE
 
ORP
 
SAN
 
BAT
 
SUR
 
SYP
 
BAH
 
PHI
  Wilson 9 22 23 10 17 12 29 11 14 17 13 16 17 15th 2038
  Bargwanna 25 14 17 24 10 26 7 7 10 8 15 22 10 14th 2053
  Besnard 11 14 45th 220
  Baird 7 10 38th 287
2007  
ADL
 
BAR
 
PUK
 
WIN
 
ECR
 
HDV
 
QUE
 
ORP
 
SAN
 
BAT
 
SUR
 
BAH
 
SYP
 
PHI
  Wilson 26 18 15 18 23 13 19 13 Ret 7 10 25 24 19 17th 110
  Bargwanna 19 25 30 20 15 18 22 21 Ret 7 11 10 29 21 18th 109
  Caruso Ret 15 49th* 6
  Denyer Ret 15 50th 6

Champ Car Atlantic Championship

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(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Car Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 D.C. Points
2006 Swift-Mazda Cosworth LBH HOU MTY POR CLE1 CLE2 TOR EDM SJO DEN MTL ROA
  James Davison 5 13 10 21 25 13 13 12 13 7 22 17th 69
  Michael Patrizi 8 15 25th 21
  Simon Pagenaud 15 4 2 2 23 2 5 4 1 9 3 2 17 1st 258
2007 Swift-Mazda Cosworth LVG LBH HOU POR1 POR2 CLE MTT TOR EDM1 EDM2 SJO ROA
  Simona de Silvestro 5 17 28 15 16 16 11 7 18 13 22 10 22 19th 69
  Ryan Lewis 15 Wth 25 27 3 5 21 13 5 9 13 23 10 12th 107

Champ Car World Series

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(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Chassis Engine Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 D.C. Points
2005 LBH MTY MIL POR CLE TOR EDM SJO DEN MTL LSV SRF MXC
Lola B02/00 Ford XFE V8 t   Alex Tagliani 15 15 3 10 18 4 3 7 9 14 5 7 4 8 7th 207
  Marcus Marshall 5 14 16 13 14 12 14 8 12 12 16 9 11 16th 104
  Will Power 10 22nd 17
25 15
  Charles Zwolsman Jr. 13 27th 8
2006 LBH HOU MTY MIL POR CLE TOR EDM SJO DEN MTL ROA SRF MXC
Lola B02/00 Ford XFE V8 t   Will Power 5 9 7 11 11 18 9 7 6 6 4 5 13 12 3 6th 213
  Alex Tagliani 15 3 11 5 Wth 11 4 6 12 14 16 7 11 3 5 8th 205
2007 LSV LBH HOU POR CLE MTT TOR EDM SJO ROA ZOL ASN SFR MXC
Panoz DP01 Cosworth XFE V8 t   Will Power 5 1* 3 11 4 10* 3 1 15 4 16 4 14 16 2 4th 262
  Simon Pagenaud 15 12 14 5 8 5 4 4 4 10 11 12 6 5 6 8th 232

NASCAR

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Craftsman Truck Series

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Season Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NCTC Pts
2006   Ambrose 20 Ford DAY CAL ATL MAR
33
GTY
34
CLT
36
MFD
23
DOV
26
TEX
27
MCH
26
MLW
18
KAN
3
KEN
19
MEM
34
IRP
22
NSH
3
BRI
26
NHA
23
LVS
7
TAL
17
MAR
25
ATL
16
TEX
10
PHO
15
HOM
27
21st 2228

Busch Series

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NASCAR Busch Series results
Season Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 NBSC Pts
2007   Ambrose 59 Ford DAY
16
CAL
25
MXC
8
LVS
10
ATL
28
BRI
28
NSH
17
TEX
31
PHO
22
TAL
25
RCH
26
DAR
19
CLT
20
DOV
6
NSH
36
KEN
11
MLW
15
NHA
30
DAY
35
CHI
37
GTY
18
IRP
32
CGV
7
GLN
13
MCH
19
BRI
37
CAL
13
RCH
15
DOV
20
KAN
39
CLT
40
MEM
4
TEX
30
PHO
15
HOM
10
8th 3477

Overall stats

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Series Seasons Races Poles Wins Podiums
(Non-win)
Point Finishes
(Non-podium)
Total points Championships Best finish
(Championship)
Champ Car 4 69 3 2 7 47 1,054 0 6th (2006)
Champ Car Atlantic 2 35 1 1 5 17 473 1 1st (2006)
NASCAR Truck 1 22 1 0 2 18 2,228 0 21st (2006)
NASCAR Busch 1 20 0 0 0 17 1,939 0 N/A

References

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