Few have dominated their chosen sports like Jamie Whincup, a record-breaking, six-time V8 Supercars champion looking for a fifth consecutive title in 2015.
Whincup appears unstoppable: driving for the best team in pitlane; with the support of the most committed manufacturer; stability in terms of personnel behind him; and a new contract up his sleeve.
But genuine challengers are emerging – and there are a few putting their hands up for a crack at Whincup. And for some of them, 2015 is a make or break year; now or never.
First among them is the factory Ford team, Prodrive Racing Australia, often the bridesmaids to Whincup. Recent Bathurst winners Mark Winterbottom and Chaz Mostert are now equipped with the new FG X Falcon, which appears to have overcome the aerodynamic deficiencies of the dated FG.
With Ford funding coming to an end following this season, this is Winterbottom’s time to strike and claim that elusive championship. As for Mostert, he will be flying high from his last-to-first Bathurst win last season and could get on par with his more experienced teammate.
Then there’s the official factory Holden team, the Holden Racing Team, looking to end a 13-year championship drought. The team’s edged closer to the front in recent years, boosted by the arrival of former Whincup team manager, Adrian Burgess. But now’s the time for a proper championship tilt.
As for those who will only get stronger, young gun Scott McLaughlin starred in his new Volvo Polestar S60 last season. With a season’s worth of development under their belt, the Volvo should be even more of a threat.
Tekno Autosports’ Shane van Gisbergen punched well above his team’s weight in a customer car last season, stealing runners-up in the championship ahead of Winterbottom and Whincup’s teammate Craig Lowndes, and he’s only growing in confidence with the single-car team rallying behind him.
The surprise packet could well be Nissan Motorsport, as the four-car factory-backed team looks to climb up the grid after a lackluster two seasons.
Aside from the new FG X Falcon, the Nissan Altima has undergone the most changes in terms of aerodynamics. And early signs from testing suggest the Altima has taken a step forward and could emerge from the mid-pack to challenge for wins.
Meanwhile, there will be a lot attention on DJR Team Penske’s Marcos Ambrose, the former champ returning to the series after nine years in NASCAR with the new-look team now owned by North American racing giant, Team Penske.
Ambrose and the team may need some time to get acquainted with the new-generation V8 Supercar, though if the FG X is speedy right away, the returnee could be pushing for top 10s soon rather than later.
For the sake of the series, it’s hoped one or more of these combinations can take it to Whincup. In the first year of its new media-rights deal, where there will be intense interest in the ratings on Fox Sports and Network Ten, V8 Supercars can’t afford a whitewash.
But looking at the formbook, there are enough contenders to give Whincup a harder time than in recent seasons. But whether one of those combos can dethrone the champ, that’s another story.
SM
Guest
Pity that he's been content with being at a powerhouse team and being a big fish in a small pond rather than test himself overseas, but he's done very well out of it and I suppose you can't begrudge him for that.
Chucka
Guest
You mean since Adrian Burgess left, I hate to say it (as a Ford man) but HRT will be the one to watch this year
Ryan Eckford
Roar Guru
Adrian, I think the way to answer this question is to look at the back end of last season, basically from the start of Townsville onwards. From this point of the season, only six full-time drivers won races. They were Jamie Whincup (9 wins), Shane Van Gisbergen (4 wins), Scott McLaughlin (3 wins), James Courtney (1 win), Chaz Mostert (1 win), and Garth Tander (1 win). The general form grain was that Triple Eight built cars, Volvo and HRT were strong. Mostert's win, whilst deserving, was a lucky one for FPR (now PRA), as they were struggling to qualify well enough to use the real strength of that car, which was its long run pace, and especially in unusual dry conditions, which goes against the norm. PRA and BJR seemed to do well in similar conditions, and in that part of last season, PRA (then FPR) recorded only seven podiums, and BJR only two podiums. At Sydney Motorsport Park in the SuperTest Shootout, four of the Top 10 cars were either PRA or BJR cars, and the conditions weren't ideal for fast times, and the shootout was really the first time the cars were on new tyres. So I think PRA will struggle a little bit, as will BJR, relative to the front-runners. I also think Triple Eight built cars will be strong, along with Volvo and HRT.
FrozenNorth
Guest
Volvo will come back to the pack i reakon, almost inevitable.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Don't under estimate Ambrose's driving skills. He will get more out of the car than a lot of other drivers. May not push for championship this season but look out next year.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
I'd LOVE seeing McLaughlin up there.
Tanami Singh
Guest
For the sake of V8 Supercabs lets hope someone else is good enough
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
It will take some time for the Penske side of DJR Team Penske to really exert their influence, but results will come. I mean, Penske's been a winner for a long time in just about every series he's ever entered. I don't think they'll challenge outright for a championship this year, but next year? Yeah, probably. Penske doesn't lose.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
McLaughlin is a huge chance in the Volvo. I don't know if Ambrose can get back straight away, the DJR cars have been off the pace since Courtney left.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
For the sake of the season of racing and the championship, I hope there's a little more competition at the pointy end. Drawing a comparison to NASCAR, there's been a definite downward trend in support both at the track and on television since Jimmie Johnson, who is about as popular as Whincup - started his run of championship success. The best recipe for a racing series is a close points battle, and a season finale where there are multiple drivers who could possibly win.