Will Davison joins Garth Tander in the Toll Holden Racing Team VE Commodores for 2009, replacing Mark Skaife who retired at the end of last season.

Following Skaife’s retirement, Tom Walkinshaw becomes the sole owner of the Toll Holden Racing team, bringing a wealth of motorsport experience gained on racetracks and formulas across Europe, North America, the United Kingdom and of course here in Australia.

Walkinshaw founded Australia’s best known race team in partnership with General Motors Holden in 1988, at the same time establishing Holden Special Vehicles – the niche, high performance car company that has gone on to produce over 60,000 vehicles for Australian, New Zealand international markets.

Walkinshaw has been closely and vitally involved in the local road car and race car industries over the same time frame, creating thousands of jobs and two of Australia’s most recognisable brands.

Walkinshaw’s involvement in local motorsport extends beyond the five time Bathurst 1000/six time V8 Supercar Championship winning Holden Racing Team. He was instrumental in establishing Holden Young Lions earlier this decade, which in turn became K-Mart Racing – today known as the HSV Dealer Team.

These teams have also enjoyed considerable Bathurst and Championship success. His involvement and investment in the Toll Holden Racing Team is a good omen for fans right around the country.

The last few years have bought their share of triumphs and tragedies for Australia’s famous motorsport team.

In its long history the team has consistently demonstrated its winning form, experience and innovation, amassing six championships and five Bathurst 1000 titles, as well as 61 round victories – many more than any other team.

Originally, HRT was based in Notting Hill in Melbourne’s outer east. However the growth of the Team necessitated a move in early 1996 to its current base at Clayton Business Park, in the same complex as Holden Special Vehicles.

In 1989, Perkins Engineering was contracted by Holden Special Vehicles to run the racecars under the HSV banner, with the Holden Racing Team being established the following year under the management of Win Percy. Success was immediate, with Percy combining with Alan Grice to win that year’s Toohey’s 1000 at Mount Panorama, followed by a second place in 1991.

With the establishment of the V8-only category (later to become V8 Supercars) in 1993 and a return to the Holden Vs Ford format much loved by motorsport fans in this country, HRT rebuilt. Under Managing Director John Crennan and Team Manager Jeff Grech the restructure began, with new personnel, new equipment and in 1994, the return of Peter Brock to the Holden factory team, plus the support of major sponsor Mobil Oil (Australia) Ltd. Mobil then became naming rights sponsor in 1995.

The three-year plan implemented in 1994 had its result in 1996 with Craig Lowndes, in his debut season, sweeping the Australian Touring Car Championship. Alongside Greg Murphy, he backed this up with wins in the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 events. That was the first title for HRT, followed by the recent remarkable winning run of Championships from 1998 to 2002, shared by Lowndes and then Skaife. Victories at Australia’s premier touring car event, the Bathurst 1000, also followed in 2001 and 2002.

2003 began the most challenging period in the team’s history. Initially the Team was in charge of the homologation development of Holden’s V8 Commodore race package, including the V8 category’s “Project Blueprint” for technical parity, which was a massive engineering test.

The fortunes of the team have ebbed and flowed over the last five years, with highlights including Mark Skaife’s 50th round win for HRT in 2005. He was joined by Todd Kelly to win the Bathurst crown that year.

Last year saw 2007 V8 Supercar Champion, Garth Tander, join the Toll Holden Racing Team. He finished third in the 2008 Championship including impressive wins at Hamilton, Winton and Oran Park, as well as the Phillip Island 500 endurance event and non-championship round at the Australian Grand Prix.

As Holden’s official factory team, the Toll Holden Racing Team is proud to be able to continue Holden’s long tradition in motor sport in Australia. The Team is also honoured to have been, or be associated with major National and International companies as part of the sponsor portfolio with firstly Telecom (Telstra) and then Mobil as major sponsors. Since 2008, Holden has shared naming rights to the Team with Toll Holdings, a major freight and logistics company. Mobil continues to be heavily involved in supporting HRT.

The success of the Toll Holden Racing Team has encouraged key joint venture partners in technical support areas such as the partnership with John Hart Technology and Mazak Machine Tools that have resulted in HRT enjoying one of the most comprehensive small design and manufacturing facilities in Australia. Similarly too, a long association with automotive paint refinisher PPG, has allowed the Group to have its own body repair and paint shop based in-house.

The Toll Holden Racing Team is looking forward to delivering results on the track in 2009 and repaying the faith and support of its legion of fans.