What have been the 25 biggest blow-ups, blues and break-ups in V8 history? Source: Supplied
V8 Supercars has just endured it's highest-profile split in a while, with Roland Dane marching Adrian Burgess out of Red Bull Racing headquarters after revealing he'd signed a deal with the Holden Racing Team.
But in a sport that's had more than it's fair share of acrimonious partings-of-the-way, where does it rate?
Let's have a look at the 25 biggest break-ups, blues and feuds in the history of V8 Supercars.
1. PETER BROCK and HOLDEN
Think Holden and you think Brock. He was the ultimate Red warrior and the man responsible for selling more Commodores than anyone. But back in 1987, "Peter perfect" was a General Motors' outcast. In one of the most dramatic splits in V8 history, the V8 legend was dumped by the famous Australian company for refusing to dump a snake oil device known as the "energy polariser". Brock thought he was bigger than the company and ended up, in first, a BMW and then... gasp, a Ford. Plenty of blood was spilt and Brock spent two years in a Sierra before getting back into a Holden.
Brock and the Energy Polariser that drove a wedge between he and Holden. Source: News Limited
2. DICK JOHNSON and CHARLIE SCHWERKOLT
Ford legend Johnson thought forklift entrepreneur Charlie Schwerkolt was his latest finacial saviour. Long time friends, they became partners and the future looked bright. Then Charlie wanted to sack Dick's driving son Steve, along with other members of his family. The gloves came off and the pair won a championship while not talking. They went through a nasty split and still don't talk to this day. The drama cost Johnson champion driver James Courtney, along with half his staff.
Johnson and Schwerkolt in happier times, celebrating a Will Davison win in 2008. Source: Supplied
3. MARK SKAIFE and the HOLDEN RACING TEAM
HRT blame former owner Mark Skaife for almost ruining their team and Skaife blames them for almost ruining him. They are two sides to the story but what can be taken for fact is that this was an ugly chapter in V8 history. Skaife, the Holden legend, bought the team for $1 when owner Tom Walkinshaw hit bad times. The story goes Tom wanted it back and ran Skaife into the ground. Skaife and HRT are still far from friends.
Skaife near the end of HRT's reign, Clipsal 500 in 2003. Picture: Campbell Brodie. Source: News Limited
4. MARK SKAIFE and RUSSELL INGALL
This high-profile duo were probably never best of friends and whatever they had was certainly killed off on a fiery day at Eastern Creek. Skaife was never one to take a shunt lightly and he walked from his wrecked car, towards the track, and shook his hands at Ingall. Another hot-head, Ingall swerved to hit him. Enough said.
5. CRAIG LOWNDES and HOLDEN
He was the next Peter Brock and the wunderkid Holden fans were pinning their hopes on. And then he broke their hearts in 2000 when he dumped them and HRT for Ford. Lowndes became public enemy No.1 one, but with a smile and a switch back to Holden in 2010, all was forgiven.
Skaife and Lowndes may have been all smiles, but Holden fans were less happy. Picture: Brett Hartwig Source: News Limited
6. MARCOS AMBROSE and GREG MURPHY
More a blue than a bust up, this two top-guns began a bitter rivalry with first a war of words in a press conference in 2004 and than a famous Bathurst blue in 2005. The pair still don't exchange Christmas cards.
7. DICK JOHNSON and JOHN BOWE
Best of mates, life-long friends, well ... until Bowe did a secret deal to leave Dick in 1998. The pair now speak but will never have the close bond of yesteryear.
Johnson and Bowe celebrating their second Bathurst win together in 1994. Source: Supplied
8. JAMES COURTNEY and DICK JOHNSON RACING
Courtney famously walked out on DJR after winning a championship in 2010. He had $1 million reasons (that's what HRT paid him a year) to leave, but that certainly did not make it right.
Johnson celebrates Courtney's win at Winton in 2010. Things would soon sour... Source: Supplied
9. TONY COCHRANE and V8 SUPERCARS
The founder of V8 Supercars shocked the sport by quitting his post last year. There is more to the story with the investment company that bought V8s sharing a frosty relationship with TC before he "quit".
V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane during the 2008 V8 Supercar launch in Melbourne. Source: Supplied
10. SHANE VAN GISBERGEN and STONE BROTHERS
Don't expect to see Shane Van Gisbergen in the Erebus garage anytime soon. His former team spent the first half of the year trying to sue him for leaving mid-contract in another highly controversial move.
van Gisbergen left Ford and the sport in December, returned in a Holden in January. Source: Supplied
11. ADRIAN BURGESS and ROLAND DANE
It was the divorce no-one saw coming, least of all Dane. But a throwaway line from Holden Racing Team owner Ryan Walkinshaw at an Austin bar somehow caught Burgess hook, line and sinker. When he told Dane his plans, the Red Bull boss marched him out of the building.
12. DAVID REYNOLDS and KELLY BROTHERS RACING
Reynolds had a breakout year in 2011 and plotted a move to Ford Performance Racing. Kelly Racing, who took a chance by putting him in their car, thought they had a water-tight deal with him. Cue the lawyers. It got ugly, with rumours Reynolds would either skip or be benched after Bathurst.
Reynolds had a protracted battle to leave Kelly Racing in 2011. Source: Supplied
13. JAMIE WHINCUP and GARRY ROGERS
Ten years ago, if you had said Jamie Whincup would become the greatest V8 racer of his era you'd have been laughed out of the room. His horror debut year with Garry Rogers in 2003 saw him dumped into the V8 wilderness. He's never forgotten; some say it's what made him the driver he is today.
Whincup struggled in his rookie year with Garry Rogers. Source: Supplied
14. BOB JANE and EVERYONE
A feisty and fiercely determined self-made man, it's no surprise that Jane clashed with many on his way to the top, as well as once he was there. CAMS, ANDRA, other competitors, family; you name it. It was that same determination that drove him to great heights in business and on-track.
Jane had many clashes both on and off the track. Source: News Limited
15. MARK SKAIFE and ALAN JONES
A fired up Jones punted race-leader Skaife off the track at Symmons Plains in 1993. Jones went on to win, while Skaife confronted the Ford driver after the race. Apologies to any sensitive viewers who are lip-readers ...
16. JASON BRIGHT and FORD
The Holden star was lured to Ford in 2005 with a big dollar deal, his own team, and promises he would be looked after. Then, when the economy went sour, Ford left him out in the cold. He had no option but to sack 30 staff and shut down his nest-egg team.
Britek was Bright's retirement plan. Ford pulled the plug, forcing the team to close. Source: Supplied
17. WAYNE GARDNER and the HOLDEN RACING TEAM
Much was expected of the two-wheel star's tin-top switch in 1993. But bent panels outweighed results, and when the team found out he was trying to set up his own squad they benched him for the Sandown 500.
Gardner was dubbed 'Captain Chaos' in his incident-filled V8 debut year. Source: News Limited
18. MICHAEL PATRIZI and the SPONSOR WHO HEADBUTTED HIM
If you thought the driver you were sponsoring wasn't pulling his weight, would you a) have a quiet word with him, b) pull your sponsorship, or c) question his skills then headbutt him. One of Patrizi's sponsors thought the latter was the best option after Bathurst 2008.
A sponsor took it upon himself to physically tell Patrizi what he thought of his driving. Source: Supplied
19. LARRY PERKINS and PETER BROCK
The combination of Peter Perfect and the Cowangie Kid had lifted Holden's ersatz factory team to its greatest heights. Then, all of a sudden, Perkins split mid-1985. A later 'marriage of convenience' saw the pair combine in 1991, but the old wounds doomed it to divorce.
Brock and Perkins split suddenly in 1985. A later dalliance would prove fruitless. Source: News Limited
20. TONY LONGHURST and PAUL MORRIS
It's an old story - two teammates, one piece of road, crash! This story, though, was punctuated by punches. Three, to be exact. Longhurst saw red when he thought Morris deliberately took him out of a race they were dominating.
21. ALLAN GRICE and FRANK GARDNER
Gardner the master racer/team manager did things his way, paired with Gricey, a driver who was very much his own man. It couldn't last. They split acrimoniously at the end of 1981, Gardner walking away with Grice's team, sponsor and BMW deal. A paddock scuffle several years later showed neither had forgiven or forgotten.
The true reasons for Gardner and Grice's split stayed out of the press. Source: News Limited
22. COLIN BOND and the HOLDEN DEALER TEAM
Bondy was the Holden Dealer Team's main man for many years. Then Allan Moffat came calling. For 1977, Bond crossed the floor from the factory Holden to the factory Ford team, the first high-profile driver scalp in the war between the red and blue camps.
Bond signed a deal with Moffat for 1977, crossing from Holden to Ford. Source: News Limited
23. ALAN JONES and GLENN SETON
The former F1 world champ had his greatest domestic success with Seton's crack squad but after three years he split to form his own team, pinching both Seton's sponsor and the engineering brains from rivals Dick Johnson Racing.
Seton and Jones finished one-two in the 1993 title, but it was all over by 1996. Source: News Limited
24. TRIPLE EIGHT and FORD
Possibly the most needless 'blue' on this list and, ironically, it was over the colour blue. Ford needed to cut its V8 funding and, despite Triple Eight being their strongest team, pulled the plug on their funding. All because their cars wore Vodafone red... They were soon snapped up by Holden.
Note the absence of a Ford badge on TeamVodafone's 2009 Falcon. Picture: Jim Trifyllis Source: News Limited
25. ROBBIE FRANCEVIC and the VOLVO DEALER TEAM
In the space of two months, Francevic went from winning the 1986 championship to the unemployment queue. When Volvo got serious about the team mid-year, they installed former Holden Dealer Team boss John Sheppard to run the show. He and Francevic never really saw eye to eye, and when the Kiwi said his car was unfit to race at the Sandown 500 he was shown the door.
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