Rick Kelly
| Rick Kelly | |
|---|---|
 Rick Kelly signing autographs in 2009. | |
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Born | 17 January 1983 Mildura, Victoria |
| Supercars Championship career | |
| Car number | 15 |
| Current team | Nissan Motorsport |
| Championships | 1 (2006) |
| Races | 437 |
| Wins | 12 |
| Podiums | 55 |
| Pole positions | 8 |
| 2015 position | 9th (2154 pts) |
Rick Kelly (born 17 January 1983 in Mildura, Victoria) is a V8 Supercar racing driver, currently living in Melbourne, Victoria. He is the younger brother of former Bathurst 1000 winner, Todd Kelly. He previously drove for the HSV Dealer Team and has previously contributed to winning at the Bathurst 1000 alongside Greg Murphy in 2003 and 2004 under the banner of Kmart Racing.[1] Kelly was the 2006 V8 Supercar Champion for the HSV Dealer Team.[2] He moved to the new formed family team Kelly Racing for 2009 and onwards.[3]
2006 Supercar Championship
In 2006, Kelly won the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series after being one of the most consistent performers throughout the season. The victory, however, was not without its share of controversy.
Despite not winning a single round overall (though he did win an individual race), or scoring a pole position in any individual race, Kelly entered the final round of the series at Phillip Island seven points ahead of his nearest competitor, Craig Lowndes, (who had won four rounds) due to consistent high points finishes in all twelve of the previous 2006 rounds.
Coming into the third and final race of the round, Lowndes had managed to pull back the deficit to be even on points with Kelly, meaning that the driver out of the two who finished first would clinch the championship. Two laps into the final race, Kelly collided with Lowndes, who then slid into Todd Kelly. Damage to Lowndes car resulted in him finishing 29th, whereas Rick Kelly finished 18th and was awarded the series title despite not having won a single round.[4][5]
Career results
-
Kelly placed 14th in the 2012 V8 Supercars Championship driving a Holden VE Commodore -
Kelly placed 14th in the 2013 V8 Supercars Championship driving a Nissan L33 Altima -
Kelly placed 13th in the 2014 V8 Supercars Championship driving a Nissan L33 Altima
Charitable work
Kelly has joined other publicly known figures in support of the "Oscar's Law" campaign, a protest against the factory farming of companion animals. The campaign is named after a neglected dog found in central Victoria, Australia, and was launched in 2010. The list of supporters includes Kate Ceberano (singer), Jon Stevens (singer) and Sia (musician).[6] Kelly not only appears on the campaign's website, but he has also promoted the campaign on his Twitter account.[7]
References
- ^ Bob Jennings (11 October 2004). "Murphy and Kelly go back-to-back at Bathurst". The Sydney Morning Herald. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "2006 V8 Supercar Championship Final Points". V8 Supercars Australia. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "Jack Daniel's teams up with Kelly Racing". Holden Motorsport. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- ^ McKay, Peter (11 December 2006) Kelly emerges in dramatic finale
- ^ Stanford, James (11 December 2006); Stewards reject Lowndes' appeal; The Herald Sun
- ^ "Home". Oscar's law. Oscar's Law. 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ Rick Kelly (24 August 2011). "Get on board to help stop puppy farms and the sale of puppy's in pet shops". Rick Kelly Twitter account. Twitter. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
