Skaife, Todd and HRT win Bathurst.

It was Todd Kelly's twenty-sixth birthday, and what a way to celebrate as he and team-mate Mark Skaife took the #2 HRT Holden Commodore to victory in an incident strewn Australian V8 Supercar Series Super Cheap Auto 1000 at Mount Panorama.

A sea of red took to the track after Skaife took his fifth and Todd Kelly took his first race win, one that was gained by shrewd tactics whilst those around diced and and crashed.

Pole-sitter Craig Lowndes put himself out of the running early by pushing hard in the lead and damaging his rear suspension and then was an innocent party as a Paul Dumbrell wheel bounced on to his Betta Electrical Falcon meaning Lowndes and team-mate Yvan Muller drove Peter Brock 1985 style with no front or rear screens.

Marcos Ambrose most certainly and Warren Luff allegedly failed to wear a balaclava meaning pitlane penalties, but that was nothing compared to the smash caused late in the race as Ambrose capitalised on a mistake from Greg Murphy ahead going up the Mountain after one of many safety car periods. Murph's mistake left a door open, but the pair couldn't get through the next corner as neither conceded and a big smash wrecked their chances for finishing, and those of many behind too.

It was then a race to the finish between Mark Skaife and Jason Richards, one that Skaife won comfortably. Another race, indeed, at Mount Panorama which will be talked about for years.

Top ten
1. Mark Skaife / Todd Kelly
2. Jason Richards / Jamie Whincup
3. Steven Ellery / Adam Macrow
4. Cameron McConville / Andrew Jones
5. Russell Ingall / Luke Youlden
6. Nathan Pretty / Owen Kelly
7. John Cleland / Dale Brede
8. Dave Besnard / Craig Baird
9. Glenn Seton / Dean Canto
10. John Faulkner / Alan Gurr