Walkinshaw Racing gives up on V8 Supercar championship and turns attentionto Bathurst 1000

HOLDEN enforcer Rusell Ingall claims the powerful Walkinshaw Racing stable has given ip hope of winning the championship.

HOLDEN enforcer Rusell Ingall has made the stunning claim that the powerful Walkinshaw Racing stable - which includes the famous Holden Racing Team (HRT) - has given up all hope of winning the championship and is now just treating every round as a test run for Bathurst.

With the three car line-up failing to win a race this season in what has been a horror year, Super Cheap Auto driver Ingall admitted the team was now focused on salvaging some pride at the Bathurst 1000 with the championship out of the equation.

In a dramatic fall from grace, HRT top gun Garth Tander is languishing in 8th place on the championship ladder while former champion James Courtney is in 13th.

Ingall is almost 1000 points behind championship leader Jamie Whincup in 18th place.

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"At the moment we are just fighting over who is going to hang themselves first," Ingall said.

"We are that far behind at the moment that we are all searching for answers and it is certainly not what we were expecting.

"We thought the performance would be a lot better and really all we can do is keep swinging.

"I think there will be some desperation creeping in soon. We aren't in a good spot."

Former champion Ingall said the team was already focused on the Bathurst 1000 with a title at Mount Panorama the only way the Walkinshaw stable can salvage a woeful year.

Following a major restructure and clean-out, the Walkinshaw Racing stable has been hopelessly out-gunned by Team Vodafone and Ford Performance Racing.

"That is totally correct," Ingall said.

"That is all we are aiming for now. The rest of the meeting from now until Bathurst are just testing. We are just pushing for that."

Despite the team's focus on Bathurst, Ingall said the team may be able to jag a shock result in Townsville this weekend with Tander the reigning race winner.

"The cars don't go too bad up there so we will have to wait and see what rolls out," Ingall said.

"That will be out best shot and hopefully we will be strong. There is no doubt we have to pull our fingers out and now is the time to do it."

In his first year of a two year deal, Ingall said he had no doubt the team would return to the top before the end of the year.

"We are all working hard and this team won't accept what is going on at the moment," Ingall said.

"They are certainly interesting times and a lot is going on behind the scenes with things like car of the future, but I have no doubt we are heading in the right direction."