Holden stars shine despite major changes

DIFFERENT year, same qualifying result in the V8 Supercars for the season-opening Adelaide round.

DIFFERENT year, same qualifying result in the V8 Supercars for the season-opening Adelaide round despite the greatest upheaval in 20 years in the category.

Despite all 28 teams boasting a new vehicle under Car of the Future specifications, Holden still stood proud after race one qualifying yesterday thanks to Kiwi star Shane van Gisbergen (1min 21.36sec) ahead of Ford gun Mark Winterbottom (1:21.40) and veteran Craig Lowndes (1:21.44).

In an amazing test of mettle, van Gisbergen deflected reports that his disgruntled former team might take legal action to stop him racing in Adelaide by dictating terms in qualifying in his Tekno Autosports Commodore.

Van Gisbergen sensationally walked away from a recently renewed three-season deal with Ford's Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) and "retired" from V8s late in 2012, citing a lack of motivation.

However, he again shocked the touring car community by signing up for family-run Holden team Tekno Autosports this year, much to SBR's dismay.

SBR -- since sold to Erebus Motorsport and running Mercedes cars -- claimed van Gisbergen's Tekno Autosports deal contravened the terms of his release and there were reports they were seeking an injunction to enforce a one-year, non-compete clause.

Fellow Kiwi driver Fabian Coulthard further stoked the debate yesterday when he questioned van Gisbergen's controversial switch.

"Amongst the drivers, we don't really appreciate being lied to," he told New Zealand's Radio Sport.

The V8 stars again shone brightly but a dark cloud appears to hover over new entries Mercedes and Nissan. Much was said about extrovert billionaire Betty Klimenko's Erebus Motorsport's V8 arrival that was this season ushered in by the new specifications.

But tongues were wagging for all the wrong reasons after European driver Maro Engel spun off, spilled oil and was towed away with what was believed to be a blown engine late in the initial qualifying session in an inglorious V8 debut.

AAP