History
The team as it is known today came about from a collaboration between K-mart and Holden before the 2001 season, resulting in the two-car K-mart Racing Team. This was as the result of a TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) initiative to run two level one teams from one facility with much help of Greg Murphy and Jeff Grech. Under K-Mart sponsorship the team won the 2003 and 2004 Bathurst 1000 races with Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly at the wheel.
K-mart sponsorship ended at the conclusion of the 2004 season, resulting in the team becoming known as the HSV Dealer Team in 2005. The Toll Holdings Group became the title sponsor of the team for the 2006 season alongside with HSV.
The 2006 season was the most successful in the team's history at the time, with Rick Kelly winning the drivers championship, and the team winning the team championship, courtesy of a strong combined points haul from Rick Kelly and Garth Tander. Prior to this, the team had taken two wins at the Bathurst 1000, courtesy of Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy.
The 2007 season was another successful year with Garth Tander winning the championship in a thrilling final round, the team winning the Teams Championship, and Holden winning the Constructors Championship.
2008 saw Toll shift some of their sponsorship emphasis from HSVDT to the Holden Racing Team, continuing their relationship with the departing Garth Tander. This left a seat at the team which was later filled by Paul Dumbrell in the Autobarn car.
Franchise owner John Kelly announced late in 2008 that he would be taking his franchises away from an association with Walkinshaw Performance and be establishing a new team, forming a technical partnership with Perkins Motorsport to establish Kelly Racing for which his sons Todd and Rick would drive for.
Read more about this topic: HSV Dealer Team
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