Leaked Kelly letter keeps angst alive
While Craig Lowndes has been insisting that the bad blood over the way the V8 Supercar Championship ended last year is over, the contents of a leaked letter revealed in today's Auto Action magazine won't letter the matter die.

Auto Action editor-at-large Mark Fogarty reveals that the letter was sent to backers of Kelly's Toll-sponsored HSV Dealer Team late last year and that Ford superstar Lowndes took his Holden rival, and 2006 champion, Kelly to task when he got wind of its contents.

Fogarty reports that the letter contains inflammatory comments about Lowndes and his Triple Eight team's reaction to losing the title fight, and in a sidebar story quotes extensively from the document.

"Most controversially, the letter charges Triple Eight boss Roland Dane tried to convince the stewards that Kelly planned the title-deciding collision (at Phillip Island)," Fogarty writes.

"Lowndes took such exception that he sent Kelly an email complaining about the contents and tone of the letter, which went out to HSVDT's sponsors and business partners in mid-December. It was issued just days after Kelly and Lowndes had spoken amicably at the V8 Supercar Gala Awards Dinner. But on top of Kelly's subsequent comments to the media blaming Lowndes, the letter provoked the Ford star into responding personally. He is understood to have expressed bitter disappointment that Kelly had inflamed the situation, as well as objecting to the comments and claims ascribed to him.

"The Kelly letter was intended only for distribution among HSVDT's backers, but a copy obtained by a Ford supporter was forwarded to Lowndes. It was also mistakenly posted on Toll's website, being quickly removed."

Fogarty reports that the letter was clearly headlined for the attention of the team's business partners, sponsors and dealers, signed 'Rick', and that there was some embarrassment that the document became public.

There was also concern about the source of the leak, as it appears to have been a draft version -- with a mock advertisement for a Lowndes tissue box -- that was circulated.

Kelly is understood, according to Fogarty, to be uncomfortable about the leak, while Lowndes clearly wants to put the matter behind him, saying that -- while he disagrees with Kelly's views -- he has no lingering ill-feelings.

However, in motorsport circles these latest revelations are likely to overshadow the launch this week of the new-look on the Triple Eight cars.

The overwhelming red paintwork in the Vodafone livery is raising some eyebrows over the extent to which it overpowers Ford's blue oval logo.

With Ford and Holden under massive financial pressures, more questions may be asked by the manufacturers in future about exactly what it is they want, and are getting, out of participating in racing.


Well well. I thought that the letter from Rick Kelly may have been a joke. Turns out that it was, in fact, legit!

prick.

ford should just pay some of the lower rank teams to ram kelly every race by 'accident'

why has the little C*** not been fined or got in any trouble over his coments?? if it were lowndes still making coments about the incident i bet he would get fined. i know a lot of people would say we only see it this way cos we are ford fans but i know s**t of holden fans that dont blame kelly but blame v8 supercar oficials for not enforcing there own rules and creating the worst day in australian motorsport history. god dam this s**t, it drives me mad. this sport will never change til the wankers that are running it move on.

does anyone have a copy of the rick kelly car photo?
i think it says if you cant beat em shunt em??
send one to me
stephen@thefordsite.com

Email sent!

I plan on getting shirts made, then going to Sandown and getting both Rick and Craig to sign it lol.

thanks walker!!!, who do i give credit to for making them?
If you make the shirts let me know, ill buy one!

P.S DONT FORGET TO MAKE KIDS SIZES!!!! MY 5 YEARS OLD HATES KELLY, SHE CALLES HIME THE WEAZEL

No idea who photo shopped the pics, whoever it was deserves a medal lol.

I'll have to start doing a search and get prices on them.
Will definately have kids ones made as i have 2 kids aged 4 and 7.

im up for a shirt walker

it was some guy on fordforums.com.au i believe. saw a post on there with him a lil cut about someone making shirts outta the pic he made, and selling them on ebay without letting him know

saw the shirts on ebay the other day, they look unreal and for about $25 i reckon its a bargin.

What does he expect?
He should have water marked or put his signature on it!!!