The V8 Supercars chessboard has shuffled big time for 2010, but no move has the potential for more significance than Fabian Coulthard's signing for the red general…

If there was a credible blueprint for a young driver's passage to sign with a heavyweight team, Fabian Coulthard's pathway to a factory ride stands as a classic example. There's been no big pay cheque to fast-track a career, just a good old fashioned work ethic, plus ability and professionalism.

Coulthard has landed a prized seat under the mighty Walkinshaw Racing umbrella for all the right reasons. He's a gifted driver but Coulthard also comes as the complete package - as a corporate icon, he's a valuable commodity off the track.

Reconstructing TeamVodafone

Triple Eight's decision to swap from Ford to Holden was the shock of 2009. But there will be no surprises when it comes to the technical principles team technical director Ludo Lacroix and his engineers apply to designing, building and maintaining the Commodores Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes take into battle in 2010

We're all licking our lips at the prospect of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes taking on Garth Tander and Will Davison in 2010. Superstars versus superstars. TeamVodafone versus HRT. Holden versus... Holden.

That last point of conflict is perhaps the most fascinating sub-plot of all. HRT, with the might of Walkinshaw Performance and Holden Motorsport behind it, undoubtedly knows better than anyone how to build, prepare and maintain race-winning Commodores under the current V8 Supercar technical regulations.

TeamVodafone is the shopfront for Triple Eight Race Engineering, the company led by Roland Dane (and co-owned with minority shareholders Derek Warwick and Ian Harrison) that has turned from V8 Supercar neophyte to class-of-the-field in just six seasons.

25 things that made us go gaga in 2009

Season 2009 had lashings of grunt punctuated by resignations, a raft of massive rule changes, the A1GP farce, team closures, sales and the champion team announcing mid-year it would switch to Holdens in 2010. Here is our snapshot of the season that was...

Whinner, whinner

Jamie Whincup does a lot of soul searching in his 'actual' first interview after he was officially crowned the 2009 V8 Supercar Champion

When someone pulls off a big win in a casino the standard cry is "winner winner chicken dinner" so considering that motorsport is one big gamble the saying carries over nicely into V8 Supercars.

And when you are talking about Jamie Whincup, our new back-to-back champion, that line is even better except in written form it might become 'whinner whinner chicken dinner' to play on his name.

The TeamVodafone driver wrapped up the championship on the Saturday at the Sydney Telstra 500 but he was not awarded the trophy until the Sunday.

Choked with emotion, he could barely squeeze out a sentence on the podium but had composed himself for the press conference immediately after the trophy presentation.
V8X boarded a golf cart with Whincup as he went from the press conference to a function with team sponsor Vodafone to celebrate his win.
It is Whincup's first in-depth interview after the championship presentation and the emotions of a tough yet rewarding year are evident in the 26-year-old's voice and mannerisms.

Brand Power

Gone are the days of drivers slapping a logo on their helmet in return for a new lawnmower or boat. These days, personal sponsorship deals are worked out in great detail, and these developments have led to a new vocation within the V8 Supercar scene - the driver manager

The days of Australian racing drivers and team owners agreeing to a contract with the shake of a hand are long gone. The rise of V8 Supercars from a simple sport to a major national (and international) spectacle has seen the series explode with money and sponsors.

Increasing numbers of V8 Supercar drivers are calling on experienced business and public relations experts to deal with their complex financial and sponsorship needs. V8X recently sat down with three of the sport's leading driver managers to discuss their role in the sport, the challenges of doing business in such a competitive environment and how they go about working with highly focused athletes.

Arabian delight

The V8 Supercars Championship takes the next step with a double-header in the Middle East to start the season, and a stunning new track, but what does this mean for fans?

The 2009 V8 Supercars Championship is done and dusted and it has been one of the best yet - so how does the category better that in 2010?
Well, the show packing up and heading overseas for a double-header opening in the Middle East is how.
The season begins at the brand-new Yas Marina Circuit in February before heading off to Bahrain within the space of a week.

And we hear you say 'but the V8s have already been to Bahrain' but this time around the attitude is totally different.
In past years Bahrain was placed towards the end of the championship and while it was a massive coup for the category that should not be downplayed, to be brutally honest its relevance to Australasian fans took a back seat in all the preparations.

But now that the logistics of a fly-away event are now down pat, V8 Supercars is welcoming its fans along for the ride. And what a ride it will be.