2014 International V8 Supercars Championship

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The 2014 International V8 Supercars Championship was the 16th edition of the series and an FIA-sanctioned international racing championship for V8 Supercars. Volvo entered the championship with a factory-backed team, Volvo Polestar Racing, running the Volvo S60. It marked Volvo’s return to Australian touring car racing for the first time since 1986.

Jamie Whincup of Triple Eight Race Engineering won his sixth drivers’ championship, setting a new record. His team also won the teams’ championship. Whincup and co-driver Paul Dumbrell won the Endurance Cup, with wins at the Sandown 500 and the Gold Coast 600.

Twenty-five cars competed in the full season, down from 28 in 2013. There were many changes between teams and drivers, including Volvo joining the series, Garry Rogers Motorsport switching to Volvo, and several teams downsizing or reorganizing their racing programs. Some teams ran wildcard entries for specific events, and a number of drivers moved between teams or took on new roles during the year.

The calendar featured two main event formats outside the Endurance Cup. The “Super Street” format was used at events like the Clipsal 500, Townsville, and Sydney 500, with two 125-kilometre races on Saturday and a 250-kilometre race on Sunday. All other events used the “Super Sprint” format, with two 100-kilometre races on Saturday and a single 200-kilometre race on Sunday (the Pukekohe event included an extra Friday race). The Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000, and Gold Coast 600 continued to count toward the Endurance Cup and kept their longer race formats. The 60/60 Sprint format from 2013 was dropped, and several races were held under twilight conditions.

Practice sessions became time-certain, meaning sessions ended after a set time. There were also changes to safety car restarts and starting procedures, including how formations and re-starts were handled after red flags. All Sunday races required a specified amount of fuel, except Endurance Cup events.

Key moments included a dramatic Bathurst 1000 where Ford Performance Racing won with Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris; Jamie Whincup led late but ran out of fuel and finished fifth. Scott McLaughlin scored Volvo’s first win since 1986 at the Perth 400. The season ended with storms around Sydney; the final race was red-flagged and eventually won by Shane van Gisbergen, leaving him second in the championship behind Whincup. Mark Winterbottom finished the year in the top ranks, with Whincup securing the title and van Gisbergen finishing second overall.

In summary, 2014 was a year of expansion for Volvo, strategic team shake-ups, and a season-long battle culminating in Jamie Whincup’s record sixth championship, with Shane van Gisbergen finishing a close second.