title: 2008 V8 Supercar season
text: # 2008 V8 Supercar season
  
  The 2008 V8 Supercar season was the twelfth season in which V8 Supercars contested the premier Australian touring car racing series. It was the 49th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, known today as the V8 Supercar Championship Series, and of the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.
  
  The season began on 21 February at the Clipsal 500 on the streets of Adelaide and finished on 7 December at Oran Park Raceway. 2008 featured the twelfth V8 Supercars Championship Series, consisting of 14 rounds covering all states and the Northern Territory of Australia as well as rounds in New Zealand and Bahrain. It also featured a non-championship event supporting the 2008 Australian Grand Prix. It included the ninth second tier Development Series, this year referred to as the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series. All bar one of the seven rounds were held as a support category for the V8 Supercar Championship Series. For the first time a third tier series was run, known as the Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series. Its four rounds were held as part of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.
  
  ## Race calendar
  
  | Race title | Circuit | City / state | Date | Series | Winner | Team | Report |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Victorian Official Test Day | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | 12 Feb | Test | Garth Tander* | Holden Racing Team | |
  | Queensland Official Test Day | Queensland Raceway | Ipswich, Queensland | 14 Feb | Test | James Courtney* | Stone Brothers Racing | |
  | Clipsal 500 | Adelaide Street Circuit | Adelaide, South Australia | 21–24 Feb | VSC 1 | Jamie Whincup | TeamVodafone | report |
  | Clipsal 500 | Adelaide Street Circuit | Adelaide, South Australia | 21–24 Feb | FVS 1 | Steve Owen | Loadsman Racing Team | |
  | Eastern Creek | Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 7–9 Mar | VSC 2 | Will Davison | Jim Beam Racing | report |
  | Sprint Gas V8 Supercars Manufacturers Challenge | Albert Park | Melbourne, Victoria | 13–16 Mar | NC | Garth Tander | Holden Racing Team | report |
  | Goulburn | Wakefield Park | Goulburn, New South Wales | 4–6 Apr | FVS 2 | Tim Slade | Slade Speed | |
  | Hamilton 400 | Hamilton Street Circuit | Hamilton, New Zealand | 18–20 Apr | VSC 3 | Garth Tander | Holden Racing Team | report |
  | BigPond 400 | Barbagallo Raceway | Perth, Western Australia | 9–11 May | VSC 4 | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Performance Racing | report |
  | Mallala | Mallala Motor Sport Park | Adelaide, South Australia | 17–18 May | STCS 1 | Adam Wallis | Warrin Mining | |
  | Midas 400 | Sandown Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 7–9 Jun | VSC 5 | Jamie Whincup | TeamVodafone | report |
  | Midas 400 | Sandown Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 7–9 Jun | FVS 3 | Steve Owen | Loadsman Racing Team | |
  | Skycity Triple Crown | Hidden Valley Raceway | Darwin, Northern Territory | 4–6 Jul | VSC 6 | Steven Richards | Ford Performance Racing | report |
  | Eastern Creek | Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 12–13 Jul | STCS 2 | Chris Smerdon | Challenge Motorsport | |
  | City of Ipswich 400 | Queensland Raceway | Ipswich, Queensland | 18–20 Jul | VSC 7 | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Performance Racing | report |
  | City of Ipswich 400 | Queensland Raceway | Ipswich, Queensland | 18–20 Jul | FVS 4 | Dean Canto | Howard Racing | |
  | Winton | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | 1–3 Aug | VSC 8 | Garth Tander | Holden Racing Team | report |
  | Winton | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | 1–3 Aug | FVS 5 | Steve Owen | Loadsman Racing Team | |
  | Phillip Island | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | 9–10 Aug | STCS 3 | Chris Smerdon | Challenge Motorsport | |
  | L&H 500 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | 12–14 Sep | VSC 9 | Garth Tander Mark Skaife | Holden Racing Team | report |
  | Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | 9–12 Oct | VSC 10 | Jamie Whincup Craig Lowndes | TeamVodafone | report |
  | Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | 9–12 Oct | FVS 6 | Dean Canto | Howard Racing | |
  | The Coffee Club V8 Supercar Challenge | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit | Surfers Paradise, Queensland | 23–26 Oct | VSC 11 | Jamie Whincup | TeamVodafone | report |
  | Gulf Air Desert 400 | Bahrain International Circuit | Manama, Bahrain | 6–8 Nov | VSC 12 | Jamie Whincup | TeamVodafone | report |
  | Falken Tasmania Challenge | Symmons Plains Raceway | Launceston, Tasmania | 21–23 Nov | VSC 13 | Jamie Whincup | TeamVodafone | report |
  | Sandown | Sandown Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 29–30 Nov | STCS 4 | Chris Smerdon | Challenge Motorsport | |
  | NRMA Motoring & Services Grand Finale | Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 4–7 Dec | VSC 14 | Garth Tander | Holden Racing Team | report |
  | NRMA Motoring & Services Grand Finale | Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 4–7 Dec | FVS 7 | Jack Perkins | Independent Race Cars Australia | |
  
  * – fastest lap of official pre-season test days
  * VSC – V8 Supercar Championship Series
  * FVS – Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series
  * STCS – Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series
  * NC – Non-championship event
  