Silly season underway as HRT eyes champion Tander.

By Matthew Agius

Newly crowned V8 Supercar champion, Garth Tander, is tipped to step into a Holden Racing Team Commodore in 2008 - leaving behind the Toll HSV Dealer Team that assisted him to his first title, and clinched its second Teams' championship in as many years.

Tander is expected to switch to the HRT in a move designed to take Holden's flagship operation to the top of Australia's premier touring car competition.

Whilst the 2007 Drivers' champion has denied the move, speculation is rife that he will replace Todd Kelly at 'Team Red' next year - ironically replacing the man who won the final round of the championship this year, and in doing so prevented Tander's main series rival from claiming the title.

Whilst all driver and team changes are strictly unofficial at this stage, there are several moves that are considered certain.

These include Russell Ingall moving back to Holden to replace Owen Kelly at Team Sirromet Wines, driving a Supercheap Auto sponsored VE Commodore.

Brad Jones Racing will also defect from Ford to Holden, after being barred from announcing the move at Bathurst earlier this year.

Current driver, Andrew Jones, is likely to be joined by former teammate, Cameron McConville, at the Albury squad.

McConville's 2007 teammate, Paul Dumbrell, has been linked to taking Russell Ingall's vacated seat at Stone Brothers Racing, although he has also been touted as a potential replacement for Tander at the Toll HSV Dealer Team.

If Dumbrell does not take the SBR drive, Todd Kelly has been mentioned as a potential, although unlikely replacement, with the team's former driver, David Besnard, a more likely candidate.

In actual fact, Kelly has been strongly linked to taking the lead driver role at Jack Daniel's Racing, giving the Perkins Engineering squad, much needed experience.

Marcus Marshall is expected to replace Alan Gurr at Britek Motorsport, in the team's second car, whilst Fabian Coulthard appears set to replace the retiring John Bowe at Glenfords Racing.

Despite all of the rumoured driver switches, many hinge on Tander moving to the Holden Racing Team.

Should he do so, then the V8 Supercar circus will brace itself for one of the busiest seasons of driver changes in recent years.

The 2008 season starts in late February and several team announcements are expected before the New Year.