Name: Tony D'Alberto
Series: V8 Supercar Championship Series
Lives: Mooroolbark, Victoria
Age: 23
Height: 170cm
Weight: 68kg
Nickname: Tone'
Occupation: V8 Supercar driver
Interests: Fitness, Bike Riding, Music, Friends
Motorsport so far: Karting, Formula Ford, V8 Supercars
Career Highlights: Multiple karting champion, 2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Champion
History of Tony D'Alberto & Tony D'Alberto Racing
Tony D'Alberto is the 2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series champion. Born in 1985 and residing in the Melbourne suburb of Mooroolbark the Victorian was introduced to motorsport by his father, Al, who was racing karts for a hobby.
Tony's ability to drive and give quality feedback was soon realised by his father who then gave away racing himself and focused on Tony's driving. Before moving from karts into Formula Ford circuit racing at the age of 15, Tony amassed many karting wins including three State Titles and runner up to Shane Price at the 2001 Nationals in the Junior Clubman class after qualifying fastest and winning every race up until the final where he was slowed by a mechanical problem.
Tony moved to circuit racing before competing at senior level in karts.
At the age of 16 (2001), a Mygale Formula Ford was purchased from Jamie Whincup and raced in the 2002 Victorian State Series, in which he finished third. Tony also achieved a unique double by winning both the 2002 and 2003 Phillip Island 'Island Magic' titles in Formula Ford. He was named as CAMS Rising Star for Victoria in 2003.
With plans of competing in the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 2003, Tony competed in a pre-series race meeting at Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway. It was at this meeting where he was approached to take part in the Holden Young Lions program being run by John Faulkner in the Konica V8 Supercar Series (Development Series).
Tony then put his Formula Ford aside and joined the Konica Series in round 3 of 2003 at Eastern Creek in the Holden Young Lions #96 VX Commodore.
Tony competed in four rounds of the series and the non-series Bathurst support event with his best results being 5th outright at South Australia's Mallala Raceway and also 6th at Bathurst.
In 2004 Tony joined Marty Brandt's Series-winning Independent Race Cars team, driving the Wynn's sponsored VX Commodore. Tony finished 8th in the Series with a best result of 4th at both the opening round at Goulburn'Âs Wakefield Park Raceway and round 4 at Eastern Creek.
Tony raced for Howard Racing in the non-Series Bathurst support race. After crashing heavily in Friday practice at The Esses, Tony went on to finish third.
In 2005 Tony's family made the decision to purchase their own V8 Supercar and run a team in the HPDC V8 Supercar Series (Development Series) themselves. Named Tony D'Alberto Racing, they purchased the 2004 Bathurst-winning VY Commodore from Kmart Racing and operated their team from a small factory in the Melbourne suburb of Lilydale.
After scoring his first podium at the opening round in a Clipsal 500 support race in Adelaide, Tony went on to score two more podiums in 2005 at Eastern Creek and Bathurst.
Tony competed in the Bathurst 1000 with Tasman Motorsport in a VZ Commodore alongside Fabian Coulthard who crashed the car on lap 108 ending the team's race.
2006 saw the acquisition of Rick Kelly's VZ Commodore, more notable for being Peter Brock's last Bathurst car (2004 HRT).
This car proved to be difficult to set up and the team spent much of the year trying to find a good balance. Tony finished third at round 6 in Bathurst and 5th overall in the Series. The highlight of the Series being an almost-win at Sydney's Oran Park before Tony was controversially disqualified for performing a burn out prior to the start of the race.
Drafted into the Toll HSV Dealer Team for the 2006 Bathurst 1000, Tony was partnered with Anthony Tratt. Once again the race ended with a crash, this time on lap 93 when Tratt crashed at the top of The Cutting.
In 2007 the Rick Kelly 2006 Championship-winning VZ Commodore was purchased and a supply of Walkinshaw Performance engines secured. The team moved to larger premises in the Melbourne suburb of Kilsyth.
The Series could not have started better with a second place at round 1 in Adelaide and two wins at rounds 2 and 3, at Wakefield Park and Winton Victoria respectively. This was followed by third at Queensland Raceway. A technical penalty at Oran Park took 14 points from Tony.
After qualifying fastest at round 6, Bathurst, a first corner clash with Matthew White ended race 1 early. Tony moved from grid 28 to finish 6th in race 2, leaving him 48 points ahead of Michael Caruso heading into the final round.
The first race at Phillip Island almost ended Tony's Series hopes when he was turned into the wall by Dale Wood. Tony's race seemed over until he was able to rejoin and finish eighth. With a task of finishing in the top 7 in the final race Tony ended in fifth position and claimed the 2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series Champion.
Tony raced in the 2007 Bathurst 1000 with Autobarn Racing (Rod Nash Racing), partnered with Steve Owen in a VZ Commodore. The pair finished 6th outright in an impressive performance considering their outdated car.
In 2008 Tony raced for Rod Nash Racing (RNR) in the V8 Supercar Championship Series. Tony D'Alberto Racing is the provider of technical services to RNR in 2008 and has acquired a VE Commodore from Walkinshaw Performance. The car was campaigned by Mark Skaife for the first four rounds of the 2007 Series.
Former Brad Jones Racing and Tasman Motorsport team manager, Graham Jenkins, managed the team.
Tony D'Alberto Racing continued to field a car in the 2008 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series with David Reynolds driving Tony's Series-winning VZ Commodore.
In 2009, Tony continues to drive the Bottle-O Commodore in the V8 Supercar series and is hoping to improve his position amongst an ultra-competitive field.
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