Jack Daniel’s Racing’s Todd Kelly will undergo surgery on a shoulder injury following this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, ruling the owner/driver out of the final four events on the 2012 V8 Supercars calendar.
Kelly sustained the injury during a team training camp held prior to the recent Dick Smith Sandown 500.
The team says that the damage occurred during “a routine ‘tug of war’ strengthening regime under the supervision of the Team’s Sport Scientist Damian Prasad”.
Kelly consulted with V8 Supercars’ Dr Car Le prior to Sandown before a referral to Melbourne Shoulder Specialist and Surgeon, Dr Shane Barwood, saw post-Bathurst surgery deemed necessary.
The latest news continues a tough season of injuries for Kelly Racing, which began with Kelly damaging his foot in a workshop incident in March, and has also seen Greg Murphy miss four races following two bouts of back surgery.
“It’s certainly been a season of contrasts for the four car racing enterprise when these types of injuries are so rare in our sport, yet in the space of six months two of the team’s drivers are forced to be spectator,” said Kelly.
Bathurst will now serve as Kelly’s last V8 Supercar race in a Holden as his team will become the factory Nissan operation next year.
A team statement states that Kelly Racing and Jack Daniel’s will make a decision on Kelly’s replacement for the final four events of the season after Bathurst, where Kelly will drive alongside Dunlop Series front-runner Tim Blanchard.