MOTORSPORT: Kelly brothers recruit ex HSV/HRT chief Crennan

And Crennan, who also is about to take up a consultancy for General Motors in the US on "a major automotive project", predicts the business run by Todd and Rick Kelly will soon become "the most successful and influential in Australian motorsport".

Still not two years old and without a race victory yet, Crennan sees Kelly Racing moving "into the broader areas of the Australian motor industry in the years ahead".

Crennan retired as the Australian lieutenant of HSV owner, Scottish automotive entrepreneur Tom Walkinshaw, at the end of 2007.

The news of his role with the Kellys, which he says is honorary, comes after the expiry of a 2½-year agreement he had with Walkinshaw not to compete against him in any way.

While Crennan, now 64, has remained a close associate of V8 Supercar driving legend Mark Skaife, he has been a consultant over the past couple of years on numerous activities outside the automotive industry -- and says he has particularly enjoyed mentoring younger people.

He called Todd Kelly, now in his early 30s, and Rick Kelly, 27, "absolute role models in their sport".

"The recent decision of the family to establish their own team was a natural extension of their great reputation," he said. "Todd and Rick's remarkable talents in so many areas have to be admired. They have achieved so much in just 18 months with their new team.

"They both epitomise the Australian way -- a courageous investment in a new start-up business, creating jobs for young Australians, a whatever-it-takes work ethic and an authentic, no-nonsense and dead-straight business style."

Crennan sees his new role with the Kellys as somewhat similar to that of the chairman or president of a major football club, overseeing the sporting and commercial operations of the team.

He also calls it a "coaching" role.

But Crennan said: "I don't want centre stage ... I'll be behind the scenes."

In his 20 years with HSV/HRT, Crennan was instrumental in a string of national championship and Bathurst 1000 victories as well as HSV achieving its peak road car sales of more than 4500 road cars in his final year.

He said he could not yet say what the US project was for GM, but that he would spend a week in America next month -- after which he would know how much of his time it would take up.

Meanwhile, the Kelly brothers said Crennan's focus at their operation at Braeside in Melbourne would be on the team's organisation, planning its future and identifying new business opportunities.

"We were rapt John accepted our recent invitation to assist our team," Todd Kelly said.

And Rick Kelly said recruiting Crennan was "a massive coup for our young team and something that will certainly help us as we grow all areas of the business".

And Crennan says: "Clearly all the arrows at Braeside are heading north and I hope to make a solid contribution to the already outstanding levels of teamwork that are evident in this business."

Taking the Kellys to the top in V8 Supercar racing -- against the likes of Roland Dane's Team Vodafone, Toll HRT and Ford Performance Racing -- will require all of Crennan's acumen, especially in putting together the financial platform.

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