Warren Feeney
A hard-nosed V8 Supercars champion, he conquered both the Bathurst 1000 endurance epic and the season championship in a fierce era.
Born 1981 (age 45)·Northern Irish footballer and manager·Birthday: January 17·Millennials
Biography
Rick Kelly emerged from the shadow of Mount Panorama to define Australian touring car racing in the 2000s. His breakthrough was spectacular: winning the Bathurst 1000 twice in a row as a fresh-faced co-driver with Greg Murphy, a feat that announced his preternatural calm under pressure. That momentum carried him to the pinnacle just two years later, when he seized the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship title, outdueling legends like Craig Lowndes. Kelly was a racer's racer—tough, strategic, and unafraid of contact. In 2009, he and his brother Todd took a massive gamble, transforming their family-run team, Kelly Racing, from a Holden satellite operation into a four-car Nissan factory squad, a bold move that reshaped the grid. Though a second championship proved elusive, his legacy as a driver who won the biggest races and built a lasting team is firmly cemented in Supercars history.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Warren was born in 1981, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Warren Was Born
The biggest hits of 1981
#1 Movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Warren's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1981Born
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1986Started school
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1994Became a teenager
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Could drive
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
1999Could vote
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Turned 21
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2011Turned 30
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 40
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 45 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the V8 Supercars Championship in 2006 driving for the HSV Dealer Team.
- Secured back-to-back victories at the Bathurst 1000 in 2003 and 2004 as co-driver with Greg Murphy.
- Co-founded and drove for Kelly Racing, which later evolved into the Nissan Motorsport factory team.
- Achieced over 500 race starts in the Supercars Championship, marking a career of remarkable longevity.
Did You Know?
He is the younger brother of fellow Bathurst 1000 winner and Supercars driver, Todd Kelly.
He won the 2001 Australian Formula Ford Championship, showcasing his open-wheel talent before moving to tin-tops.
His 2006 championship-winning car, the Holden Commodore VZ, is famously known as the 'Kellymobile'.
He tested a Formula One car for Minardi in 2002 as part of a prize for winning the Australian Drivers' Championship.
“I've always said you have to earn the right to play.”
