Mark Winterbottom led Chaz Mostert to another one-two finish in Friday evening’s second race for the V8 Supercars at Albert Park.
In a repeat of the opening heat, Winterbottom controlled the rolling start and an early Safety Car restart to secure the win.
Mostert appeared to have a faster car for much of the going but never looked like launching an attack on his team-mate.
“It’s a strange day with three hours between races because the temperature dropped and the conditions were quite different,” said Winterbottom post-race.
“The team has worked really hard and they deserve these results.
“The car is doing what we want it to do which is the most important thing. Even if you’re finishing fifth and it’s making sense, that’s what you want. Winning is a bonus.
“Adelaide didn’t make sense to me in terms of the car, but minor changes are making a difference here and that’s when you really start making progress.”
The Safety Car was required on the opening lap to retrieve Dale Wood’s Holden, which spun backwards into the Turn 7 tyre wall after contact with Scott McLaughlin’s Volvo.
The resulting delay ensured that the race ran to its time cut-off, three laps short of its scheduled 12 lap distance.
Shane van Gisbergen proved best of the rest in third ahead of James Courtney and Jamie Whincup.
Rick Kelly scored sixth while Tim Slade took advantage of a late mistake from Fabian Coulthard to nab seventh.
The Holdens of Garth Tander and Craig Lowndes completed the top 10.
All 25 cars took the start after pre-race repairs to the Tim Blanchard Holden, Marcos Ambrose Ford and Ash Walsh Mercedes.
Walsh’s troubled day continued however with a black flag for loose bodywork ending any chance of a result.
The third V8 Supercars race of the weekend will get underway at 1520 tomorrow.
Result: V8 Supercars Race 2, Albert Park
1 | Pepsi Max Crew | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG/X | 21:53.99 | 01:58.09 |
2 | Pepsi Max Crew | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG/X | 21:54.47 | 01:58.16 |
3 | Team Darrell Lea STIX | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF | 21:55.65 | 01:58.21 |
4 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF | 21:56.71 | 01:58.20 |
5 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF | 21:57.55 | 01:58.44 |
6 | Nissan Motorsport | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima | 21:58.99 | 01:58.56 |
7 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Tim Slade | Holden Commodore VF | 22:02.03 | 01:58.92 |
8 | Freightliner Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VF | 22:02.74 | 01:58.81 |
9 | Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VF | 22:03.22 | 01:58.96 |
10 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF | 22:04.17 | 01:58.96 |
11 | Nissan Mororsport | James Moffat | Nissan Altima | 22:05.37 | 01:58.89 |
12 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VF | 22:05.94 | 01:58.93 |
13 | Nissan Motorsport | Todd Kelly | Nissan Altima | 22:06.16 | 01:58.97 |
14 | Repair Management Aust Racing | Nick Percat | Holden Commodore VF | 22:06.86 | 01:59.07 |
15 | Erebus Motorsport V8 | Will Davison | Mercedes E63 AMG | 22:07.33 | 01:59.07 |
16 | The Bottle-O Racing Team | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG/X | 22:07.59 | 01:58.99 |
17 | Walkinshaw Racing | Lee Holdsworth | Holden Commodore VF | 22:07.82 | 01:58.95 |
18 | DJR Team Penske | Marcos Ambrose | Ford Falcon FG/X | 22:09.88 | 01:59.33 |
19 | Super Black Racing | Andre Heimgartner | Ford Falcon FG | 22:11.22 | 01:59.35 |
20 | Nissan Motorsport | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima | 22:11.51 | 01:58.91 |
21 | Wilson Security Racing GRM | Scott McLaughlin | Volvo S60 | 22:11.88 | 01:59.12 |
22 | Wilson Security Racing GRM | Chris Pither | Volvo S60 | 22:13.70 | 01:59.60 |
23 | Team Cooldrive | Tim Blanchard | Holden Commodore VF | 22:15.19 | 01:59.80 |
24 | Erebus Motorsport V8 | Ashley Walsh | Mercedes E63 AMG | 23:15.19 | 01:59.93 |
DNF | GB Galvanizing Racing | Dale Wood | Holden Commodore VF |