Speedcafe.com takes a look back at the best 10 races from the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship.
Today’s second instalment counts down to number one.
CLICK HERE to view 10th through 6th.
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5) Race 13 – Skycity Hidden Valley, June 20
After a succession of dull 60km sprints to start the season, the opening heat at Hidden Valley provided exactly the sort of no-holds-barred action that the format had been intended to provide.
Chaz Mostert led from start to finish, but had to endure two Safety Car restarts as the new high grip surface provided drivers with plenty of confidence and, subsequently, action.
The drama started when Jamie Whincup collided with Fabian Coulthard at Turn 1 and eventually culminated in an embarrassing tangle between James Courtney and team-mate Garth Tander in the dying stages.
Tander had been among those to charge his way through the pack in the early stages, carving his way through from 15th on the grid to briefly hold fourth place.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report and full results.
4) Race 25 – Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, October 11
It may not have provided quite the level of drama as last year, but Bathurst again provided one of the best races of the V8 Supercars season.
Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards overcame a 15th place grid slot and a shakey mid-race stint in wet conditions to take a popular victory.
The mid-race rain and a Safety Car restart with 18 to go provided the bulk of the action, with the latter seeing Garth Tander charge to third during a significant shuffling of the top 10 order.
Plagued by electrical problems early, Mark Winterbottom took second after a bold gamble to be the first back onto slicks mid-race, while a lightening fast Jamie Whincup blew his chances by sensationally ignoring team orders to pit under the final yellow.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report and full results.
3) Race 3 – Clipsal 500 Adelaide, March 1
The Clipsal 500 again produced one of the best races of the season as James Courtney successfully fended off a charging Shane van Gisbergen to score a popular victory.
Two first half Safety Cars made the 250km contest an intriguing strategic battle, with Courtney among those opting for a three-stop strategy in order to minimise late-race fuel fill time.
A dive from the two-stopping Van Gisbergen in the closing stages saw him briefly take the lead from Courtney, only for the Kiwi to voluntarily hand the place back due to contact that had occurred mid-corner.
Further back, the most dramatic moment was saved for the final lap as side-to-side contact between Chaz Mostert and Jamie Whincup sent the Ford spinning out of fourth place and hard into the concrete wall.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report and full results.
2) Race 27 – Castrol Gold Coast 600, October 25
As far as fairytale results go, they don’t come any bigger than James Courtney’s comeback victory at the Castrol Gold Coast 600.
After suffering five broken ribs and a punctured lung just two months earlier during a bizarre pitlane incident at Sydney Motorsport Park, Courtney entered the weekend under a cloud of uncertainty.
Pitched into the lead due to a clever pit strategy, Courtney showed no signs of weakness as he saved fuel to the chequered flag.
The result also yielded a popular victory for co-driver Jack Perkins, who earned a popular maiden win in his 129th V8SC race start.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report and full results.
1) Race 9 – Ubet Perth Super Sprint, May 3
Will Davison and Erebus took the only victory for a non-Ford or Holden in dramatic circumstances at Barbagallo.
A mid-race Safety Car forced the front-runners onto their soft tyres far earlier than planned, changing the face of the 200km contest.
The previously dominant Prodrive Fords restarted in the lead but, having earlier elected to run a short first stint on the single set of allocated softs, were sitting ducks for those behind.
Craig Lowndes took over the front running and appeared set to chalk up his 100th career race win until the superior tyre life of the Mercedes came into its own, taking the lead with five laps to run.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s race report and full results.
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