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Jamie Whincup
Red Bull top practice in Tasmania
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsRed Bull Racing Australia drivers Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup managed to blitz the rest and finish the three sessions on top, looking strong for tomorrow.
V8 Supercars are set to rumble for qualifying tomorrow morning. Photo: Ross Marsden
Craig Lowndes and Red Bull teammate Jamie Whincup managed to stay on top throughout the three practice sessions today, looking a competitive force for this weekend’s Tyrepower Tasmania 400 at Symmons Plains Raceway.
Despite Whincup having a power steering pump failure in Practice 1, the champion topped the final session of the day presenting a lap time of 51.33, with Lowndes only .02s off his teammate.
Although Whincup was quickest in the final session, the #888 Commodore of Lowndes was able to top the first two practice sessions, with an overall fastest lap of 51.31.
Whincup wasn’t the only driver to endure power steering issues today, with crowd favourites Volvo, also enduring a power steering “binding” issue, with the team at Garry Rogers spending the whole day trying to resolve the issue, and David Wall was only out in Practice 2 for five laps before his Dick Johnson Racing Falcon suffered from power steering issues.
Other drivers looking strong for the weekend include Ford Performance Racing’s Chaz Mostert, last year’s race winning team Brad Jones Racing, Nick Percat from Walkinshaw Racing and Nissan’s Michael Caruso with all of the drivers sitting within the top three at some time in the sessions today.
The V8 Supercars will hit the Symmons Plains circuit for back-to-back 10 minute qualifying sessions tomorrow morning at 11:30am local time, for the official second round of the 2014 championship.
Written by Loren Hazelwood @LorenHazelwood
– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/red-bull-top-practice-in-tasmania/#sthash.undOxBio.dpuf
Whincup takes pole in thrilling shootout
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsRedbull Racing’s Jamie Whincup has taken pole position for today’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Whincup/Dumbrell will start first for today’s big race. Photo: Getty Images/The Daily Telegraph
Holden’s Jamie Whincup has taken his maiden pole position at Mount Panorama in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, with a time of 2:07.88.
Whincup started last in the shootout with his previous pole position in qualifying the day before, taking first by only 0.2 to Ford rival Mark Winterbottom.
The Redbull Racing Australia driver was the only driver in the session to get into the 2:07s, with Winterbottom only just shy with a time of 2:08.07.
A shootout held later in the day than normal, the sun came out and the track became quicker and quicker throughout the session, giving an advantage to those qualifying quicker the day before.
Jason Bright set the third quickest time, just edging out Shane van Gisbergen who set a strong lap holding over James Courtney.
29 cars will start the race today, racing around Mount Panorama for 161 laps over 6 and a half hours.
Final Top 10 Shootout Results
| 1 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF | 02:07.88 | |
| 2 | Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG | 02:08.08 | 00:00.19 |
| 3 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VF | 02:08.28 | 00:00.39 |
| 4 | TEKNO Team VIP Petfoods | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF | 02:08.28 | 00:00.40 |
| 5 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF | 02:08.83 | 00:00.95 |
| 6 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF | 02:08.96 | 00:01.08 |
| 7 | Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford | Will Davison | Ford Falcon FG | 02:09.00 | 00:01.12 |
| 8 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Scott McLaughlin | Holden Commodore VF | 02:09.19 | 00:01.31 |
| 9 | The Bottle-O FPR Ford | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG | 02:09.24 | 00:01.36 |
| 10 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Alexandre Premat | Holden Commodore VF | 02:10.41 | 00:02.53 |
– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/whincup-takes-pole-in-thrilling-shootout/#sthash.Go2KtL5o.dpuf
How To Punt This Bathurst
Australian V8 Supercars, Spultured
Can’t decide how to bet at Mount Panorama this year? We’ve got you covered.
At the moment, Sandown 500 winners and reigning Bathurst champions Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell are sitting at $3.00, with their teammates for the great race Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff at $4.33. Red Bull’s season has not been as dominant as previous years, but they still continue to lead this year’s championship.
Next up is Ford Performance Racing. Mark Winterbottom is partnering up with Steven Richards, with ‘Frosty‘ looking for his first win at the mountain ($7.50). Teammate Will Davison has previously won Bathurst with the Holden Racing Team, with Davison partnering up with Steve Owen ($8.00). Ford has shown great pace this year, but unfortunate pit stops have cost them the championship lead.
Holden Racing Team, this year have James Courtney joining Greg Murphy to make a fiery duo and are currently priced at $9.00. Keep an eye out also for Garth Tander and Nick Percat who are at $13.
Brad Jones Racing present a dark horse, with victories coming their way throughout this year’s V8 Championship. Jason Bright will be teaming up with Andrew Jones, and at $18 they offer a bit of value, as do Fabian Coulthard and Luke Youlden.
A great car to put money on would be David Reynolds and Dean Canto, with the duo finishing a close second to Whincup and Dumbrell last year. The Bottle-O Falcon currently stands at $26. A real smokey however are young guns Scott McLaughlin and Jack Perkins. McLaughlin this year took the record for being the youngest driver ever to win a V8 Supercars race, with Jack Perkins bringing a wealth of knowledge to the pair. This duo, running for Gary Rogers, currently sit at $26.
So there you have it – there’s plenty of value around, even if you are having a punt just to make laps 1-140 that bit more interesting. Either way, Bathurst is definitely not something you want to miss this Sunday.
Whincup and Dumbrell take the first endurance win
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsAfter an eventful start to the V8 Supercar endurance calendar, Red Bull Racing have come through to finish 1-2 at the Sandown 500.
Whincup and Dumbrell celebrating their win. Picture: Getty Images/Adelaide Now
Red Bull Racing pair Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell have taken the first endurance win for the season, alongside their teammates Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff.
A win that looked doubtful from the halfway mark after receiving a penalty from spinning the wheels in pitlane, the Whincup/Dumbrell duo fell back to 25th, but were able to claw their way back to first.
Teammates Lowndes/Luff were looking strong for the win, but their tyres were fading away allowing the Whincup/Dumbrell duo to make the overtake for the win with 10 laps to go.
Lowndes/Luff finished in front of the Ford Performance Racing pair of Will Davison and Steve Owen, despite having fluid leaking from the transaxle of their Falcon.
Ford Performance Racing were looking strong for the win after putting the Davison/Owen car on pole on Saturday, but were held up in pit lane after the other Falcon of Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards were re-fuelling.
Winterbottom and Richards had hold of the race lead in front of the Red Bull Racing team, until a slow wheel change put the Ford team back in last place.
Erebus Motorsport pair Lee Holdsworth and Craig Baird drove the Mercedes AMG to their career best position since entering the category, finishing in fourth place.
James Courtney and Greg Murphy worked a hard-fought battle to finish in fifth, after receiving two black flags at the start of the race due to loose body work.
Winterbottom and Richards managed to climb their way back to sixth place after their pit lane drama.
Ashley Walsh caused the first safety car on Lap 35, spearing into the fence at high speeds from the back straight, walking away with no injuries.
eKol Racing pair Scott Pye and Paul Morris also did not finish the 500km race, suffering from broken steering.
Whincup now leads the V8 Supercar championship by 96 points, second is teammate Lowndes, with Ford Performance Racing’s Davison third and Winterbottom fourth.
The next round of the championship will be at Bathurst for the Supercheap 1000 10-13 October.
Race results for Sandown 500
| 1 | J.Whincup/P.Dumbrell | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:22:54.62 |
| 2 | C.Lowndes/W.Luff | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:02.81 |
| 3 | W.Davison/S.Owen | Ford Falcon FG | 161 | 03:23:12.56 |
| 4 | L.Holdsworth/C.Baird | Mercedes E63 AMG | 161 | 03:23:13.53 |
| 5 | J.Courtney/G.Murphy | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:20.77 |
| 6 | M.Winterbottom/S.Richards | Ford Falcon FG | 161 | 03:23:21.14 |
| 7 | F.Coulthard/L.Youlden | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:25.87 |
| 8 | S.McLaughlin/J.Perkins | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:27.93 |
| 9 | R.Ingall/R.Briscoe | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:33.15 |
| 10 | A.Premat/G.Ritter | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:44.50 |
| 11 | T.Kelly/D.Russell | Nissan Altima | 161 | 03:23:46.43 |
| 12 | S.Van Gisbergen/J.Bleekemolen | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:54.26 |
| 13 | J.Webb/M.Lieb | Holden Commodore VF | 161 | 03:23:55.18 |
| 14 | C.Mostert/D.Wood | Ford Falcon FG | 161 | 03:24:04.30 |
| 15 | A.Davison/J.McIntyre | Ford Falcon FG | 160 | 03:22:56.45 |
| 16 | R.Kelly/K.Reindler | Nissan Altima | 160 | 03:23:03.85 |
| 17 | D.Reynolds/D.Canto | Ford Falcon FG | 160 | 03:23:03.97 |
| 18 | D.Fiore/M.Halliday | Holden Commodore VF | 160 | 03:23:06.06 |
| 19 | D.Wall/C.Pither | Holden Commodore VF | 160 | 03:23:07.02 |
| 20 | M.Caruso/D.Gaunt | Nissan Altima | 160 | 03:23:10.18 |
| 21 | T.Slade/A.Thompson | Mercedes E63 AMG | 159 | 03:23:17.33 |
| 22 | G.Tander/N.Percat | Holden Commodore VF | 152 | 03:23:33.77 |
| 23 | T.D’Alberto/J.Reid | Holden Commodore VF | 152 | 03:23:58.16 |
| 24 | J.Bright/A.Jones | Holden Commodore VF | 147 | 03:23:19.98 |
| 25 | M.Engel/S.Johnson | Mercedes E63 AMG | 143 | 03:23:37.57 |
| 26 | J.Moffat/T.Douglas | Nissan Altima | 123 | 03:23:17.08 |
| DNF | S.Pye/P.Morris | Holden Commodore VF | 135 | 02:56:03.57 |
| DNF | Ashley Walsh | Ford Falcon FG | 33 | 42:25.70 |
– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/whincup-and-dumbrell-take-the-first-endurance-win/#sthash.OX3z8zgV.dpuf
Winterbottom and Courtney tighten championship at Winton
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsWith the Australian V8 Supercar Championship tighter than ever, it was vital for Mark Winterbottom and James Courtney to take the final wins in Sunday’s two races.
Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
With the current championship leader Jamie Whincup having a horrific weekend at Winton Raceway, rivals Mark Winterbottom and James Courtney were able to close the championship gap by taking the two race wins.
Sunday’s first race saw Jason Bright take pole position, but this did not stop Winterbottom from taking his first race win on home soil at Winton.
Behind the leaders, Alexandre Prémat caused a multi-car accident when rejoining the track at Turn 2, and with championship leader Whincup involved in the accident, he later failed to finish the race.
Others involved in the accident were Russell Ingall, Alex Davison, Garth Tander and Michael Caruso.
The safety car entered the track after the accident, making the dash to the finish close between Winterbottom and Bright, crossing the line 0.4s apart.
Winterbottom failed to qualify at the front of the field for the second race of the day, giving Courtney pole position for the finale.
Courtney managed to take the win, holding first for the entire 34-lap race, with a safety car coming in to play with 10 laps to go.
Young gun Chaz Mostert held second for most of the race, but had to settle for third after Fabian Coulthard took a gamble and put on new tyres during the safety car.
The race was filled with accidents, with Todd Kelly crashing out on the pit-straight at the start of the race, after receiving contact from the front of Whincup’s car, causing the first safety car.
Scott Pye once again had dramas, with the eKol Holden catching fire due to a bent exhaust.
Rick Kelly followed his brother’s suit, after causing contact with Winterbottom at the Turn 5 sweeper, causing damage to his rear suspension and bringing out the second safety car.
Craig Lowndes later received a 25-point penalty for making contact with Caruso’s Nissan, causing him to fall from second to fourth in the championship, with teammate Whincup holding onto the current series lead.
The next round of the championship will be held at Sandown Raceway, starting the season of endurance races.
Current Championship Standings
1 Jamie Whincup 1847
2 Will Davison 1792
3 Mark Winterbottom 1777
4 Craig Lowndes 1775
5 Fabian Coulthard 1709
6 James Courtney 1687
7 Jason Bright 1649
8 Shane Van Gisbergen 1632
9 Garth Tander 1602
10 Scott McLaughlin 1318
11 Jonathon Webb 1282
12 David Reynolds 1222
13 James Moffat 1155
14 Rick Kelly 1101
15 Alex Davison 1080
16 Tony D’Alberto 1015
17 Alexandre Premat 899
18 Chaz Mostert 892
19 Russell Ingall 839
20 Tim Slade 821
21 Dean Fiore 820
22 Michael Caruso 809
23 David Wall 785
24 Tim Blanchard 703
25 Todd Kelly 689
26 Scott Pye 649
27 Lee Holdsworth 635
28 Maro Engel 576
29 Jonny Reid 149
– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/winterbottom-and-courtney-tighten-championship-at-winton/#sthash.0yCb1m7b.dpuf
Young Guns Mostert and McLaughlin Take Race Wins at Ipswich
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsChaz Mostert has taken his maiden win in the V8 Supercar series, with Scott McLaughlin taking his second this year after an eventful two races in Queensland.
Scott McLaughlin leading in Race 2. Picture: Brendan Radke
The youngest drivers in the V8 Supercars category won both races at the Coates Hire Ipswich 360, with Scott McLaughlin taking Race 2 and Chaz Mostert taking his maiden victory winning Race 3.
20-year-old McLaughlin took the first race by leading current series leader Jamie Whincup, making it a top-five finish for Holden.
Mostert then managed to qualify second for Race 3 to Ford Performance Racing’s Will Davison, giving Mostert the advantage at the start in the dry line.
The Dick Johnson Racing driver led the race from start to finish, as McLaughlin failed to challenge after he suffered from a flat front-left tyre.
The flat tyre drama also cost Whincup, James Courtney and Alex Davison crucial positions in the race.
Tim Blanchard also created some drama, causing an oil spill at the entry of Turn 3 under braking, forcing a few drivers to run wide and go off the circuit.
Race 3 also saw Ford take out the top four positions, with Dick Johnson Racing taking its first win since Jonathon Webb won three years ago.
The next round of the V8 Supercar Championship is held at Winton Raceway for the Winton 360, on the 23-25 August.
Written by Loren Hazelwood, @LorenHazelwood
– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/young-guns-mostert-and-mclaughlin-take-race-wins-at-ipswich/#sthash.CtfhDJrl.dpuf
1-2 Finish for Holden Racing at Townsville
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsGarth Tander wins in the streets of Townsville leading home his teammate James Courtney for a 1-2 Holden finish.
James Courtney. Photo source: Daniel Attema
Holden Racing’s Garth Tander has achieved his first win since Bathurst in 2011, with teammate James Courtney holding on in second place for a 1-2 finish.
A race full of strategy saw Holden pit its two VF Commodores, giving the drivers a soft-tyre advantage over most of the field.
Holden Racing decided to run a two-stint strategy, making its drivers pit for second-hand soft tyres.
Despite sustaining damage after kissing the wall at Turn 10 in making a move on Scott McLaughlin, Tander still managed to bring home the win.
The start saw Ford’s Mark Winterbottom get a great jump on the rest of the field, but later his decision not to pit under the Lap 9 safety car caused him to fall to fourth place.
Shane van Gisbergen took third place after running a similar pit-strategy to Holden Racing, making great progress starting closer to the rear of the field.
Russell Ingall and Tony D’Alberto made it a top six effort for Walkinshaw Performance built Commodores, with Craig Lowndes, Tim Slade, McLaughlin and Will Davison rounding out the top 10.
The race’s only retirement was Lee Holdsworth, who had engine dramas with his Erebus Motorsport Mercedes and stopped into the run of Turn 11.
After Race 21 of the championship at Townsville, the current championship standings see Jamie Whincup leading Lowndes by 111 points, with Ford’s Davison and Winterbottom closing in on the series lead.
| 1 | Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:04.1639 | 1:14.0127 |
| 2 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:04.4830 | 1:13.9505 |
| 3 | TEKNO Team VIP | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:13.5491 | 1:13.9319 |
| 4 | Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG | 01:30:25.7667 | 1:14.3657 |
| 5 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Russell Ingall | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:31.6601 | 1:14.1909 |
| 6 | Team HIFLEX | Tony D’Alberto | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:31.9113 | 1:14.0973 |
| 7 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:32.5797 | 1:14.2647 |
| 8 | Heavy Haulage Australia Racing | Tim Slade | Mercedes E63 AMG | 01:30:34.2168 | 1:14.0378 |
| 9 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Scott McLaughlin | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:38.6971 | 1:14.4242 |
| 10 | Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford | Will Davison | Ford Falcon FG | 01:30:41.0017 | 1:14.3212 |
| 11 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:41.1436 | 1:14.3661 |
| 12 | Tekno Autosports | Jonathon Webb | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:41.7028 | 1:14.4280 |
| 13 | Wilson Security Racing | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG | 01:30:50.6356 | 1:14.3521 |
| 14 | Norton 360 Racing | James Moffat | Nissan Altima | 01:30:51.9295 | 1:14.4995 |
| 15 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Todd Kelly | Nissan Altima | 01:30:53.7465 | 1:14.4089 |
| 16 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:56.0802 | 1:14.3670 |
| 17 | Lockwood Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:56.7994 | 1:14.5728 |
| 18 | Jeld-wen FPR Ford | Alex Davison | Ford Falcon FG | 01:30:59.3225 | 1:14.2479 |
| 19 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Alexandre Premat | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:59.7491 | 1:14.4371 |
| 20 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima | 01:31:03.8867 | 1:14.5206 |
| 21 | ekol Racing | Scott Pye | Holden Commodore VF | 01:31:04.1821 | 1:14.4103 |
| 22 | Norton 360 Racing | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima | 01:31:12.7810 | 1:14.4376 |
| 23 | Wilson Security Racing | Tim Blanchard | Ford Falcon FG | 01:31:12.8491 | 1:14.3125 |
| 24 | Dodo Insurance Racing | Dean Fiore | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:14.2590 | 1:14.6014 |
| 25 | Wilson Security Racing | David Wall | Holden Commodore VF | 01:30:41.8085 | 1:14.1332 |
| 26 | The Bottle-O FPR Ford | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG | 01:31:03.2834 | 1:15.4498 |
| 27 | SP Tools Racing | Maro Engel | Mercedes E63 AMG | 01:30:48.6833 | 1:16.2359 |
| DNF | Irwin Racing | Lee Holdsworth | Mercedes E63 AMG | 7:49.4783 | 1:15.960 |
Written by Loren Hazelwood @LorenHazelwood
– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/1-2-finish-for-holden-racing-at-townsville/#sthash.ZVmWIWyF.dpuf
Whincup Wins in the Top End
Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco SportsPublished on: http://www.fiascosports.com
Jamie Whincup running in at Darwin. Photo: Helen Orr
Red Bull Racing’s Jamie Whincup has extended his championship lead by winning race 17 of the V8 Supercars Championship at Hidden Valley Raceway.
Whincup steered clear in the action-packed race early on, grabbing first position in the second stint of the 60/60-format race, leading Shane van Gisbergen and James Courtney to the finish line.
Ford Performance Racing’s David Reynolds showed his pace in the top-ten shootout and the first stint of the race, grabbing pole position. Unfortunately within the dying stages of the race, Winterbottom made contact with Reynolds going into the hairpin.
Reynolds finished in 14th, with Winterbottom awarded a drive-thru penalty causing the teammates to not finish on the podium for FPR.
Rick Kelly produced the best-ever result for the Nissan Altima, finishing in fifth position, as well as Tim Slade who brought home the Erebus Mercedes AMG in sixth.
Newcomer to the category Chaz Mostert placed his personal best, finishing in seventh place for Dick Johnson Racing.
A further two 35-lap races will be held tomorrow to complete the Skycity Triple Crown event in Darwin.
| Pos | No. | Team | Driver | Car |
| 1 | 1 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF |
| 2 | 97 | TEKNO Team VIP | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF |
| 3 | 22 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF |
| 4 | 19 | Tekno Autosports | Jonathon Webb | Holden Commodore VF |
| 5 | 15 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima |
| 6 | 47 | Heavy Haulage Australia Racing | Tim Slade | Mercedes E63 AMG |
| 7 | 12 | Wilson Security Racing | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG |
| 8 | 8 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VF |
| 9 | 3 | Team HIFLEX | Tony D’Alberto | Holden Commodore VF |
| 10 | 36 | Norton 360 Racing | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima |
| 11 | 33 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Scott McLaughlin | Holden Commodore VF |
| 12 | 14 | Lockwood Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VF |
| 13 | 2 | Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VF |
| 14 | 55 | The Bottle-O FPR Ford | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG |
| 15 | 360 | Norton 360 Racing | James Moffat | Nissan Altima |
| 16 | 9 | SP Tools Racing | Maro Engel | Mercedes E63 AMG |
| 17 | 7 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Todd Kelly | Nissan Altima |
| 18 | 4 | Irwin Racing | Lee Holdsworth | Mercedes E63 AMG |
| 19 | 21 | Wilson Security Racing | David Wall | Holden Commodore VF |
| 20 | 18 | Jeld-wen FPR Ford | Alex Davison | Ford Falcon FG |
| 21 | 34 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Alexandre Premat | Holden Commodore VF |
| 22 | 5 | Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG |
| 23 | 66 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Russell Ingall | Holden Commodore VF |
| 24 | 88 | Dodo Insurance Racing | Dean Fiore | Holden Commodore VF |
| 25 | 80 | ekol Racing | Scott Pye | Holden Commodore VF |
| 26 | 888 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF |
| DNF | 6 | Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford | Will Davison | Ford Falcon FG |
| DNF | 17 | Wilson Security Racing | Tim Blanchard | Ford Falcon FG |
V8 Supercars in America for Austin 400
Australian V8 SupercarsPublished on: http://www.fiascosports.com
The Australian V8 Supercar series hit America for the first time ever over the weekend, racing at the internationally re-known circuit in Austin Texas.
Red Bull Racing’s Jamie Whincup dominated over the two days racing, taking three out of the four race victories; with Brad Jones Racing’s Fabian Coulthard taking out the win in the third race.
The three-day event attracted over 68,000 spectators and used the infamous four-race layout, with two qualifying sessions for each day of racing and a one-hour break between the two 100km races on the Saturday and Sunday.
The first qualifying session for race 13 in the championship saw Fabian Coulthard take pole, with Jamie Whincup starting from first for race 14.
The first race at the Austin circuit was a testament to the circuit’s special features, with long and steep straights and sweeping corners, the track’s design made it difficult to overtake during the racing. Whincup although gained the lead early, taking the jump at the start from pole-sitter Coulthard. Craig Lowndes then made a pass on Coulthard on lap 7 to take second place.
The first race saw Whincup and Lowndes make it 1-2 for Red Bull, with Fabian Coulthard rounding out the top three on the podium.
After a win in the first race at Austin, Jamie Whincup started from pole position alongside his Red Bull teammate Lowndes. The pair drove away from the rest of the field, with Fabian Coulthard guarding his third position to Tekno Autosport’s pair Jonathon Webb and Shane van Gisbergen.
After securing two races wins the day prior, Whincup once again topped the charts in qualifying to take pole position for both Sunday races.
Race 15 of the championship saw Jamie Whincup fall back at the start, as he struggled with the handling of his VF Holden Commodore. Mark Winterbottom then made a pass on Whincup for the lead, but lost a considerable amount of time during his pit stop. This then saw Coulthard take the race lead and eventually cross the chequered in first position.
The third race for the Austin round saw Fabian Coulthard break Red Bull Racing’s winning streak, with Lowndes in second and Whincup rounding out the top three.
Race 16 of the V8 Supercar calendar was the fourth and final race for the weekend. Whincup started from pole after qualifying first prior, getting a great jump on previous race winner Coulthard.
A racing incident occurred between Ford Performance Racing’s Will Davison and young-gun Scott McLaughlin, with Davison slamming the rear of McLaughlin’s Holden. Davison was out of the race, with the team at Gary Rogers Motorsport able to get McLaughlin back on the circuit.
The final race of the weekend at Austin Texas saw Whincup take the victory, alongside Fabian Coulthard. Shane van Gisbergen raced hard to finish in third, with Garth Tander from Holden Racing Team rounding out the top four.
This victory saw Whincup take his third win for the weekend and seventh race win for the season.
Jamie Whincup has now extended his championship lead by 142 points to his teammate Craig Lowndes. After not finishing the final race, Will Davison moved down to third in the championship.
Media by Loren Hazelwood 