Symmons Plain V8s: Jamie Whincup wins after hitting Craig Lowndes
Jamie Whincup capitalised on a controversial move on Triple Eight team-mate Craig Lowndes to win the first V8 Supercars race of the weekend at Symmons Plains
Lowndes led the Triple Eight Race Engineering pair for the first half of the race and was in control before a safety car caused by Rick Kelly's trip into the Turn 6 gravel trap on lap 21.
After the safety car, Whincup set about working on his team-mate, and dived down the inside at Turn 6 on lap 26, hitting Lowndes in the front left door and pushing him onto the gravel.
Holden Racing Team's James Courtney moved up to second following the departure of Lowndes, and came under heavy pressure from Mark Winterbottom, shortly after the safety car.
Some good defensive driving allowed Courtney to consolidate second and Winterbottom had to settle for third as the highest placed Ford.
Series veteran Russell Ingall came home in fourth after taking his best qualifying position in six years in third.
He had a terrible start but recovered after the safety car to lead the late charging Kiwi Scott McLaughlin, who was the highest finishing Volvo in fifth.
Lowndes fought back late on in the race having rejoined 11th after the incident with Whincup, finishing eighth.
Results - 42 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Holden 39m48.2632s 2. James Courtney HRT Holden +0.8999s 3. Mark Winterbottom FPR Ford +1.3537s 4. Russell Ingall Dumbrell Holden +5.1238s 5. Scott McLaughlin Volvo +5.3126s 6. Garth Tander HRT Holden +5.7946s 7. Will Davison Erebus Mercedes +6.3556s 8. Craig Lowndes Triple Eight Holden +8.7485s 9. Fabian Coulthard Brad Jones Holden +8.8913s 10. Scott Pye Dick Johnson Ford +9.2640s 11. Shane van Gisbergen Tekno Holden +9.8129s 12. David Wall Dick Johnson Ford +12.4933s 13. Chaz Mostert FPR Ford +14.1251s 14. Tim Slade Rosenberg/HRT Holden +15.3264s 15. Jason Bright Brad Jones Holden +15.4875s 16. Lee Holdsworth Erebus Mercedes +17.6191s 17. Nick Percat Walkinshaw/HRT Holden +17.8620s 18. James Moffat Nissan +19.1756s 19. Dale Wood Britek/BJR Holden +19.7717s 20. Robert Dahlgren Volvo +20.0199s 21. Michael Caruso Nissan +20.8816s 22. Jack Perkins Schwerkolt/FPR Ford +35.9884s 23. David Reynolds Rod Nash/FPR Ford +1 lap Retirements: Rick Kelly Nissan 19 laps Todd Kelly Nissan 13 laps
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