Pukekohe V8 Supercars: Van Gisbergen wins, Winterbottom takes lead

Polesitter Scott McLaughlin led the early laps of the race before his compatriot picked off Jamie Whincup and then assertively took the lead heading into the hairpin on lap 8 of 35.

Van Gisbergen was never headed for the remainder of the 100-kilometre race and held on to take his first points-paying win of the year, finishing a slender 0.28 seconds ahead of a charging Winterbottom.

The race two winner put McLaughlin under immense pressure and only found a way past the Volvo on lap 26, before setting off to close the 4.3s gap that was present at the time.

McLaughlin completed the podium after fending off Whincup on the final lap, while the reigning champion's Triple Eight team-mate had another anonymous race.

Craig Lowndes started seventh but dropped down the order to finish 10th and relinquished his lead of the championship in the process.

Garth Tander and David Reynolds were embroiled in a race-long battle for fifth, which eventually went in the favour of the 2007 champion by 0.26s.

                                                          
Results - 35 laps:                                                     
                                                                       
Pos  Driver               Team/Car                  Time/Gap   
 1.  Shane van Gisbergen  Tekno Holden           39m34.1380s          
 2.  Mark Winterbottom    FPR Ford                  +0.2896s            
 3.  Scott McLaughlin     GRM Volvo                 +7.4696s            
 4.  Jamie Whincup        Triple Eight Holden       +7.6686s            
 5.  Garth Tander         HRT Holden               +10.0567s            
 6.  David Reynolds       Rod Nash/FPR Ford        +10.3221s            
 7.  Nick Percat          Walkinshaw/HRT Holden    +10.7209s            
 8.  James Moffat         Nissan                   +10.9639s            
 9.  Scott Pye            Dick Johnson Ford        +11.3046s            
10.  Craig Lowndes        Triple Eight Holden      +12.6419s            
11.  Fabian Coulthard     Brad Jones Holden        +13.1575s            
12.  James Courtney       HRT Holden               +13.9175s            
13.  Michael Caruso       Nissan                   +14.2794s            
14.  Russell Ingall       Dumbrell Holden          +19.1035s            
15.  Rick Kelly           Nissan                   +19.9800s            
16.  Chaz Mostert         FPR Ford                 +20.2396s            
17.  Lee Holdsworth       Erebus Mercedes          +20.9616s            
18.  Will Davison         Erebus Mercedes          +21.3870s            
19.  Todd Kelly           Nissan                   +23.7067s            
20.  Dale Wood            Britek/BJR Holden        +32.5274s            
21.  Robert Dahlgren      GRM Volvo                +35.7751s            
22.  Jack Perkins         Schwerkolt/FPR Ford      +38.6265s            
23.  Jason Bright         Brad Jones Holden        +59.5016s            
24.  Tim Slade            Rosenberg/HRT Holden     +59.8757s