Pukekohe V8 Supercars: Mark Winterbottom bounces back with victory
Mark Winterbottom closed in on V8 Supercars championship leader Craig Lowndes as he made up for Ford Performance Racing's poor Friday by winning race two at Pukekohe
Winterbottom grabbed the lead from polesitter James Courtney at the first corner and then controlled the race to the flag, including a safety car restart after a caution was required to move Robert Dahlgren's failed Volvo.
Courtney was unable to come back at Winterbottom but had no trouble retaining second for Holden Racing Team.
FPR's cars had only been 13th and 21st in a messy race one, but the team began Saturday with a double podium, as Chaz Mostert capitalised on champion Jamie Whincup running wide out of the final corner to snatch third on lap three.
Whincup then stayed ahead of a battling Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin to finish fourth.
It was a disastrous race for points leader Lowndes in the second Triple Eight Holden. He qualified only 15th, lost ground with a mistake at the final turn on the opening lap, and came home 16th.
Friday race winner Jason Bright had incidents with van Gisbergen and Tim Slade, eventually earning a drive-through penalty for a clash with the latter. Bright pitted for fresh tyres under the safety car then recovered from last to 12th.
Results - 35 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Mark Winterbottom FPR Ford 39m39.7002s
2. James Courtney HRT Holden +1.9508s
3. Chaz Mostert FPR Ford +5.2519s
4. Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Holden +6.7886s
5. Shane van Gisbergen Tekno Holden +8.6931s
6. Scott McLaughlin GRM Volvo +9.3911s
7. Nick Percat Walkinshaw/HRT Holden +10.3149s
8. David Reynolds Rod Nash/FPR Ford +12.1511s
9. Garth Tander HRT Holden +12.7698s
10. Fabian Coulthard Brad Jones Holden +14.0305s
11. Scott Pye Dick Johnson Ford +14.9026s
12. Jason Bright Brad Jones Holden +17.6311s
13. Todd Kelly Nissan +22.4518s
14. Lee Holdsworth Erebus Mercedes +22.6865s
15. James Moffat Nissan +22.9612s
16. Craig Lowndes Triple Eight Holden +23.9617s
17. Rick Kelly Nissan +24.2732s
18. Will Davison Erebus Mercedes +24.6772s
19. Russell Ingall Dumbrell Holden +25.0955s
20. Michael Caruso Nissan +25.9608s
21. Dale Wood Britek/BJR Holden +55.5601s
22. Jack Perkins Schwerkolt/FPR Ford +2 laps
Retirements:
Robert Dahlgren GRM Volvo 24 laps
Tim Slade Rosenberg/HRT Holden 10 laps
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