Skaife wins race 1
Holden Racing Team's Mark Skaife won the first of three races of the PlaceMakers V8 International at Pukekohe Park Raceway, New Zealand
Skaife took the lead in the early laps, and remained well placed after his pit stop, retaking the lead at two-thirds distance after everyone had made their compulsory stop.
Russell Ingall closed in in the closing laps but was unable to catch Skaife as Skaife took his first victory for 2006, a reward for the pace his car has shown in 2006.
The top five was completed by a trio of Fords, Ford Performance Racing teammates Jason Bright and Mark Winterbottom continuing on from where they left on in qualifying, with Triple Eight's Craig Lowndes taking fifth after recovering from a slow pit stop.
Pole sitter Garth Tander's day turned sour early in the race, when he was given a drive-through penalty for jumping the start, dropping to 31st before recovering to 20th by race end. Ironically his teammate was penalised for the same offence at the first round this year.
Even worse was Super Cheap Auto Racing's start. Local hero Greg Murphy didn't even make it through turn one after contact put him hard into the fence, while just metres away his teammate Cameron McConville spun.
McConville recovered to finish thirteenth, while Murphy may have to spend the rest of the weekend on the sidelines if repairs cannot be made to his badly damaged car.
Pos Driver Car 1. Mark Skaife Holden Commodore VZ 2. Russell Ingall Ford Falcon BA 3. Jason Bright Ford Falcon BA 4. Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon BA 5. Craig Lowndes Ford Falcon BA 6. Max Wilson Ford Falcon BA 7. Steven Richards Holden Commodore VZ 8. James Courtney Ford Falcon BA 9. Steven Johnson Ford Falcon BA 10. Paul Dumbrell Holden Commodore VZ 11. Jason Bargwanna Ford Falcon BA 12. Rick Kelly Holden Commodore VZ 13. Cameron McConville Holden Commodore VZ 14. Paul Morris Holden Commodore VZ 15. Jamie Whincup Ford Falcon BA 16. Dean Canto Holden Commodore VZ 17. John Bowe Ford Falcon BA 18. Will Davison Ford Falcon BA 19. Lee Holdsworth Holden Commodore VZ 20. Garth Tander Holden Commodore VZ 21. Paul Radisich Holden Commodore VZ 22. Brad Jones Ford Falcon BA 23. Mark Porter Holden Commodore VZ 24. Warren Luff Ford Falcon BA 25. Steve Owen Holden Commodore VZ 26. Marcus Marshall Ford Falcon BA 27. Andrew Jones Holden Commodore VZ 28. Jason Richards Holden Commodore VZ DNF Todd Kelly Holden Commodore VZ DNF Fabian Coulthard Holden Commodore VZ DNF Greg Murphy Holden Commodore VZ
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