Jamie Whincup was back yesterday where he's used to being - on top of the standings.
Whincup breezed to victory in race one of the Clipsall 500 around the Adelaide street circuit and pushed James Courtney all the way to the chequered flag in the final stages of the second 125km race.
Just 0.63s separated the two Holden drivers, meaning the pair shared the opening races of the V8 Supercars season to claim an early lead in the overall standings.
Reigning series champion Mark Winterbottom was unable to make an impact, finishing eighth and 11th, but New Zealand drivers Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen made encouraging starts to their new campaigns.
McLaughlin picked up two fourth-placed finishes to be third on the standings and van Gisbergen, driving for the first time for Red Bull Racing, was third and fifth.