V8s: A different car, the same result

Jamie Whincup gets his Team Vodafone Holden up on two wheels through a chicane yesterday. Photo / NZPA

So it wasn't the car, then. Defending V8 Supercar motor racing champion Jamie Whincup continued his happy times in Hamilton when he took out race one of the ITM 400 yesterday.

Whincup, who last year won both races on the 3.4km street circuit while piloting a Ford, started from pole in his Holden.

His smarter tyre strategy and faster pit stop saw him hold off closest rival and fellow Holden driver Garth Tander - along with Whincup, the only man ever to have won at Hamilton over the three years - after the safety car ate into Whincup's lead.

However, overall Whincup had too much zip for his rivals; seemingly able to pull out a bit extra when it was really needed. he extended his lead in the championship, now nearly 100 points ahead of Ford's James Courtney, who finished third yesterday. Holden's Craig Lowndes is third overall after seven of the 26 races.

Having won with a Ford and a Holden - and comfortably so, both times - the feeling is growing that Whincup could win this event if he turned up in a mobility scooter; a perception boosted by his winning of the first four races in this season's championship.

Motor racing is far more fickle than that, however, and his rivals will be gunning for him in today's second race.

Whincup himself praised the car and his team: "The car this year feels as good as any car I have ever driven. It is extremely good but who said motorsport isn't a team event?"

"I came in second [to the pits] and the guys pulled off a great stop and got me in the lead. It was a huge team effort today. It was a good battle with Garth and Jamie - it was good to pick up where we left off in Adelaide."

Whincup's two-tyre strategy has left him well-placed with two extra tyres for today's race - as Tander opted for four tyres, which didn't really make a difference yesterday.

"Four tyres is always better but I always felt the car was going well and two tyres could work out to our advantage in the next race."

Tander had a broken header in his engine and said; "We did lose a bit of grunt and driveability but really it was about two small mistakes - one from me and our pit stop was a bit slow."

Whincup was passed by Tander on lap seven of the 59-lap contest, but regained the lead after that first pit stop; the key moment of the race.

Whincup was looking comfortable with a six-second cushion on lap 45, but that was wiped out when the safety car was called out. However, the Victorian stayed in front of Tander to record his fifth victory in seven races this season.

Whincup clocked a fastest lap of 1m 23.2780s and was one of a host of drivers to eclipse his race record of 1m 24.4701s set 12 months ago. Third was James Courtney in the first Ford across the finish line.

The result meant Whincup and Tander remain the only drivers to have won in Hamilton since the New Zealand round of the championship was moved from Pukekohe in 2008. Tander won all three races in Hamilton's debut year.

It was a disappointing day for New Zealand hopes, with Jason Richards the first home in 11th, while fellow Holden drivers Greg Murphy and Daniel Gaunt were the best of the rest in 18th and 19th respectively.

For Shane Van Gisbergen, it was supposed to be the moment a young man delivered on his potential in front of his hometown motor racing fans. Instead his bid to end New Zealand's V8 Supercar drought in Hamilton ended before he could even complete the first lap of the 200km race .

Van Gisbergen has had two podiums and three other top-six finishes this season and was third fastest in practice day. However, in a qualifying session disrupted by two red flags, he was left back in 21st spot.

In the race itself, Van Gisbergen, 20, lasted less than half a lap. He was got bumped in traffic on turn three and spun into a wall. The damage to the front of his Ford ended his day.

It left a bitter taste for the 20-year-old, who just a day earlier had sealed a new two-year contract with his team and posted the third fastest time in Friday's practice session behind championship contenders Jamie Whincup and Garth Tander.

"It was a typical case of people trying to win the race on the first lap," van Gisbergen said of the opening lap incident. "When I got off the wall, the steering was bent and I made contact with Russell Ingall. I'm obviously disappointed for the team, who will be here for a while tonight fixing the car."

- NZPA