Touring CarsV8 Supercars

Winterbottom Wins Tradingpost Perth Challenge Opener

3 Mins read
Winterbottom celebrates Tradingpost Perth Challenge opening race win Photo credit: Ford Performance Racing

Winterbottom celebrates Tradingpost Perth Challenge opening race win Photo credit: Ford Performance Racing

Mark Winterbottom has won the opening race of the Tradingpost Perth Challenge triple header at the Barbagallo Raceway.

Having survived an opening lap collision that took out team-mate Will Davison and Garth Tander, the Orrcon Steel FPR driver showed impressive pace on both compounds of tyre over the 50 lap race, taking victory by 3.29 seconds over TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup.

“It's great to pick up a win here considering how ordinary we were at the track just 12 months ago,” commented Winterbottom.

“The guys did a great job today and to roll out of the truck with the base setup we've had all year and win by over three seconds is really positive.”

It was a disastrous day for pole-sitter Tander – passed in the opening turns by Team BOC's Jason Bright and Whincup, he was then tagged and turned around by The Bottle-O Racing Team's David Reynolds at Turn 7. Unable to take evasive action, Trading Post FPR pilot Davison subsequently collected the stranded Holden Racing Team Commodore putting Tander out of the race. Davison, with front suspension damage pitted for repairs and would eventually finish 25th.

On opposing tyre strategies, Whincup on softs and Winterbottom on the hard compound, the pair found their way past early race leader Bright in the first stint. Winterbottom then pitted on lap 30 switching to softs after losing four seconds to Whincup, but was handed the race lead on a plate after Whincup's Commodore cut out in pit-lane. Whincup rejoined in second, but Winterbottom on the quicker rubber led over the finish line – his second successive V8 Supercars Championship race victory.

Team Vodafone's Craig Lowndes rounded out the podium having carved his way through from 16th on the grid. Lee Holdsworth (IRWIN Racing), James Courtney (Holden Racing Team), Tim Slade (Lucky 7 Racing), Shane van Gisbergen (SP Tools Racing), Michael Caruso (Fujitsu Racing GRM) and Rick Kelly (Jack Daniel's Racing) rounded out the top 10.

The Safety Car made two appearances during the opening six laps, with the second full-course yellow required after Team Norton DJR's James Moffat found himself stranded in the Turn 6 sand trap.

Lockwood Racing's Fabian Coulthard had been in strong contention for a podium place, running in the top five during the first stint but following a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release after minor pitlane contact with Todd Kelly's Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore, he finished 15th.

Steve Owen also joined Moffat and Tander on the retirements' list after smoke was seen coming from the rear of his V.I.P Petfoods Racing Falcon.

The result sees Whincup retake the championship lead with Davison in second, 51 points back and Winterbottom a further 109 points back in third.

Race 7 result:

1 Mark Winterbottom Orrcon Steel FPR Ford Ford Falcon FG 50 52:48.8024
2 Jamie Whincup TeamVodafone Holden Commodore VE2 50 52:52.0885
3 Craig Lowndes TeamVodafone Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:10.0821
4 Lee Holdsworth Irwin Racing Ford Falcon FG 50 53:10.4117
5 James Courtney Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:10.8610
6 Tim Slade Lucky 7 Racing Ford Falcon FG 50 53:11.0680
7 Shane Van Gisbergen SP Tools Racing Ford Falcon FG 50 53:11.4894
8 Michael Caruso Fujitsu Racing GRM Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:11.7320
9 Rick Kelly Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:12.2401
10 Jason Bright Team BOC Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:13.3372
11 Russell Ingall Supercheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:15.3752
12 Greg Murphy Pepsi Max Crew Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:15.8304
13 David Reynolds The Bottle-O Racing Team Ford Falcon FG 50 53:16.8565
14 Jonathon Webb Tekno Autosports Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:19.1763
15 Fabian Coulthard Lockwood Racing Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:23.2299
16 Dean Fiore Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon FG 50 53:23.3794
17 Alexandre Premat Fujitsu Racing GRM Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:25.0205
18 Michael Patrizi Tekno Autosports Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:26.5511
19 Steven Johnson Jim Beam Racing Ford Falcon FG 50 53:31.7148
20 Tony D'Alberto Tony D'Alberto Racing Ford Falcon FG 50 53:31.7522
21 Todd Kelly Jack Daniel's Racing Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:32.9340
22 David Wall Wilson Security Racing Holden Commodore VE2 50 53:35.4451
23 Karl Reindler Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing Holden Commodore VE2 49 52:56.9076
24 Taz Douglas Team iSelect Holden Commodore VE2 49 52:58.4822
25 Will Davison Trading Post FPR Ford Ford Falcon FG 41 53:43.1700
DNF Steve Owen VIP Petfoods Ford Falcon FG 26 29:34.6758
DNF James Moffat Team Norton DJR Ford Falcon FG 7 12:52.7636
DNF Garth Tander Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE2
170 posts

About author
Andy is our resident V8 Supercars reporter. He also runs the V8 Supercars fan site www.v8scglobal.com and works as a freelance motorsport writer (with experience in both the World and British Touring Car Championships). You can find him on Twitter at @andychampness or contact him via his website www.andychampness.co.uk
Articles
Related posts
Off RoadV8 Supercars

Craig Lowndes returning to off-road racing with Finke Desert Race debut

2 Mins read
After a Prologue one-off in 2021, Supercars legend Craig Lowndes will enter the Finke Desert Race for real in June in a special Chevrolet Silverado ZR2.
NASCAR Cup SeriesV8 Supercars

Brodie Kostecki set for NASCAR debut at IMS with RCR

2 Mins read
Brodie Kostecki, currently second in the Supercars Championship, will be the next driver from his day job to race in NASCAR as he joins RIchard Childress Racing at Indy.
BTCCTouring Cars

Rowbottom rounds out superb weekend for NAPA Racing UK with second career win at Thruxton

2 Mins read
Dan Rowbottom has sealed a second career BTCC win with NAPA Racing UK having a dominant weekend at Thruxton leading home Adam Morgan and Aiden Moffat.