Mark Winterbottom took victory in race 26 at the Pukeohe Raceway after the two championship leaders, Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen collided with Whincup handed a pit lane penalty as a result. Van Gisbergen managed to rejoin the race down in eighth place after starting from pole and fought his way back through the field to finish in third place.
When asked how he was feeling after seeing his two cars come together, team boss Ronald Dane was quick not to blame either of his drivers….
“My heart rate’s pretty good to be honest,” he was quoted as saying ont eh sport’s official website. “The reality is Jamie lost the rear, Shane left door open for him but Jamie was probably coming from a tickle far back. It happens, you’re not going to race side by side forever without having something happening sooner or later.”
“It wasn’t terrible, I’d be more annoyed if they were in a position where they could be beaten for the championship, and they can’t be. It is what it is we had some good racing yesterday and hopefully have more today but it’s one of those things, I’m not going to cry about it.”
Scot Pye continued his strong run today with a brilliant second place for DJR, ahead of Shane van Gisbergen.
Craig Lowndes, who eventually left the door slightly open and allowed van Gisbergen through, with the commentators believing he should have fought a little harder to keep Shane behind him, finished fourth after a brilliant, but long drawn out battle with Fabian Couthard.
Chaz Mostert, Scott McLaughlin, Will Davison, Rick Kelly and Garth Tander rounded out the top ten but McLaughlin is aiming to win race 27...
"P7 in the first race today," he said on Facebook. "Starting 3rd in the next one will be trying my hardest to get the win in NZ! One more chance!"
