V8 Supercars series leader Jamie Whincup won the first race at Ipswich on Saturday getting his title defence back on track. His Red Bull Racing team were expected to claim victory at the Queensland Raceway, but it was team-mate Craig Lowndes who was the favourite rather than Whincup, who had gone winless in the last eight races.
Whincup turned his luck around by taking the chequered flag at Ipswich for the first time in four years, half a second ahead of Holden driver, New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin,with Ford’s Mark Winterbottom third.
It was a different story on Sunday, when young guns Scott McLaughlin and Chaz Mostert challenged the establishment by taking the racing right up to the veterans.
Holden’s 20-year-old McLaughlin began the day by upstaging four time V8 champion Jamie Whincup to claim race two honours, and then Ford youngster, 21-year-old Mostert, snatched a remarkable maiden victory in race three.
McLaughlin was going to be a hard act to follow after backing up from his runner-up placing behind Whincup in Saturday’s sprint race opener to claim his second win of the year in race two. McLaughlin became the youngest winner of a V8 race this year, claiming line honours, still 58 days shy of his 20th birthday, at Pukekohe in his native New Zealand.
The youngest to ever get behind the wheel in the second string Dunlop Series at just 16 years of age, he become the category’s champion by age 19 last year – another record.
Chaz Mostert stole the limelight in race three after monstering pole-sitter Will Davison at the start and defying wet conditions and oil on turn three to grab an historic round eight win. He finished ahead of Ford team-mates Davison and Mark Winterbottom, marking the first trifecta for the Blue Oval since the 2012 Phillip Island round.
The next V8 supercar round will be held at Winton Victoria from August 23-25.