Team Vodafone’s Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife, ‘The Dream Team’ have won the L&H 500 Phillip Island for the second year in a row.
They still remain undefeated since pairing together for the endurance races in 2010. Lowndes crossed the finish line 6.3 seconds ahead of the sister car of Jamie Whincup and Andrew Thompson, another 1-2 finish for Team Vodafone Holden. Ford’s Will Davison finished well up in the qualifying ‘pole position’ race and made a late charge in the dying laps for third, overtaking an ailing Shane van Gisbergen, who was struggling with steering issues.
Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander also slipped past van Gisbergen by the narrowest of margins at the finish line for fourth. It was a monumental recovery for the number two of the Toll Holden Racing Commodore after Nick Percat was forced to start from pit lane after stalling the car on the front row of the grid. Half way through the race, he had the Toll HRT Holden on the leading lap and was dicing with Lowndes, the eventual winner Although the Fords were the quickest pre-qualifyers on the Island, the Holden’s proved more efficient and faster under fully loaded racing conditions.
With the classic Bathurst 1000 only three weeks away it’s very difficult to see anyone challenging either of the Vodafone Holdens’ and the result may just be a repeat of last year!
In a developing story, V8 Supercars Australia CEO has announced that the Tasmanian Government will contribute $2 million towards securing a round of the V8 Supercars race at Symmons Plains for the next three years.