Photo: Holden Racing Team

Garth Tander ends drought with 1-2 finish for HRT

Garth Tander has ended a long winless drought for the Holden Racing Team, after leading a 1-2 in the second race of the day in Townsville ahead of team-mate James Courtney.

The team’s last victory was taken by Tander at Phillip Island last year in November, but Tander charged through from 12th on the grid to make up for the failed conversion in race one, when the two HRT drivers had started from the front row but fell down the order after contact from Triple Eight’s Craig Lowndes on the opening lap.

Fabian Coulthard had secured pole position in the Brad Jones Racing Holden Commodore, with the Walkinshaw Holden of Nick Percat alongside him on the front row.

The race was also about the move forward by the two HRT drivers however, with Tander making the most progress from 12th, with Courtney making his way up to second after qualifying in eighth position. Tander got the overlap by having a longer first stint, leaving him with a fresher set of Dunlop tyres late in the race.

After his stop, Tander emerged side-by-side with race leader Coulthard, who made a mistake at Turn 3 which allowed Courtney through into second position.

Coulthard hung on for third with Shane Van Gisbergen taking another strong result with fourth.

The Championship protagonists finished sixth to eight, with Lowndes finishing sixth in his repaired Triple Eight Holden ahead of team-mate Jamie Whincup, with Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom rescuing eighth after qualifying a lowly 19th, reducing the points damage to his Triple Eight rivals.

Winterbottom still leads the Championship on 1,532 points, with Whincup 144 points behind and Lowndes now third, 191 behind.

The third and final race of the weekend of 200km takes place at 15:55 AEST tomorrow.