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Jamie Whincup fends off Fabian Coulthard to first win in 16 races

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Jamie Whincup fought hard to keep the Brad Jones Racing Holden of Fabian Coulthard behind in the second V8 Supercars race at Sydney Motorsport Park to claim his first victory in 16 races.

The reigning champion started second on the grid but made a better start than pole sitter Prodrive Racing Australia driver Chaz Mostert, leading into the first corner with Coulthard following close behind.

The Triple Eight Race Engineering driver has a scare early on as the exhaust on his Holden broke with an awkward sounding exhaust note as result, but Whincup seemed unaffected and continued to take the win ahead of Coulthard.

There was drama further down the field on the opening laps as Nissan’s Todd Kelly and Dick Johnson Racing’s Scott Pye clashed, with the latter spinning. Not long afterwards, the other Brad Jones Racing driver Jason Bright received a push and went off track in a spectacular way, just managing to miss the barriers and gravel trap to make it back on track. The Holden driver retired later in the race due to what seemed to be damage sustained in that incident.

Race one winner Mostert was unable to match the pace of the leading duo and finished a lonely third.

Volvo Polestar Racing’s Scott McLaughlin fought his way from sixth on the grid to finish fourth, passing Tekno Autosports Shane van Gisbergen and Rod Nash Racing’s David Reynolds in the final half of the race.

Van Gisbergen had to fight hard during the last couple of laps to keep fifth place, with a close pack of six cars, securing fifth ahead of Reynolds and the Walkinshaw Racing Holden of Lee Holdsworth.

Championship leader Mark Winterbottom had a tough race to finish eighth in his Prodrive Ford, with title rival Craig Lowndes finishing tenth in his Triple Eight Holden behind the Erebus Mercedes of Will Davison.