Two-stop strategy sees Craig Lowndes charge to Triple Eight 1-2-3
Craig Lowndes made a stunning drive to win the first V8 Supercars race of the weekend in Perth from the back of the field, heading a Triple Eight Race Engineering 1-2-3 with Shane van Gisbergen in second and Jamie Whincup in third.
Lowndes went for a two-stop strategy, sending him right at the back of the field but then enabling him to claw back up thanks to fresher tyres on the tough surface of the Barbagallo circuit.
The Holden driver made his way past team mate van Gisbergen into the lead with just three laps left to win by close to six seconds, despite a rain shower on the very last laps of the race.
Will Davison was best of the rest in fourth position, with the Holden Racing Team duo of Garth Tander and James Courtney occupying positions five and six.
Nissan Motorsport driver Todd Kelly went for a two stop strategy as well and climbed to seventh position ahead of the best Ford driver in the form of Chris Pither in eighth position.
Scott McLaughlin crossed the line in 12th position for Volvo after starting from 15th position on the grid, missing out on a late red-flag session in qualifying.
Ford colleagues Chaz Mostert and Cameron Waters, who started from pole, both fought for the top positions but dropped down the order, struggling for grip towards the end of the race to finish 13th and 14th respectively.
The race was even worse for reigning champion Mark Winterbottom who only managed 23rd position being pushed into a spin by Dale Wood as well as going off twice on his own.
