Will Davison and Mark Winterbottom have helped Ford Performance Racing claim its second race 1-2 in as many races after the works drivers raced nose-to-tail in today’s first race at the Falken Tasmania Challenge at Symmons Plains Raceway.
Starting on the front row, Davison managed to get the jump on pole-sitting team-mate Winterbottom as the race got underway, and quickly built himself a small lead while Winterbottom was engaged in an early race battle with Jamie Whincup.
Whincup managed to squeeze by Winterbottom on the opening lap after a bit of panel-rubbing action between the two, but the compulsory pit-stop saw the positions between the pair reversed when ‘Frosty’ pitted on Lap 23.
Davison pitted a lap later, and despite a slower pit stop, he managed to rejoin in an effective lead, just ahead of Winterbottom, who proceeded to harry his team-mate for the lead over the remaining 25 laps.
Davison’s cause was not helped when he started to lose feeling in his right foot – a medical issue he has been suffering intermittently for some time – but he managed to hold on for his second win in as many championship races.
Whincup and van Gisbergen disputed the final podium position, with the TeamVodafone driver eventually easing out a four-second margin over the New Zealander.
Fifth place went to Whincup’s team-mate Craig Lowndes, who had to twice overtake David Reynolds during the race – once before the pit stops, and then again when Reynolds emerged ahead as they exited the pits.
The top-ten places were completed by Garth Tander (Holden Racing Team), Tim Slade (Stone Brothers Racing), Lee Holdsworth (Stone Brothers Racing) and Todd Kelly (Kelly Racing).
Taz Douglas (Lucas Dumbrell Holden) managed to run inside the top-ten for much of the race, but lost three positions in the closing laps, fading to twelfth.
The luckless Jonathon Webb had another potential top-ten result go begging, this time being forced to retire his Tekno Holden with brake problems after he overshot the Turn 4 hairpin on several occasions during the race.
Davison’s win means he extends his championship lead to 39 points over Whincup, with Winterbottom a further 39 points behind in third.
Tomorrow’s action will see the drivers tackle a longer 84-lap race, preceded by another twenty-minute qualifying session.
2012 V8 Supercars Falken Tasmania Challenge – Race 1 Result (59 laps):
Driver | Entry / Team | Laps | Result | ||
1. | Will Davison | ![]() |
Trading Post / Ford Performance Racing | 59 | 52:30.5845 |
2. | Mark Winterbottom | ![]() |
Orrcon Steel / Ford Performance Racing | 59 | + 0.6395 |
3. | Jamie Whincup | ![]() |
Team Vodafone / Triple 8 Racing | 59 | + 9.1028 |
4. | Shane van Gisbergen | ![]() |
SP Tools / Stone Brothers Racing | 59 | + 13.3803 |
5. | Craig Lowndes | ![]() |
Team Vodafone / Triple 8 Racing | 59 | + 13.7788 |
6. | David Reynolds | ![]() |
The Bottle-O Racing Team / Rod Nash | 59 | + 18.8631 |
7. | Garth Tander | ![]() |
TOLL / Holden Racing Team | 59 | + 20.2176 |
8. | Tim Slade | ![]() |
Lucky 7 Racing / Stone Brothers Racing | 59 | + 20.4327 |
9. | Lee Holdsworth | ![]() |
Irwin Racing / Stone Brothers Racing | 59 | + 27.3373 |
10. | Todd Kelly | ![]() |
Jack Daniel’s / Kelly Racing | 59 | + 31.1626 |
11. | Steven Johnson | ![]() |
Jim Beam Racing / Dick Johnson Racing | 59 | + 36.5306 |
12. | Taz Douglas | ![]() |
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport | 59 | + 37.1313 |
13. | Steve Owen | ![]() |
VIP Petfoods / Dick Johnson Racing | 59 | + 39.0861 |
14. | James Moffat | ![]() |
Team Norton / Dick Johnson Racing | 59 | + 39.5981 |
15. | Michael Caruso | ![]() |
Fujitsu Racing / Garry Rogers Motorsport | 59 | + 40.3658 |
16. | Fabian Coulthard | ![]() |
Lockwood Racing / Brad Jones Racing | 59 | + 48.8080 |
17. | Alexandre Prémat | ![]() |
Fujitsu Racing / Garry Rogers Motorsport | 59 | + 51.8426 |
18. | James Courtney | ![]() |
TOLL / Holden Racing Team | 58 | + 1 lap |
19. | Rick Kelly | ![]() |
Jack Daniel’s / Kelly Racing | 58 | + 1 lap |
20. | Michael Patrizi | ![]() |
Tekno Autosports | 58 | + 1 lap |
21. | David Russell | ![]() |
Pepsi Max Crew / Kelly Racing | 58 | + 1 lap |
22. | Dean Fiore | ![]() |
Jim Beam Racing / Dick Johnson Racing | 58 | + 1 lap |
23. | Karl Reindler | ![]() |
Fair Dinkum Sheds / Kelly Racing | 58 | + 1 lap |
24. | Russell Ingall | ![]() |
Supercheap Auto / Walkinshaw Racing | 57 | + 2 laps |
25. | Jason Bright | ![]() |
Team BOC / Brad Jones Racing | 51 | + 8 laps |
26. | Tony D’Alberto | ![]() |
Tony D’Alberto Racing | 49 | + 10 laps |
NOT CLASSIFIED | |||||
DNF. | Jonathon Webb | ![]() |
Tekno Autosports | 26 | Brakes |
DNF. | David Wall | ![]() |
Wilson Security / Brad Jones Racing | 20 | Mechanical |
![]() |
|
Richard Bailey
Latest posts by Richard Bailey (see all)
- 2020 F1 Season Review (Blu Ray) - 27 February, 2021
- WTCR: Guerrieri outwits Muller at the Nordschleife - 26 September, 2020
- WTCR: Girolami breaks Nordschleife lap record to claim pole - 25 September, 2020
- WTCR: Hyundai withdraws from Germany round - 24 September, 2020
- WTCR: Ehrlacher leads Lynk & Co podium sweep at Zolder - 13 September, 2020