WHINCUP AND LOWNDES DOMINATE OPENING RACE ON THE GOLD COAST

Jamie Whincup held off his teammate to take the win on the Gold Coast – Photo: InSyde Media

Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver Jamie Whincup overcame severe pressure from teammate Shane van Gisbergen to give himself and Craig Lowndes the Saturday race win on the Gold Coast streets.

The #888 Holden Commodore drivers only relinquishing the lead when pit stops were made. Craig Lowndes started in the car and jumped straight into the lead when #17 co-driver Alex Premat bogged the car down as the lights went out.

From there Lowndes put is head down and handed the car over to Whincup with a 5s lead on lap 34, Whincup then controlled the race until the safety car was called on lap 89 for debris on the circuit.

When racing resumed Whincup held his nerve to beat van Gisbergen and Garth Tander by 0.52s.

Craig Lowndes jumped to the lead at the start – Photo: InSyde Media

Team Penske driver #17 driver Scott McLaughlin sat in second for the majority of the race but was overtaken by Shane van Gisbergen seconds before the safety car was called after being held up by back markers.

The #6 Tickford Racing Ford Mustang of Cameron Waters and Michael Caruso came home in fourth ahead of the hard charging Walkinshaw Andretti United car of Scott Pye and Warren Luff.

Lee Holdsworth and Tom Randle came home sixth ahead of the Davison brothers Will and Alex and Tim Slade and Ashley Walsh.

After a couple of incidents early in the race Fabian Coulthard and Tony D’Alberto came home in ninth with the highest placed Nissan Altima Rick Kelly and Dale Wood rounding out the top 10.

The final race of the Gold Coast 600 begins on Sunday at 4pm AEDT.

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