Whincup Wins Race 1 of Season Opener

The Aussie V8 Championship is making its debut in Abu Dhabi and is the season opener for the 15-round championship. It went down in history as the first ever night race of the series. The Australian V8 Supercars Championship was also the first to use an exciting feature of Yas Marina Circuit - a high speed off-camber left, right, left turn sequence - known as ‘the Corkscrew’, which drops 15 metres in elevation across 100 metres in distance – a feature that is sure to pose big challenges to the drivers.

Pole sitter Whincup, who has been the V8 Supercar Champion for the past two years in 2008 and 2009, won the 43-lap race with a time of 1:28:04.434 seconds. Whincup drove a Holden Commodore VE. He pitted on Lap 15 and 29.

For the last two years, Whincup raced Ford Falcons, but this year changed to Holden Commodores and were debuting their brand new cars in Abu Dhabi.

It was a one-two for Team Vodafone as Whincup’s teammate Craig Lowndes, driving a Holden Commodore VE, was second with a time of 1:28:05.373 seconds. Lowndes had qualified 10^th. Mark Winterbottom of Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon, driving a Ford Falcon FG, was third with a timing of 1:28:06.386 seconds. Winterbottom had qualified third.

James Courtney of Jim Bean Racing, driving a Ford Falcon FG was fourth with a time 1:28:16.312 seconds, followed by Lee Holdsworth of Fujitsu Racing/GRM. Lee had a time of 1:28:17.455 seconds. Courtney, driving a Ford Falcon FG, had qualified fourth, while Lee, driving a Holden Commodore VE, had qualified seventh.

Last season’s runner-up Will Davison of Toll Holden Racing Team and who had qualified fifth after the top 10 shootout, had to retire on Lap 30.

The support races for the race weekend are the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East Championship, the UAE GT Championship and the Gulfsport Radical Cup.

The Australia V8 Supercar Championship has purpose-built racing versions of the popular Holden Commodore VE and Ford Falcon FG, driven by many Australians on the roads, are the two cars that carry the hopes of the 29 drivers and their respective teams.

With roaring V8 engines producing 650 horsepower, these rear-wheel drive racing machines are unlike any other type of race car in the world.

V8 Supercar racing is Australia’s most popular form of motorsport and one of its best-attended sports overall, one that has spread into NewZealand with events also held in recent years in Bahrain and even in China.

Earlier, defending champion Jamie Whincup took pole position in the Top 10 shootout with a fastest lap of 1:58.114 seconds. The 43-lap Race 2 is on Saturday.

Race 1 classification (after 43 laps) (Top 10): Jamie Whincup (Team Vodafone) 1:28:04.434s; Craig Lowndes (Team Vodafone) 1:28:05.373; Mark WInterbottom (Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon) 1:28:06.386; James Courtney (Jim Beam Racing) 1:28:16.312; Lee Holdsworth (Fujitsu Racing/GRM) 1:28:17.455; Shan van Gisbergen (SP Tools Racing) 1:28:26.665; Paul Dumbrell (The Bottle-O Racing Team) 1:28:28.098; Jonathan Webb (Dick Johnson Racing) 1:28:35.704; Alex Davison (Irwin Racing) 1:28:39.734; Rick Kelly (Jack Daniels Racing) 1:28:42.024

james@khaleejtimes.com