Coulthard leads another one-two finish for Shell V-Power Racing Team
Shell V-Power Racing’s Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin claimed their third 1-2 of the season at the CrownBet Triple Crown in Darwin, continuing their red letter run in this year’s Supercars Championship.
The pair capatalised on strategy and the misfortunes of others to take a stranglehold on the race and strengthen Coulthard’s Championship lead. Brad Jones Racing’s Nick Percat grabbed the sixth podium of his career with third.
An early pit stop strategy won the race for Coulthard while McLachlan and Percat made gains from a jammed accelerator for ARMOR ALL pole sitter Rick Kelly and a right rear puncture for Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s Shane van Gisbergen.
Coulthard’s first Darwin win and third of the year extended his Championship lead on Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s Jamie Whincup to 34 points and 40 points to McLaughlin. Van Gisbergen’s drama-charged race meant he remains in fourth but dropped to 187 points behind, from 37.
With victory coming only days after Coulthard and his partner Becky Lamb announced they were expecting twins later this year, it made for the perfect week for the Kiwi.
“I couldn’t ask for much more. It’s going to be a big year so hopefully we can finish it off in the right style,” Coulthard said.
Kelly started from ARMOR ALL pole position and got a great start and despite pressure on the outside from Erebus Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds, who also had a great jump, at the first corner held the lead.
McLaughlin tried the same move on the second lap by going wide around Kelly and looked close to planting his Falcon in front but dropped a wheel in the dirt and ran off, dropping four places.
“That was a massive brain fart by me,” McLaughlin said. “I was trying to hang it on the cush there and it didn’t work but I got away with it. Well done to Fabian, another 1-2 which is great for the guys and for those at home. Moving forward I am very excited.”
Coulthard’s team played their hand early by using their pit stop at the first available opportunity for a long run to the finish line. Kelly stayed out as he began pulling away from Reynolds, coming in on lap 10. Coulthard’s strategy worked a treat as he easily went past Kelly and into the lead.
The race turned on its head when Van Gisbergen blew a right rear tyre when he, having not stopped, was the race leader. On the same lap Kelly suffered a jammed throttle and slammed into a tyre wall, forcing a safety car and ending his race.
Van Gisbergen’s fortunes took another hit just three laps from the end when he got tangled up with Wilson Security Racing’s Garth Tander and suffered terminal damage. It also heavily damaged his Championship position
Click here for full results from today’s race.
Earlier, Kelly grabbed ARMOR ALL pole position, shutting out the big guns at the same track his team-mate Michael Caruso took victory last year.
Two years after he scored a Nissan front row start in 2015, Kelly set his time early in the session on just his second lap in the Sengled Altima and it was only McLaughlin who looked like topping him until a very small mistake on his final flying lap.
It was Kelly’s second pole position in Darwin on the track he took race victories at in 2004 and 2011.
Qualifying, a Top Ten Shootout and a 200km race will be held tomorrow.
Every practice, qualifying and race, as well as support categories, from the CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown are broadcast live, ad-break free on Fox Sports 506 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Highlights Saturday night at 8:30pm AEST on ONE and 11:30pm AEST on TEN and Sunday at 4:00pm AEST on TEN and 8:30pm AEST on ONE. For the full TV Schedule of the Darwin Triple Crown, head to supercars.com/tv-schedule.
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