Jamie Whincup secured the perfect start to the V8 Supercar Championship season after doubling up with victory in the second race of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
The Team Vodafone man came out on top of a somewhat surprising podium as Lee Holdsworth and Cameron McConville took second and third. It was a result made all the more surprising as Holdsworth was forced to take part in the 78-lap race despite losing both his cool suit and the air intake into his helmet – which left him close to collapse by the time the race drew to a close.
Indeed it was the ‘less fancied' runners who dominated the top ten, with Todd Kelly fourth for Jack Daniel's Racing, Shane van Gisbergen a fine fifth for SBR and Greg Murphy and Jason Richards sixth and seventh.
Whincup scored the double to become only the third driver alongside greats Mark Skaife and Marcos Ambrose to win dual Clipsal 500s – arguably the most gruelling event of the V8 Supercar Championship Series outside of the famous Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
He shone to lead from start to finish and left carnage in his wake. The race exploded on lap 56 of 78 when James Courtney and Craig Lowndes exited in high drama.
“It was an amazing weekend – one of those ones that as a kid you dream of,” he said. “There was never a dull moment. I was always pushing hard and giving the 88 car a real push.
“Winning the Barry Sheene (best and fairest medal) last year was a big eye opener but now to win back-to-back Clipsal 500s is a great feeling. To join the greats of the category makes me really proud.”
Holdsworth stuck in for second in an incredible display of courage. He admitted that at some stages he was almost too fatigued to keep pushing.
“My cool suit ran out after about lap 20 so it was just circulating hot water around my body and the air intake on my helmet failed. It was incredibly hard,” he said. “But to be here is unbelievable. I felt at the start of the year that I could be a top ten contender and it's such a great feeling going into the rest of the year knowing we can perform.”
