Holden's Todd Kelly scored a historic win at the Shanghai International Circuit today, winning the first ever Australian V8 Supercar race to be held in China.

Kelly beat Steve Richards to the chequered flag by around 1 second, while pole winner and Holden team-mate, Mark Skaife was third.

"You concentrate so hard during the race it doesn't really sink in," said Kelly at the finish, "but when I crossed the line and looked up into the grandstand it was a pretty special moment.

"I didn't come into the weekend thinking about it that way, but I can tell you it feels great. It's been a little while coming, we've had a bit of a rough trot at the start of this season and it is good to get it all going again. I was a little fortunate that Richo [Steve Richards] went a bit deep and I was able to sneak up the inside as it tightened up a bit.

"It is certainly very special, but the most important thing is to come away with the first round win in China."

Richards, who led early on, lost the lead to Kelly around lap 11, when he locked up going into the first turn.

"The car wasn't quite as good when it had some fuel in it, but it got better as the fuel load dropped and then we were able to hunt Todd [Kelly] down," Richards stated.

"There is no doubt when you have a three race format and have the first race on Saturday that you are little more cautious, we try to figure out the car in race trim and see where we are and not do anything silly while trying to race hard.

"It is hot and humid outside today, so you sweat a little bit more, but it not any harder than usual. It is a good track because there are good opportunities for passing; you can make good ground down the back straight if you get good drive out of the last corner and that opens up the hairpin."

Skaife meanwhile completed the top three after securing his first pole position of the year following the Top 10 Shootout. Skaife though lost out at the start to Richards and then damaged his tyres and steering after making contact with the Team Perkins Racing car.

"Hitting the tyre bundle hurt a little bit but we didn't have the car as good as we should have and we didn't have a good pitstop so those two things cost you a result," he reflected.