Event Recap: 2018 Supercars Championship from Melbourne 400, Race #2 (March 24, 2018)

Event statistics following the fourth race of the 2018 Supercars Championship season, Race #2 of the Coates Hire Supercars Melbourne 400, at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne.

Jamie Whincup scored his first victory of the season in a rainy race around the 5.303-kilometer track, winning the 13-lap race by besting Race #1 winner Scott McLaughlin by more than four seconds despite slipping off the track in Turn 1 on Lap 6. McLaughlin’s Shell-V Power Racing Team teammate, Fabian Coulthard, was third.

Race Statistics

Melbourne 400 (Race #2)

Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit – Melbourne, Victoria

- Winner (starting position): Jamie Whincup (1st)

- Top Five: Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin, Fabian Coulthard, Shane van Gisbergen, Cameron Waters

- Full Results: Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin, Fabian Coulthard, Shane van Gisbergen, Cameron Waters, Chaz Mostert, Nick Percat, Michael Caruso, Mark Winterbottom, Tim Slade, Scott Pye, David Reynolds, Rick Kelly, Will Davison, Lee Holdsworth, Andre Heimgartner, James Golding, Garth Tander, Anton de Pasquale, James Courtney, Tim Blanchard, Jack Le Brocq, Simona de Silvestro, Craig Lowndes, Richie Stanaway, Todd Hazelwood

- Laps Completed: 13

- Race Leaders: 1

- Laps Led: Jamie Whincup (13)

- Pole Position: Jamie Whincup (1 minute, 54.9974 seconds)

- Hard Charger: James Golding (+7; 24th to 17th)

- Fastest Lap: Jamie Whincup (2 minutes, 13.0872 seconds; Lap 5)

- Margin of Victory: 4.2034 seconds

- Car Count: 26

- Cars Entered: 26

- Cars Running at Finish: 24 (of 26; or 92 percent of the field)

- Drivers to Finish on Lead Lap: 23

- Cautions: 1 for 2 laps

- Average Speed: 129.980 kph/80.76 mph

- Lead Changes: 0

- Manufacturer Breakdown: Holden (14); Ford (8); Nissan (4)

- Race Time: 31:49.409

- Weather at Start of Race: 66 degrees Fahrenheit (18.9 degrees Celsius), rain, winds 1 mph N

Notes of Interest – Race/Weekend Recap

- This is Jamie Whincup’s first Supercars Championship victory of the season and the 109th of his career.

- Whincup has won at least one race in each of the last 13 seasons, dating back to 2006. It is his first points-paying victory at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.

- Whincup becomes the first Australian driver to win a championship round this season. The first three races had been won by New Zealand drivers.

- Whincup’s victory came from the pole position, marking the 46th time he has scored a victory from the top-starting position. All four races this season have been won from the pole.

- Whincup led all 13 laps of the race. Whincup has led three of four races this season, the most of all drivers.

- The podium was Whincup’s 213th of his career and second of the season and the weekend. He has competed in 438 races, which is closing in on the top 10 most of all-time.

- Whincup’s pole position was the 73rd of his career. He’s earned at least one pole position in each of the last 12 seasons.

- Whincup moved up to 10th in the points standings, having finished 26th in Race #2 of the Adelaide 500.

- Holden has now won three out of four races this season, with a sweep of the Adelaide 500 and one victory so far at Melbourne.

- Scott McLaughlin, the Race #1 winner, finished second, in a reversal of the first two finishing positions from the first race. It marked McLaughlin’s third podium finish of the season and the 44th of his career. He has now scored at least two podiums in each of the last six seasons.

- McLaughlin was the highest-finishing driver in a Ford.

- Fabian Coulthard finished third for the second consecutive race, pushing him forward in the points standings to 11th.

- Shane van Gisbergen finished fourth for the second consecutive race, and has finished in the top-five in all four races this season and five in succession, dating back to last year’s season finale at Newcastle Street Circuit.

- Van Gisbergen, who increased his lead in the points standings, ensured New Zealand drivers earned three of the top four positions for the second straight race.

- Cameron Waters finished fifth, his best finish at Melbourne. He tied his season-best finish of fifth in Race #2 at the Adelaide 500.

- Chad Mostert earned sixth, giving him four top-seven finishes in as many races this season.

- Others recording or tying season-best finishes included: Nick Percat (7th); Michael Caruso (8th; highest-finishing Nissan driver); Tim Slade (10th); Rick Kelly (13th); Andre Heimgartner (16th); James Golding (17th); and Tim Blanchard (21st).

- A total of eight drivers that were classified improved on their starting position in the race.

- The next race will also be Saturday, March 24, with the third of four races from the Melbourne 400. The race will be 25 laps.