V8 Supercars - Whincup boosts lead
V8 SUPERCARS champion Jamie Whincup used a favourite stamping ground yesterday to extend his lead in this year's title race.
The Holden star claimed his fourth win from seven starts in Townsville to open up a 61-point lead over Ford rivals Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison, easily his biggest margin so far in the 2012 championship.
Winterbottom had to settle for second in yesterday's 200km race at the Reid Park street circuit after a braking error allowed Whincup to pass him late in the race but he still leapfrogged Davison to second in the standings.
Whincup's fourth race win of the season is surely an ominous sign for his rivals as the three-time champion begins to use his winning knowledge to pull away not that he expects the Ford pair to give up easily.
"It's dog eat dog and I think that'll continue right until the end of the year," Whincup said.
"I feel like we have picked up a little bit but I'm sure they'll pick up again and we'll have to go again before the end of the year."
Garth Tander gave his beleaguered Holden Racing Team outfit a rare moment of happiness with third place on a day where the biggest loser was Davison.
The Ford Performance Racing driver, who went into the previous round in Darwin on top of the standings, now finds himself in third after struggling to a 12th place finish yesterday.
His struggles were just one of several talking points from an action-packed race where former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve made a bright start but was forced out in the 18th lap with an engine problem.
And to seal the win Whincup had to overcome late fears about whether he had sufficient fuel left in the tank.
Winterbottom now has a points advantage over his teammate but insisted being ahead on the standings would not mean getting preferential treatment just yet.
"We love to share the results," Winterbottom said.
"He (Davison) had a bad day but there's no priority, it's way too early in the championship for that sort of stuff and a DNF and you go from a championship fight to third or fourth.
"It could change quite quickly. Until the enduros you don't really know where you're at."
The V8 Supercars action continues in Townsville today with another 200km race.
AAP
Fonte: www.themercury.com.au
Como eu já tinha comentado e postado por aqui há alguns dias, Jacques Villeneuve estaria na Austrália este fim de semana para participar da V8 Supercars.
A corrida foi hoje, mas infelizmente, Villeneuve não conseguiu completar a prova porque teve problemas no motor na volta 18.
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