Tander breaks up Whincup's V8s domination

MARK HORSBURGH

FORD IN FRONT: James Courtney of Dick Johnson Racing on his way to second place in the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars meeting in Adelaide.

It seems even when things go wrong, they end up going right for defending V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup.

Despite having his season winning streak snapped by Holden's Garth Tander, Whincup was still able to treble his championship lead with a fourth place finish in the opening race at the Clipsal 500 on Saturday.

A rare botched pit stop, in which Whincup's Team Vodafone wasn't able to provide him with new front tyres to finish the race, cruelled his chances.

After starting on pole and leading for most of the 78-lap race, Whincup's Holden lost speed and handling following a restart with 20 laps remaining as all his main rivals switched to fresh front tyres.

Tander jumped Whincup from the restart and held on to win, resurrecting hope he can still be a championship contender after a disastrous start to the year in the Middle East.

The Holden Racing Team driver led home Ford's James Courtney and Lee Holdsworth, whose Holden passed a slowing Whincup in the dying laps to knock him off the podium.

"Jamie didn't change his two front tyres at the stop and we did, and that's when my car came alive," Tander said.

"I had to get him early (at the restart) because that's when he was weak, and it worked out.

"It's about as perfect a day as it could have been."

But Whincup, who had won the first four races of the year, was still able to push his championship lead out to 135 points after nearest rival Mark Winterbottom endured a wretched day.

The rear of Winterbottom's Ford was badly damaged after being shunted from behind by Ford rival Steven Johnson early in the race.

Once the problem was fixed, Winterbottom limped around to finish 21st, but he remains second in the points standings.

He was one of several championship contenders to have tough afternoons on the Adelaide streets.

Third-placed Ford driver Shane Van Gisbergen hit a tyre bundle to wreck his race and slip to fourth in the series, with Courtney leapfrogging him.

Craig Lowndes was hit with a stop-go penalty after sparking the six-car pileup which forced the late race restart.

He eventually finished 19th, and dropped to sixth overall in the championship.

The second of the weekend's 250km races will be held on Sunday.

- AAP