The 2015 International V8 Supercars Championship (often simplified to the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship) was an FIA-sanctioned international auto racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the seventeenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the nineteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
Mark Winterbottom of Prodrive Racing Australia secured his first championship title with one race remaining, winning nine races during the season, while Triple Eight Race Engineering won the Teams' Championship.[1] The Enduro Cup was won by Garth Tander and Warren Luff, driving for the Holden Racing Team.
Holden, Nissan and Volvo were all represented by factory-backed teams.[2] [3] [4] Ford reduced its commitment as a prelude to a complete exit from the series at the end of the season,[5] while Mercedes-Benz continued to be represented without any factory support.[6]
The following drivers competed in the 2015 championship.
The 2015 calendar was released on 12 September 2014.[67] [68] Two non-championship events were held; one being the MSS Security V8 Supercars Challenge in conjunction with the Australian Grand Prix on 12–15 March, and the other a demonstration using five cars (one from each manufacturer) at the Kuala Lumpur City Grand Prix in Malaysia over 7–9 August.[69] [70]
The Auckland event moved from April to November, while the Winton and Perth events swapped positions on the calendar.
Each Super Sprint event featured two hours of Friday practice which incorporated testing time for the teams. The Townsville event reverted to its original 400-kilometre format, with a 200-kilometre race held on both Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday races of Super Sprint events were contested over a shorter distance of 60 kilometres per race, compared to the 100-kilometre races held in 2014. No twilight races were held.[71] After holding a fourth race on the Friday in 2013 and 2014, the Auckland event was reduced to three races, the same as all other Super Sprint events.[72]
The season saw the commencement of a new television deal, with Foxtel and Network Ten taking over the broadcasting rights from Seven Network. All races are being shown live on Foxtel's Fox Sports with six events – Adelaide, Townsville, Sandown, Bathurst, the Gold Coast and Sydney – also being televised live on Ten.[73] Ten also broadcasts limited highlights of the other events. The television series Inside Supercars and Supercars Life were also launched by Fox Sports to accompany their coverage. Ten revived their motorsport magazine series RPM to accompany their own coverage.
The number of test days allocated to each team was reduced from four to three. A compulsory two-day test was held at Sydney Motorsport Park on 7–8 February 2015, with teams allocated one further day of private testing that could be used at their discretion. The amount of track time on Fridays at eight rounds has been increased to account for the reduced number of test days.
From Darwin, in response to processional racing in the 60 km SuperSprint races, the V8 Supercar Commission changed tyre allocations to give teams a set of soft compound rubber for the second race.[74]
Event name | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver | Winning team | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Clipsal 500 Adelaide | Jamie Whincup | Jamie Whincup | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
2 | Jamie Whincup | Tim Slade | Fabian Coulthard | Brad Jones Racing | ||
3 | James Courtney | Garth Tander | James Courtney | Holden Racing Team | ||
2 | 4 | Tyrepower Tasmania Super Sprint | Craig Lowndes | Shane van Gisbergen | Craig Lowndes | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
5 | Craig Lowndes | Craig Lowndes | Craig Lowndes | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
6 | Craig Lowndes | Craig Lowndes | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
3 | 7 | Ubet Perth Super Sprint | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia |
8 | Mark Winterbottom | Mark Winterbottom | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
9 | Chaz Mostert | Rick Kelly | Will Davison | Erebus Motorsport | ||
4 | 10 | NP300 Navara Winton Super Sprint | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Prodrive Racing Australia |
11 | Chaz Mostert | David Reynolds | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
12 | Chaz Mostert | Rick Kelly | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
5 | 13 | Skycity Triple Crown Darwin | James Courtney | Shane van Gisbergen | Chaz Mostert | Prodrive Racing Australia |
14 | Rick Kelly | Shane van Gisbergen | Craig Lowndes | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
15 | David Reynolds | Rick Kelly | David Reynolds | Rod Nash Racing | ||
6 | 16 | Castrol Edge Townsville 400 | Chaz Mostert | Mark Winterbottom | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia |
17 | Scott McLaughlin | Mark Winterbottom | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
7 | 18 | Coates Hire Ipswich Super Sprint | Chaz Mostert | Mark Winterbottom | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia |
19 | Craig Lowndes | Craig Lowndes | Mark Winterbottom | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
20 | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
8 | 21 | Sydney Motorsport Park Super Sprint | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Chaz Mostert | Prodrive Racing Australia |
22 | Chaz Mostert | Scott Pye | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
23 | Scott McLaughlin | Craig Lowndes | Chaz Mostert | Prodrive Racing Australia | ||
9 | 24 | Wilson Security Sandown 500 | Jamie Whincup Paul Dumbrell | Paul Dumbrell | Mark Winterbottom Steve Owen | Prodrive Racing Australia |
10 | 25 | Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 | David Reynolds | Jamie Whincup | Craig Lowndes Steven Richards | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
11 | 26 | Castrol Gold Coast 600 | Shane van Gisbergen | Shane van Gisbergen | Shane van Gisbergen Jonathon Webb | Tekno Autosports |
27 | Scott McLaughlin | Craig Lowndes | James Courtney Jack Perkins | Holden Racing Team | ||
12 | 28 | ITM 500 Auckland | Jamie Whincup | Jamie Whincup | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
29 | David Reynolds | Craig Lowndes | David Reynolds | Rod Nash Racing | ||
30 | Scott McLaughlin | Jamie Whincup | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
13 | 31 | WD-40 Phillip Island Super Sprint | Jamie Whincup | Craig Lowndes | Craig Lowndes | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
32 | Scott McLaughlin | Jamie Whincup | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
33 | Mark Winterbottom | Scott Pye | Craig Lowndes | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
14 | 34 | Coates Hire Sydney 500 | Mark Winterbottom | Shane van Gisbergen | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
35 | Jamie Whincup | Shane van Gisbergen | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight Race Engineering | ||
36 | James Courtney | Jamie Whincup | Shane van Gisbergen | Tekno Autosports |
See main article: 2015 Clipsal 500 Adelaide.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 1 | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 |
Pole position | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | James Courtney (Holden Racing Team) |
Race winner | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Fabian Coulthard (Brad Jones Racing) | James Courtney (Holden Racing Team) |
See main article: 2015 Tyrepower Tasmania Super Sprint.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 2 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 |
Pole position | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) |
Race winner | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) |
As in 2014, Triple Eight Race Engineering won all three races at the Symmons Plains event. Having qualified on pole position for both of the Saturday races,[79] Craig Lowndes went on to comfortably win both races. Mark Winterbottom and Jamie Whincup filled the runner-up positions, while James Courtney finished third in both races.[80] [81] Will Davison, after taking third place at the beginning of the first race, was turned around by Courtney later on the first lap. Davison labelled Courtney as "arrogant" after the latter claimed that contact from behind pushed him into the back of Davison.[82] Courtney was not penalised for the incident, despite Davison's team Erebus Motorsport protesting the stewards' original decision.[83] Lowndes again took pole position for the Sunday race but made contact with David Reynolds at the first corner, causing Reynolds to spin and earning himself a drive-through penalty. This handed the lead to Whincup, who went on to win the race ahead of Chaz Mostert and Shane van Gisbergen. The result saw Whincup move into the championship lead ahead of Courtney and Lowndes.[84]
See main article: 2015 Ubet Perth Super Sprint.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 3 | Race 7 | Race 8 | Race 9 |
Pole position | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Race winner | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Will Davison (Erebus Motorsport) |
Chaz Mostert took his first V8 Supercar pole position when he qualified fastest for the first race of the Ubet Perth Super Sprint. His teammate Mark Winterbottom qualified second and went on to score pole position for the second race.[85] Winterbottom made a better start than Mostert in the first race and the pair went on to finish first and second, while Craig Lowndes finished in third. Jamie Whincup, after qualifying in 21st place, managed to finish in 15th place but lost the championship lead to Lowndes.[86] Winterbottom won the second race ahead of Whincup and Fabian Coulthard. With Lowndes finishing fifth, Winterbottom took the championship lead.[87] Mostert took his second pole in qualifying for the Sunday race. The session saw Lee Holdsworth make a mistake at turn six and his car rolled onto its side after digging into the sand trap.[88] Despite starting off the front row, Mostert and Winterbottom finished fourth and 15th respectively after their tyre strategy was ruined by a safety car on lap 48. Will Davison won the race, taking Erebus Motorsport's second ever victory, after passing Lowndes for the lead with five laps remaining. Coulthard finished third despite starting 24th. With Winterbottom finishing down the order, Lowndes left the event with the championship lead.[89]
See main article: 2015 NP300 Navara Winton Super Sprint.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 4 | Race 10 | Race 11 | Race 12 |
Pole position | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Race winner | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Prodrive Racing Australia carried their strong form into the Winton event. Chaz Mostert claimed the opening race, his first for the season, ahead of his teammate Mark Winterbottom, while Michael Caruso claimed Nissan Motorsport's first podium finish for the year.[90] Winterbottom won the second race of the weekend, with Rick Kelly scoring another podium for Nissan Motorsport, while Mostert finished in third place after starting from pole. The Holden Racing Team endured a difficult race after James Courtney carried too much speed into the first corner and took his teammate Garth Tander out of the race. Lee Holdsworth, driving a customer Holden Racing Team car, also suffered damage in the incident.[91] Mostert took his fourth consecutive pole position in qualifying for the third race, becoming the first driver to achieve the feat since Winterbottom in 2011.[92] Mostert was leading at the halfway mark of the race when he dropped his left-rear wheel onto the grass on the entry to turn four, causing him to spin into the tyre wall. Winterbottom inherited the lead and went on to win the race ahead of Fabian Coulthard and Craig Lowndes. Despite finishing on the podium, Lowndes lost the championship lead to Winterbottom.[93]
See main article: 2015 Skycity Triple Crown.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 5 | Race 13 | Race 14 | Race 15 |
Pole position | James Courtney (Holden Racing Team) | Rick Kelly (Nissan Motorsport) | David Reynolds (Rod Nash Racing) |
Race winner | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | David Reynolds (Rod Nash Racing) |
Chaz Mostert won the first race of the Skycity Triple Crown ahead of teammate Mark Winterbottom. Rick Kelly took his second podium finish in three races by finishing third. James Courtney had taken pole position but tangled with Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander on a restart after a safety car period, with Courtney penalised for his role in the incident.[94] Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes and Jason Bright also received points penalties for various incidents during the race.[95] Lowndes recovered in the second race to score his 100th career victory in the Australian Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercars, becoming the first driver to reach the mark. Tim Slade finished second ahead of Mostert. Rick Kelly had qualified on pole position for the first time since 2011 but collided with Fabian Coulthard at the first corner and received a drive-through penalty.[96] David Reynolds took pole position for the Sunday race but Coulthard took the lead at the start. Coulthard lost the lead when he went off the track while lapping Andre Heimgartner, losing places to Reynolds and Mostert. Reynolds himself ran off the circuit in trying to avoid the lapped Michael Caruso, cutting off a portion of the track in the process. After retaking his place behind Caruso, Reynolds held off Mostert to take victory. A delaminated tyre for Lowndes towards the end of the race dropped him to fifteenth, allowing Winterbottom to extend his championship lead to 95 points.[97]
See main article: 2015 Castrol Edge Townsville 400.
Results | ||
---|---|---|
Event 6 | Race 16 | Race 17 |
Pole position | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Scott McLaughlin (Garry Rogers Motorsport) |
Race winner | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Mark Winterbottom further extended his championship lead by winning both races of the Castrol Edge Townsville 400. He qualified second for the first race behind teammate Chaz Mostert but took the lead at the start and then held off David Reynolds in the closing stages of the race.[98] Fabian Coulthard finished third while Mostert drifted to eighth late in the race due to a rear suspension problem.[99] Scott McLaughlin took his first pole position of the season in qualifying for the second race ahead of Mostert and Reynolds.[100] McLaughlin lost positions to Reynolds and Mostert in the opening part of the race before retiring when his car lost a power steering belt. Winterbottom moved up to second after the final pit stop and was able to take the lead from Reynolds. The Holden Racing Team drivers James Courtney and Garth Tander showed good pace late in the race, moving up to second and fourth respectively, but were unable to catch Winterbottom. Reynolds finished third while Mostert again faded in the closing stages, finishing sixth. With Craig Lowndes and Fabian Coulthard both experiencing difficulties during the weekend, Winterbottom left the event with a championship lead of 248 points.[101]
See main article: 2015 Coates Hire Ipswich Super Sprint.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 7 | Race 18 | Race 19 | Race 20 |
Pole position | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Race winner | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Prodrive Racing Australia continued their strong form at the Ipswich Super Sprint, winning all three races. Mark Winterbottom won both of the Saturday races, taking the lead from second place on the first lap of each race. Scott McLaughlin took his first podium of the season by finishing second in the first race, while Winterbottom's closest championship rival Craig Lowndes finished third. Jason Bright suffered heavy damage at the first corner of the race, running into the back of David Wall who slowed after Dale Wood spun Todd Kelly.[102] Lowndes improved one position in the second race to finish behind Winterbottom, whose teammate Chaz Mostert finished third.[103] James Moffat was disqualified from both of the Saturday races due to a technical infringement.[104] Mostert took an easy victory in the Sunday race ahead of Lowndes and Winterbottom.[105] Todd Kelly retired due to an engine failure late in the race, prompting an emotional outburst with Kelly exclaiming "why me?" before swearing a number of times.[106]
See main article: 2015 Sydney Motorsport Park Super Sprint.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 11 | Race 21 | Race 22 | Race 23 |
Pole position | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Scott McLaughlin (Garry Rogers Motorsport) |
Race winner | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
James Courtney was ruled out of the Sydney Motorsport Park event following Friday practice, where he was hit by a piece of pit equipment which had been flung into the air by a low-flying helicopter. He was replaced by his endurance co-driver, Jack Perkins, for the rest of the event. Chaz Mostert continued his strong qualifying form, taking pole position for both of the Saturday races.[107] He went on to win the first race ahead of his teammate Mark Winterbottom while Jamie Whincup finished third, his first podium finish since the Ubet Perth Super Sprint.[108] Dale Wood was penalised for reckless driving after deliberately running into Nick Percat on the slowdown lap after the race. The pair had come together during the race which resulted in Wood spinning.[109] Whincup won the second race ahead of Fabian Coulthard and Mostert.[110] Mostert took his second win of the weekend in the Sunday race, half of which was held in wet conditions, leading home the two Brad Jones Racing cars of Coulthard and Jason Bright.[111] Bright was spun by Shane van Gisbergen in the closing stages but cut across the grass from turn four to turn eight to retain his position.[112]
See main article: 2015 Wilson Security Sandown 500.
Results | |
---|---|
Event 9 | Race 24 |
Pole position | Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell (Triple Eight Race Engineering) |
Race winner | Mark Winterbottom and Steve Owen (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Prodrive Racing Australia scored a one-two finish at the Wilson Security Sandown 500, with Mark Winterbottom and Steve Owen taking victory ahead of teammates Chaz Mostert and Cameron Waters. The Tekno Autosports pairing of Shane van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb finished in third place.[113] Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell started from pole position and led for the majority of the race, but a puncture, caused by a bracket dislodged by a pit crew member during a pit stop, saw them finish in fifteenth place.[114] Russell Ingall returned to the series to substitute for the injured James Courtney. Ingall partnered Jack Perkins, the pair finishing ninth after starting from twenty-fourth place on the grid. The pairings of Will and Alex Davison and Todd Kelly and Alex Buncombe both finished multiple laps down, the former pair due to a starter motor problem at a pit stop and the latter due to Buncombe running off the track. The only retirement during the race was the car of Nick Percat and Oliver Gavin with steering failure. Winterbottom extended his championship lead over Mostert to 198 points, while David Reynolds, who finished fifth with Dean Canto, moved up to third place in the standings after Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards only managed to finish thirteenth. Winterbottom was fined $3000 for performing a celebratory burnout on the main straight after he finished the race.[115]
See main article: 2015 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Results | |
---|---|
Event 10 | Race 25 |
Pole position | David Reynolds (Rod Nash Racing) |
Race winner | Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards (Triple Eight Race Engineering) |
Chaz Mostert was ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining leg and wrist injuries in a major accident during qualifying for the Bathurst 1000. The crash also injured three marshals.[116] The race was won by Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards, who took their sixth and fourth victories respectively, while Mostert's teammates, Mark Winterbottom and Steve Owen finished second. Garth Tander and Warren Luff completed the podium.[117] David Reynolds had qualified on pole position, setting the fastest time in a rain-affected Top Ten Shootout,[118] but he and Dean Canto could only finish sixth. Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell led for most of the race, but Whincup ignored a call to pit during the last safety car period. He then went on to pass the safety car, resulting in a drive-through penalty which dropped the car to eighteenth place. The safety car had been brought on to the track after Scott Pye crashed heavily at the top of the circuit, suffering a fractured rib.[119] With Mostert not taking part in the race, Winterbottom extended his championship lead to 399 points over Lowndes, who moved up to second in the points standings, with Reynolds in third and Mostert falling to fourth place.
Results | ||
---|---|---|
Event 11 | Race 26 | Race 27 |
Pole position | Shane van Gisbergen (Tekno Autosports) | Scott McLaughlin (Garry Rogers Motorsport) |
Race winner | Shane van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) | James Courtney and Jack Perkins (Holden Racing Team) |
James Courtney returned from injury at the Castrol Gold Coast 600, driving in a race for the first time since the Coates Hire Ipswich Super Sprint. Having replaced Courtney at the previous two events, Russell Ingall moved to Prodrive Racing Australia to replace the injured Chaz Mostert and partner Cameron Waters. Mark Winterbottom had a difficult weekend, allowing Craig Lowndes and David Reynolds to reduce his championship lead. Winterbottom was released into the path of Garth Tander following a pit stop in the Saturday race. This damaged the suspension on Winterbottom's car and the time lost while repairs were made dropped him to 23rd place.[120] His team, Prodrive Racing Australia, also received a 50-point penalty in the Teams' Championship.[121] The race was won by Shane van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb, who started from pole position and led for most of the race. Reynolds and Dean Canto finished second ahead of Lowndes and Steven Richards. Courtney and Jack Perkins, using an alternative fuel strategy which saw the car pit twice during a mid-race safety car, won the Sunday race ahead of Rick Kelly and David Russell, who used a similar strategy. Garth Tander and Warren Luff, who pitted only once during the safety car period and then pitted for fuel later in the race, finished third. The result saw Tander and Luff win the Pirtek Enduro Cup. With Lowndes finishing fourth and Winterbottom in eleventh, the latter's championship lead was reduced to 258 points.[122]
See main article: 2015 ITM 500 Auckland.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 12 | Race 28 | Race 29 | Race 30 |
Pole position | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | David Reynolds (Rod Nash Racing) | Scott McLaughlin (Garry Rogers Motorsport) |
Race winner | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | David Reynolds (Rod Nash Racing) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) |
Jamie Whincup dominated the ITM 500 Auckland, winning two of the three races and finishing second in the other. Whincup won from pole position in the first race with Shane van Gisbergen and David Reynolds completing the podium. Scott Pye originally finished in fourth place but was relegated to fifth after cutting a chicane in the closing laps to keep ahead of Craig Lowndes.[123] Lowndes led for the first half of the second race before his left-rear tyre failed at the end of the main straight, causing Lowndes to spin and collide heavily with a wall. The car had to be taken to a local panel shop in order for the necessary repairs to be carried out, with the car not fully fixed until the following morning.[124] Lowndes' demise allowed Reynolds to take victory ahead of Whincup and Scott McLaughlin.[125] Whincup won the third race ahead of Lowndes while Scott Pye achieved his first career podium. Championship leader Mark Winterbottom endured a difficult race, being spun early on before recovering to finish in eleventh place. Reynolds moved into second place in the championship after a strong weekend, 239 points behind Winterbottom and one point ahead of Lowndes.[126]
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 13 | Race 31 | Race 32 | Race 33 |
Pole position | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Scott McLaughlin (Garry Rogers Motorsport) | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) |
Race winner | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight Race Engineering) |
A number of driver changes took place in the lead-up to the Phillip Island Super Sprint: Chris Pither replaced Andre Heimgartner at Super Black Racing; Dean Canto replaced Ashley Walsh at Erebus Motorsport; and Paul Dumbrell replaced Nick Percat at Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport. Craig Lowndes further reduced Mark Winterbottom's championship lead by winning two races during the weekend. After qualifying third for the first race, Lowndes made a good start to overtake Jamie Whincup and Scott McLaughlin before the first corner, with the three drivers finishing the race in that order.[127] A major talking point of the race was an incident between David Reynolds and Shane van Gisbergen, where van Gisbergen nudged Reynolds into a high-speed spin on the back section of the circuit.[128] Van Gisbergen denied any wrongdoing, claiming that Reynolds cut across him, but was penalised 25 championship points.[129] Whincup won the second race ahead of McLaughlin and Lowndes.[130] Winterbottom qualified on pole for the Sunday race, but it was Lowndes who won the race with McLaughlin and Whincup again finishing on the podium.[131] Winterbottom finished fourth after being pushed wide by Whincup on the final lap, though he described the pass as "a fair move".[132] The result saw Winterbottom's championship lead come down to 179 points over Lowndes, with Reynolds dropping out of championship contention.
Results | |||
---|---|---|---|
Event 14 | Race 34 | Race 35 | Race 36 |
Pole position | Mark Winterbottom (Prodrive Racing Australia) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | James Courtney (Holden Racing Team) |
Race winner | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | Shane van Gisbergen (Tekno Autosports) |
Jamie Whincup continued his strong late-season form by winning the first two races of the Coates Hire Sydney 500. Mark Winterbottom qualified on pole position for the first, with his championship rival Craig Lowndes qualifying last after hitting the wall.[133] Whincup took the lead from Shane van Gisbergen during their pit stops and led to the finish, with van Gisbergen finishing second ahead of Jason Bright. Winterbottom drove a conservative race to finish fifth, while Lowndes made it to fifteenth place.[134] Winterbottom secured the championship by finishing third in the second race behind Whincup and David Reynolds.[135] Van Gisbergen took victory in the third race despite making contact with James Courtney in the opening laps. Courtney spun into the wall and his car suffered damage, but van Gisbergen was not penalised. Whincup finished second ahead of Rick Kelly and Winterbottom. The result saw Winterbottom win the championship by 238 points over Lowndes, with Reynolds in third a further 98 points behind. Van Gisbergen and Whincup, after enjoying a strong weekend, moved up to fourth and fifth in the championship.[136]
Points were awarded for each race at an event, to the driver/s of a car that completed at least 75% of the race distance and was running at the completion of the race, up to a maximum of 300 points per event.[137]
Points format | Position | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | ||
Short format | 75 | 69 | 64 | 60 | 55 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | rowspan="2" | ||
Long format | 150 | 138 | 129 | 120 | 111 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 69 | 66 | 63 | 60 | 57 | 54 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | |||
300 | 276 | 258 | 240 | 222 | 204 | 192 | 180 | 168 | 156 | 144 | 138 | 132 | 126 | 120 | 114 | 108 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 48 | ||
| Bold - Pole position Italics - Fastest lap |
| Bold - Pole position Italics - Fastest lap |
| Bold - Pole position Italics - Fastest lap |
Notes:
The Manufacturers Championship was won by Holden.[138]