Motorsport: Courtney ends on a high

James Courtney's frustrating season ended with victory at the Sydney 500. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Ford driver James Courtney has ended a frustrating V8 Supercar season on a high with victory in the year's final race at Sydney's Olympic Park.

Courtney survived to claim his second race win of the season as the 3.4km street circuit claimed the scalps of several top drivers in Sunday's 250km finale to the Sydney 500.

The Penrith-raised Jim Beam Racing driver finished ahead of fellow Sydneysiders Michael Caruso and Mark Winterbottom in a hometown podium.

The trio's key to success was simply avoiding trouble as 12 drivers failed to finish the last race of the season.

Among those to have an early exit was pole sitter Lee Holdsworth, who crashed out in the race's 22nd lap, and Saturday's race winner Garth Tander.

There was also heartbreak for Ford's Jason Bright, who received a drive-through penalty for an unsafe pit lane exit when he was leading in the 48th lap, eventually finishing the day early after being one the many drivers forced to retire.

Tander's teammate Will Davison managed to finish eighth to ensure his Holden Racing Team took out the team's championship from Ford rivals TeamVodafone.

This year's driver's champion Jamie Whincup started 26th after engine troubling qualifying and careered into a wall in the race's 38th lap.

He recovered, but could only manage a 14th place finish while teammate Craig Lowndes was one of the several drivers who failed to finish.

- AAP