Motorsport: Easy as 1, 2, 3 - Fords victorious

Triple Eight Ford driver Jamie Whincup wrestles with the weight of his trophy after winning the Hamilton 400 V8 yesterday. Photo / Alan Gibson

Holden fans will be drowning their sorrows this week as their favourite car's dominance at the New Zealand round of the Australian V8 Supercar championships was well and truly ended.

Although Holden still top the table with 23 wins from 26 starts, Triple Eight Ford driver Jamie Whincup showed them all the way home in both races in the second round of the V8 title chase around the streets of Hamilton.

In fact, it was a Ford one, two and three, with James Courtney finishing second and Steven Johnson in third at the end of the weekend's second race. Whincup is now undefeated after two rounds of championship.

"The race was all about having a fast car and a really quick, early pitstop," he said. "The car was like being on rails all weekend. We made up the three spots we lost in qualifying and bought the car home nicely. It made up for not starting last year, and to win both races is amazing."

Lee Holdsworth was the first Holden home in both races with a third and a fourth for the weekend.

The top-10 shoot-out for Saturday's race unfortunately didn't feature any Kiwi drivers, with Shane Van Gisbergen being best placed in 11th.

Whincup laid his cards out in race one when he passed pole-sitter Mark Winterbottom at the first corner and went on to an untroubled win ahead of Winterbottom and Lee Holdsworth.

The safety car was employed late in the race, and during the four-lap sprint to the finish Whincup was never headed and went on to claim his third win of the season.

"Everything worked for us during the race," said Whincup, who set a new lap record on his way to the flag. "The win made up for last year's disappointment."

Fabian Coulthard, despite a poor showing in Saturday's qualifying, was the best placed finisher among the Kiwis, crossing the line in sixth place.

"If you'd have told me I'd finish sixth after qualifying back in 21st, I'd have laughed at you," he smiled.

Greg Murphy's run of bad luck and misfortune continued when he parked his car into the wall, effectively ending his race there and then.

Because of the change in qualifying rules, all bets were off on who would be on pole for race two. All the cars had to go out and do it again yesterday morning to sort out the pecking order for the start of the second 200km race.

Whincup set the early pace only to be knocked off the top spot by Steve Johnson. However, there was contention in the camp. Whincup was on a flyer of a lap, and mere metres from setting the fastest time, when the red flag was shown and the session was immediately ended.

The shortened session, much to the consternation of the Holden fans, saw the Fords of Johnson and James Courtney on the front row. The Kiwis had a better showing this time around with Steven Richards putting his car third and Shane Van Gisbergen back in seventh.

Winterbottom's resurgence in the championship ended at the first corner on the first lap of race two, when he was punted into the wall and retired the car a couple of corners later.

Once the pecking order had been sorted out, Steve Johnson led flying Kiwi Steven Richards out to redeem himself after race one, where he finished 15th, and James Courtney.

Whincup at this stage was back in fourth. However, things changed after the pit stops when Whincup made an early call and pitted first, getting the jump on the rest of the field.

After everyone had been in for tyres and fuel, Whincup emerged at the top of the heap, followed by Courtney and Johnson. Steven Richards had dropped down to sixth, just in front of Coulthard. However, a moment in the latter stages of the race saw him drop down to 13th by the chequered flag.

Again Coulthard, in only his second V8 season, was the best of the Kiwis in fifth, and Murphy had something to cheer about for a change when he finished in a solid eighth place. Kiwi Jason Richards had a round to forget, finishing race two in 23rd place.

"A fifth and a sixth is good for the confidence, and it bodes well for the rest of the season," said Coulthard.