Motorsport: Winterbottom in charge

Mark Winterbottom leads the pack. Photo / Getty Images

With a win and second yesterday, FPR's Mark Winterbottom has taken over as V8 Supercars series leader.

Pukekohe also kept its record of throwing up different winners.

By his own admission, Winterbottom had a "crap day" on Friday but made amends.

"It's awesome to be in championship lead and the car was great today," said Winterbottom.

"Some people don't want to lead the championship early in the season but I want to be in front and stay in front the whole time.

"I wasted a good car on Friday - when you've got a good car around this joint, it is really enjoyable."

Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen is turning out to be the man to beat this weekend and he notched up a win in race three to go along with his second place on Friday.

His aggressive start saw him get past Jamie Whincup first and then pole-sitter and fellow Kiwi Scott McLaughlin.

McLaughlin used his considerable talents to hold off a hard-charging Whincup and round out the podium finishes.

"It was a tough race but I enjoyed it. I had to be aggressive to hang on to and then pass Scotty as his thing [Volvo] is ridiculous down the straight," said van Gisbergen.

"It was fun out front until Frosty [Winterbottom] started to come on strong. He was driving so well and I was a bit lucky to hang on. A few more laps and I reckon he would have got me."

Defending champion Whincup continued to collect points and his fourth moved him into fifth on the points ladder with van Gisbergen sixth and McLaughlin now eighth.

The third Kiwi in the pack, Fabian Coulthard, hangs onto third after two races to forget finishing 10th and 11th.

Craig Lowndes, series leader coming into the weekend, had a bad day, after finishing third in Friday's race. Yesterday he lumbered around midfield to end the day with 16th and 10th.

Pole man for the first of yesterday's races, James Courtney, continued his run on the podium finishing second, while Winterbottom's team-mate Chaz Mostert made the top three for the first time with his new team.

Whincup made up for his unfortunate mechanical demise on Friday, where he finished 24th, holding off the Kiwis for fourth with van Gisbergen fifth and McLaughlin sixth.

Friday's winner Jason Bright had a coming together with Tim Slade which resulted in Slade retiring and Bright being pinged with a drive through to finish 12th.