Motorsport: Nail-biting action revs up V8 season

James Courtney won race 2, bouncing back from a first round 26th. Photo / Edge Photographics

ABU DHABI - Edge-of-your-seat action delivered by the V8 Supercars in Abu Dhabi couldn't have been a better advertisement for the championship on the world stage.

From an opening-lap multi-car pile-up that threw race two wide open early yesterday to James Courtney's epic battle against dwindling fuel supply and fast-finishing Jason Bright, nothing could have delivered better on the world stage than this 200km thriller.

With the sport hoping to have as many as six overseas rounds in the future, it might just be a case of playing a tape of this race to circuit managers across the globe when the V8s are trying to impress.

Courtney, who last week said the spectacular Yas Marina track offered little in the way of thrills for drivers, couldn't have been happier with both his first win as a Holden Racing Team driver and the show he and Bright had laid on.

"That just proves that this place is a good place to race," said the defending champion, who bounced back from a horror 26th place finish in the season opening racer on Friday night.

"Wheel-to-wheel for three laps, having one of the best dices I've had in V8 Supercars.

"As a championship we obviously put on a good show to the world and I had an awesome time doing it and I'm sure Jase had a good time though it could have been a little bit better [for him]."

The result also ended two-time champion Jamie Whincup's stranglehold at the Yas Marina track and overseas races generally.

The TeamVodafone driver's win in Friday's race was his third from as many starts in Abu Dhabi and 12th straight in V8 races away from Australian shores.

The action began on the opening lap when Tony D'Alberto, Tim Slade and Garth Tander were all forced to retire following a multi-car pile-up at the section of the circuit known as the corkscrew.

Starting on pole, Whincup looked set to maintain his winning streak after fighting off the challenges of Ford drivers Mark Winterbottom and Steven Johnson following the early safety car.

But a second safety car, and Courtney's gamble to run the final 22 laps of the 43-lap race on one tank of fuel put paid to his hopes as well as giving Bright the chance to challenge Courtney to the finishing line.

And after such a successful weekend away, Whincup said he was slightly disappointed the next championship round - the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide - is five weeks away, beginning March 17.

"I'm keen to do a bit more racing," Whincup said.

"Five-week break, it's all good, but you lose a little bit of momentum."

Whincup leads the championship on 279 points after the opening weekend, ahead of Stone Brothers Racing duo Alex Davison (234) and New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen (210).

Courtney, who started the race on minus 23 points after being docked 50 for his role in an incident in the opening event, is now 12th on the standings with 127 points.

- AAP