Jamie Whincup won both races from pole position in Bahrain as he continued his domination of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.
Whincup’s unbeatable form means he has accrued a perfect points score from the series’ Middle East double-header after a weekend that prompted Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander to concede his title hopes to the Team Vodafone driver after just two of 15 rounds.
After leading Friday’s opener from start to finish, Whincup had to work a little harder to claim the win on Saturday after a slow getaway from pole position saw him drop to fifth by the opening corner.
Despite his uncharacteristic error, he picked his way back up the field and was leading the race by lap eight. Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom never let the Team Vodafone Commodore pull out a large enough lead to be comfortable though and a brief pit-lane stall by the double champion meant the two drove nose-to-tail in the closing stages.
However, Winterbottom could never get close enough to make a move and had to settle for his third second place of the season. Shane van Gisbergen completed the podium in the SP Tools Ford Falcon, ahead of Jack Daniel’s Racing’s Rick Kelly in fourth, Lee Holdsworth in the Fujitsu Racing Commodore in fifth and Toll Holden Racing Team’s Will Davison in sixth.
Davison’s team-mate, Tander, admitted that his hopes of challenging Whincup for the title are over as he finished down in 24th place after a late incident involving FPR’s Steven Johnson saw him damage the steering of his works Commodore.
In race 1, Whincup had also led home Winterbottom, with Craig Lowndes third in the other Team Vodafone Commodore, Tander fourth and van Gisbergen fifth.
Whincup now holds a 57-point lead over Winterbottom as the championship heads back to Australia for the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in two weeks time.
V8 Supercar Championship results – Round 2, Bahrain
Race 1
1 Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone, Holden Commodore
2 Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing, Ford FG Falcon
3 Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone, Holden Commodore
4 Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team, Holden Commodore
5 Shane van Gisbergen, SP Tools Racing, Ford FG Falcon
6 James Courtney, Jim Beam Racing, Ford FG Falcon
7 Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore
8 Will Davison, Toll Holden Racing Team, Holden Commodore
9 Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, Holden Commodore
10 Michael Caruso, Fujitsu Racing, Holden Commodore
11 Steven Johnson, Jim Beam Racing, Ford FG Falcon
12 Lee Holdsworth. Fujitsu Racing, Holden Commodore
13 Jason Bright, Trading Post Racing, Holden Commodore
14 Jonathan Webb, Canadian Club Racing, Ford FG Falcon
15 Jason Bargwanna, Rock Racing, Holden Commodore
16 Greg Murphy, Castrol Edge Racing, Holden Commodore
17 Fabian Coulthard, Bundaberg Red Racing, Holden Commodore
18 Alex Davison, Irwin Racing, Ford FG Falcon
19 Jason Richards, Team BOC, Holden Commodore
20 Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, Holden Commodore
21 Tim Slade, Wilson Security Racing, Ford FG Falcon
22 Andrew Thompson, Bundaberg Red Racing Team, Holden Commodore
23 Tony D'Alberto, Centaur Racing, Holden Commodore
24 Karl Reindler, Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing, Holden Commodore
25 Tony Ricciardello, Kelly Racing, Holden Commodore
26 Daniel Gaunt, Gulf Western Oil Racing, Holden Commodore
27 Paul Dumbrell, The Bottle-O Racing, Ford FG Falcon
Not classified
Steven Richards, Ford Performance Racing, Ford FG Falcon
Dean Fiore, Triple F Racing, Holden Commodore
Race 2
1 Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone, Holden Commodore
2 Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing, Ford FG Falcon
3 Shane van Gisbergen, SP Tools Racing, Ford FG Falcon
4 Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, Holden Commodore
5 Lee Holdsworth. Fujitsu Racing, Holden Commodore
6 Will Davison, Toll Holden Racing Team, Holden Commodore
7 James Courtney, Jim Beam Racing, Ford FG Falcon
8 Jason Richards, Team BOC, Holden Commodore
9 Michael Caruso, Fujitsu Racing, Holden Commodore
10 Paul Dumbrell, The Bottle-O Racing, Ford FG Falcon
11 Steven Johnson, Jim Beam Racing, Ford FG Falcon
12 Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone, Holden Commodore
13 Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing, Holden Commodore
14 Jason Bargwanna, Rock Racing, Holden Commodore
15 Steven Richards, Ford Performance Racing, Ford FG Falcon
16 Jonathan Webb, Canadian Club Racing, Ford FG Falcon
17 Alex Davison, Irwin Racing, Ford FG Falcon
18 Tim Slade, Wilson Security Racing, Ford FG Falcon
19 Tony D'Alberto, Centaur Racing, Holden Commodore
20 Dean Fiore, Triple F Racing, Holden Commodore
21 Tony Ricciardello, Kelly Racing, Holden Commodore
22 Greg Murphy, Castrol Edge Racing, Holden Commodore
23 Daniel Gaunt, Gulf Western Oil Racing, Holden Commodore
24 Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team, Holden Commodore
25 Jason Bright, Trading Post Racing, Holden Commodore
Not classified
Fabian Coulthard, Bundaberg Red Racing, Holden Commodore
Karl Reindler, Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing, Holden Commodore
Andrew Thompson, Bundaberg Red Racing Team, Holden Commodore
Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, Holden Commodore
Championship Standings (after 2 rounds)
1 Jamie Whincup – 600pts
2 Mark Winterbottom – 543
3 Shane van Gisbergen – 471
4 Craig Lowndes – 447
5 James Courtney – 420
6 Rick Kelly – 392
7 Lee Holdsworth – 372
8 Steven Johnson – 296
9 Michael Caruso – 294
10 Russell Ingall - 270
Next round: 11-14 March, Clipsal 500, Adelaide
Watch two-hour highlights from Round 2 in Bahrain on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545) on Sunday 7 March at 3pm (GMT).
Andy Wilkinson
International
