Tander, who started from pole, got the jump on Whincup at the start and a safety car was brought out on lap three while Tony Ricciardello’s stricken Stratco Racing car was rescued from the hairpin.

A lap after the restart, Whincup took the lead from Tander and finished with a healthy six second margin.

“GT got a great start, I couldn’t match that and we settled into a great pace,” the reigning champ said.

“The car wasn’t perfect yesterday but it was pretty close to perfect today… we had some good tyres as well left over from yesterday.

“Although it sounds weird we had a really tough Clipsal and of course the Grand Prix and it’s just good to bounce back and get a result.”

Tander described his fellow Commodore driver as the “benchmark guy to beat”.

“I think we probably match him over one lap speed; I think his car’s got better longevity and the way Jamie drives the car he clearly makes the tyre live longer than anyone else at the moment,” GT said.

“We need to continue to work on that, me as a driver and there’s a balance with the car and the team getting the most out of the car in a long run.”

Caruso was happy to pick up his first podium of the year, describing his weekend as “fantastic”.

“We probably started off a bit slower over in the Middle East and we had some good speed on the Sunday down at the Adelaide street circuit so we made some changes that probably suit my driving style a lot more and this weekend back at (a) street circuit it’s helped,” he said.

“In qualifying we seemed to be in touching distance of the guys but I was hanging it off the fence pretty much to do so.

“We know we’ve got a bit to do in the racing in terms of picking up our speed to stay with them so we’re definitely working hard at it.”

Ricciardello was the first casualty of the race, followed by Centaur Racing’s Tony D’Alberto whose Commodore had a broken steering arm.

Bundaberg Red Racing’s Andrew Thompson did not start the race following his crash into the outside wall at turn one in qualifying this morning, while his teammate Fabian Coulthard, whose car had an engine issue and did not finish.

Stone Brothers Racing’s Alex Davison also did not finish after collecting a tyre bundle and then crashing into the concrete wall.

“I can’t believe I won, I’m delighted,” said Layton McCann.

“I just decided to have a go. I tried to control the nerves and do the best I could.

“I really enjoyed it, it was good fun.

“I’m not sure how I am going to train for this. I’ll have to get the boys around to build me something so I can set up a bench and practice.

"My range of IRWIN Tools has grown significantly having won them over the weekend. When I'm not using them on the job, I'll use them to practice my skills in preparation for December's final. “Hopefully I can beat the Aussies and get through to the world final. That would be pretty cool.”

McCann won $2000 worth of IRWIN Tools and has qualified for the New Zealand / Australia final in December, which will be held at the Sydney Telstra 500. If he beats the Australian finalists he will travel to America next March and challenge for US$1million and the title of IRWIN Tools' Ultimate Tradesman.

The IRWIN Ultimate Tradesman's Challenge

IRWIN’s Ultimate Tradesman Challenge is a global competition where skilled tradesmen will perform a series of precise tasks in a race against the clock. Contestants will first use IRWIN VISE-GRIP® GrooveLock pliers to remove two (2) pipe fittings from a qualifying channel (Grip It). He/she will then use an IRWIN square and pencil to mark three (3) lines on a standard 45 x 90 x 600mm board, at pre-marked positions. Contestant then slides the board into a cutting position, and securely clamps it to the work surface with an IRWIN QUICK-GRIP® XP one-handed bar clamp. Contestant then uses an IRWIN Evo Hand Saw to cut the board on the line previously marked (Rip It). And finally, using an IRWIN SPEEDBOR® Max Speed drill bit, contestant drills two (2) holes in the board at the intersecting lines (Drive It), unclamps the board, places the clamp on the competition cart, and puts the board in the qualifying channel. If the board fits accurately, the clock will automatically stop, and the challenge time will be noted. Speed; ability to remove pipe fittings; accurate marking; ability to clamp work securely; fast, straight cuts; and the ability to accurately drill holes are crucial to winning the challenge. The Ultimate Tradesman Challenge is a true test of on-the-job skills.

2010 IRWIN UTC DATES

1. 8 April Harbourside (New Quay - Docklands) Melbourne - VIC
2. 16-18 April V8 Supercar ITM 400 Hamilton - NZ
3. 7-9 May Worldskills Expo Brisbane - QLD
4. 21-23 May Tradesman's Expo Adelaide - SA
5. 5-6 June Tradesman's Expo Perth - WA
6. 5-6 June Hidden Valley V8 Supercar race - NT
7. 9-11 July Townsville V8 Supercar race - QLD
8. 7-10 October Bathurst V8 Supercar race - NSW
9. 21-24 October SuperCarnivale V8 Supercar race - QLD
10. 19-21 November Sandown V8 Supercar race - VIC
11. 3-5 December Australia/NZ Final - Homebush V8 Supercar race – NSW

About IRWIN Tools

IRWIN Tools manufactures and distributes a broad line of hand tools and power tool accessories including VISE-GRIP® pliers and wrenches, MARATHON® saw blades, QUICK-GRIP® clamping tools, SPEEDBOR® wood drilling bits, STRAIT-LINE® marking tools, UNIBIT® step drill bits, and HANSON® taps and dies. IRWIN Tools is a part of Newell Rubbermaid’s global portfolio of brands. For more information, call 1-800-GO-IRWIN or visit www.irwin.com.au

For more information about the IRWIN Tools Ultimate Tradesman Challenge, including official rules and events near you, visit www.irwinracing.com.au/utc For further Information or to interview Layton McCann contact:
Tony Mee - IRWIN Tools Media Manager
+61 3 9001 1334 or +61 438 571 771


Layton McCann Wins the NZ UTC

ANZAC Day is commemorated in both Australia and New Zealand on April 25 each year and now honours all those that died and served in all military operations for the two countries. It is also recognised in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.

This year, ANZAC Day falls just one week after the V8 Supercar Championship Series’ annual NZ round. “There is an intense and healthy rivalry between Australians and New Zealanders when it comes to sport, including V8 Supercars, but we will always be proudly and inextricably linked through the bravery of the original ANZACs, and all those that have followed in serving our countries since,” Tander said.

“Will and I are truly honoured to be able to give tribute to those who have paid the ultimate price to allow us our freedoms.” Following the ceremony, Tander and Davison will join with members of the Hamilton Returned and Services Association (RSA)* for a quiet lemonade and traditional game of two up.

In addition to the drivers laying the wreath, each member of the Toll Holden Racing Team will wear a red ANZAC poppy throughout the race weekend.

Murphy dominated the Pukekohe event in it's early years, winning four times in five years, including three in a row from 2001-03.

"It's hard to believe it's been five years, 2005 is a bloddy long time ago - it's hard to comprehend that big a gap between winning races," Murphy said.

"Winning in front of a New Zealand crowd was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my V8 Supercar career and I couldn't hope for any more than that (again) it would just be unbelievable."

Since '05, Murphy has struggled due to being in uncompetitive situation, but his move this year to the Queensland-based Paul Morris Motorsports and the recent debut of his new Triple Eight Race Engineering - designed Castrol Commodore has the now 37 year old feeling like the 'Murph' of old.

"This is the most competitive package I've had in years by a long stretch and I'm very, very happy," he said.

Tander won all three races in Hamilton in 2008 and draws comparisons between it and Adelaide, where he won both races to make himself the only driver eligible this year to win V8 Supercar racing’s $2 million ‘Grand Slam’.

“It’s a narrow track, quite bumpy, with aggressive kerbs and close walls – everything that street events are all about Hamilton’s got,” Tander said.

“The crowds are nice and close to the action too, so it’s a real cauldron-like atmosphere.

“Success in Hamilton is all about being smart. It’s a track that’s hard on the cars, hard on drivers. Two 200-kilometre races around that track makes for a tough event.

“Being smart, staying out of trouble, keeping the car off the kerbs, keeping the car off the walls and ultimately having a fast car – if you tick all those boxes, ultimately you will be somewhere up the front.”

Tander said his team were very determined after the initial issues on the Middle East.

“We were written off the first couple of races in the Middle East when some said we were hopeless and had no chance, and we came straight back at Adelaide and blew them all away,” Tander said.

“Then to go to the Grand Prix and continue that form, even though it was not a championship event, was very satisfying. We had a great run at Hamilton in 2008 and we hope to continue with our current form there this week.”

While Tander currently lies in 11th place in the championship but their hot form sees them rapidly climbing the points table with less than a quarter of the season completed.

“The championship is a long year. Here we are in April and there’s still a long way to go. We expect by Bathurst we’ll be back to where we need to be and ensure we have a strong back half to the season.”

Tander will hit the track in Hamilton on Friday for practice before a pair of 200-kilometre, 59-lap races on Saturday and Sunday – the seventh and eighth races of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

Despite the challenge economic environment, especially in the advertising, sponsorship and media sector, the organisers are delighted with the response.

“It is certainly the strongest support we have had in sponsorship not only in the level of support but in the quality of the brands associating themselves with the event,” said Event Director, Stephen Vuleta.

“In more challenging times, sponsorship stands up well as good value for money for a sponsor, and that certainly seems to be what has happened this year with this event.

“We have a great naming sponsor in ITM who are a trusted national brand and also high profile in major sponsorships.”

ITM, the nationwide building and hardware network with more than 90 stores, believe the sponsorship ticked their boxes.

“At ITM we have built our brand to attract customers, build credibility with suppliers and excite our people. The ITM 400 undoubtedly achieves all three.

“This will be our third year of involvement in what has become one of the largest sporting events. The construction of the track, its removal, the precision of the racing teams and the responsiveness to the needs of the motor racing public are all measures of professionalism that we are thrilled to be part of.”

They have been joined in sponsorship with major brands including platinum sponsors Samsung, Pacific Blue, Lion Breweries, Porter Hire and Silver level sponsors Big Ben, Wintec, BOC, Les Harrison Transport, Armorall, Jim Beam, Wormald, Citizen, Vodafone, Frucor, Big Wednesday Lottery and SKYCITY, who have continued a long time involvement in the event.

“Following on from a successful sponsorship relationship in 2009, SKYCITY is pleased to be joining a great family of sponsors in 2010, said General Manager Marketing for SKYCITY, Tamsyn Alley.

“As the home of entertainment right across Australasia – including hotel and casino properties in Auckland and Hamilton, the ITM400 is a great fit with our brand. SKYCITY is also the naming right sponsor of the Darwin round – the SKYCITY Triple Crown and Adelaide Casino is a sponsor of the Clipsal 500.

“We’re looking forward to a fantastic weekend of racing in New Zealand,”

The activities begin with the Hamilton City Council Launch Party at Garden Place in the city’s CBD from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday which includes the official driver signing session. There’s practice and qualifying on Friday, with qualifying and racing on Saturday and Sunday from 820am.

Auckland teenager Simon Evens, who is usually seen behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 in the GT3 Cup Championship and has Formula Ford experience, is taking the wheel of a Swift Sport for the one-make events being held in conjunction with the Australian V8 sedans in Hamilton.

At 42, Auckland based Angus is something of a veteran alongside fellow LG Motorsport team mate (16-year-old Bamber who clinched the Swift Sport Cup title in the final round at Taupo last month.

This year organisers have built grandstands to meet demand and while they have added additional grandstand seating, there are now less than 3000 grandstand seats available.

“We have grandstand seating available at the Stadium and Hinemoa grandstands especially right now, but less than 3000 in total remaining,” Event Director Stephen Vuleta said.

“That might mean that by the weekend, if a fan walks up looking for a grandstand seat then they might well be out of luck.

“This is not like a stadium. We have to build everything from scratch and this time we have built to sales demand.

“We are pleased with the significantly increased levels of sales in the last two weeks in particular but I would recommend that fans should get in and buy them now if they want to ensure they can get into the grandstands and not be disappointed.

“There will be general admission definitely available but already there are no more of our new flexipass grandstand seating available which has proved really popular.”

Mr Vuleta said plans were going well with the first of two airfreight consignments of the race cars arriving in Hamilton today and the rest arriving tomorrow.

Some drivers have already arrived with most of the teams coming in over the next two days.

There is a public show at Hamilton’s Garden Place on Thursday from 4pm to 7pm featuring local bands, a display by the Red Bull X Fighters freestyle motocross and also the official driver signing sessions from 4.30pm.

Garden Place has come alive with a full schedule of activities through the summer and has been chosen as the location for the popular driver signings.

“V8 Supercars is the biggest event in the city’s calendar and Garden Place is accessible for everyone to come and be part of what is a fantastic thing for the city,” Mayor Bob Simcock said.

“Driver signings are a great V8 Supercar tradition and we are very fortunate this year to have it take place right in the heart of the city.”

There will be entertainment on the Garden Place stage, car and motor-x displays from the Red Bull X Fighters, and grid girls and sponsors in attendance.

The launch party is from 4pm-7pm on Thursday 15 April with the official driver signings in two sessions with half of the drivers from 4.30pm to 5.15pm and the other half from 5.30pm to 6.15pm.

The i-Site in Garden Place will be open for ITM400 Hamilton tickets and Hamilton merchandise and some Garden Place businesses will open late.

The cars are set to arrive on two specially chartered air freighters on Tuesday and Wednesday before being trucked by road by local Frankton company Les Harrison Transport.

The teams begin to arrive on Wednesday with practice set for Friday, qualifying and racing on Saturday and Sunday.

The sole New Zealand round of the V8 Supercar Championships is on 16-18 April in Hamilton for races seven and eight of the series.

Whincup told Radio Sport that his Team Vodafone team, this year campaigning in Holden, are ideally suited to the street circuit and he personally loves street racing.

“Street tracks are great and they really do suit our car. There are a lot of bumps, there’s crowned roads, manhole covers – it’s all elements of street racing. There’s not one driver out there that doesn’t love the track,” Whincup said. “And that chicane on the back straight is insane and we all look forward to that each year.”
Whincup, who crashed out in his first year in Hamilton before returning to triumph last year, said he will be under real pressure in New Zealand especially from the kiwi drivers on home soil. “There will be added pressure to defend my win in Hamilton. There’s always pressure in every race and to have number one on the side of your car is the biggest pressure you can have.” He is picking Shane Van Gisbergen and Greg Murphy as real threats next week.

“Shane has definitely stepped it up this year. He’s still a young bloke and he has had some good top three finishes this year. He is good to go.

“And remember you have Murph who is driving an identical car to myself. Those two guys, I think are where the New Zealand money should be.” Whincup said his team is itching to cross the Tasman next week and continue his strong beginning to the season.

“We made a great start in the Middle East although I have had a little bit of a tougher run since then but so has my closest opposition. It’s crazy close but I am happy to be leading coming down to Hamilton. “We love Hamilton. We think they do a fantastic job. I think Auckland would probably love to have the race back but Hamilton do a great job. The track is awesome and I was delighted to get over the line first last year. Hopefully we can do it again this year.”

The cars arrive by special air on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with teams arriving on Thursday. Practice is on Friday, qualifying and 200km race one for V8 Supercars is on Saturday and race two over the same distance on Sunday. There is a full support racing from NZV8s, Suzuki Swifts and the exclusive V8 Ute Trans Tasman Test between New Zealand and Australia.

It sees the young fulltime driver in the series in fourth place in the championship after six races with defending champion Jamie Whincup seeing his lead cut during the weekend.

Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander managed a clean sweep of both races, especially a superb drive in today’s second race when he, Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, James Courtney and Van Gisbergen battled over the final 15 laps of the 250km race around the streets of Adelaide.

The door-banging action proved exciting for the four-day crowd of 277,000 fans with the leaders promising similar action in Hamilton next month.

Van Gisbergen led the New Zealanders today with Jason Richards finishing a solid ninth, Steven Richards 13th, Daniel Gaunt 25th, Fabian Coulthard 27th while Greg Murphy did not finish in a tough weekend.

Whincup’s lead is not 57 points to Winterbottom with Courtney in third ahead of Van Gisbergen, the leading kiwi. Jason Richards is 17th, Steven Ricahrds 19th and Coulthard 20th.

“The strategy we ran, we needed a safety car in order to make it with fuel so when the track began to break up at turn 8 that definitely helped us and allowed us to race to end,” Van Gisbergen said.

“Under safety car I was told to conserve as much fuel as possible which is what I did. When the race restarted I was trying to go fast but use less fuel so I was backing off a bit earlier than I normally would.

“Fourth is a great comeback from yesterday, I wanted to get a podium for the guys but we didn’t quite get there, we are really happy with the points haul.

“Now I can’t wait to get to New Zealand. We have a car with great speed and I would dearly love to get on the podium in my home race at Hamilton. We need all the kiwi fans out in force to help us.”

Tander survived safety car chaos, fuel issues, black flags, race incidents and in the end rain to beat Jim Beam Racing’s Courtney and Orccon Steel Racing’s Winterbottom in his FPR Falcon.

A late black flag for a loose rear end panel took TeamVodafone’s Whincup out of the race with just seven laps to go when he could well have been challenging for the win.

That aside, Tander was saved by a safety car for a damaged kerb after 58 laps which bought him valuable fuel savings to assure he could finish the race when only re-fuelling twice - a line ball strategy in the 250km race.

“I wasn’t sure we were ever going to have a safety car there for a while,” Tander said.

“We were out there a long time and the pace was very strong. We committed to two stops quite early and stretched the fuel window as far as we could go. When we didn’t stop at the third stop we were certainly rolling the dice.

“We hope that safety car would go a couple of laps and it went a few more than we needed. It was always going to be tight, there’s not a lot of fuel left in the tank right now. It was an amazing race and I’m sure it looked pretty good on TV.”

With rain threatening a safety car was called on lap 58 for a damaged kerb at turn eight. A section of the kerb broke apart leaving a small hole and spread chunks of concrete across the road.

It gave Whincup a chance for a ‘splash and dash’ pit stop for fuel and no tyres while then race leader Courtney, on a different strategy, was left out on the circuit. The race then became a race of best strategy and fuel economy.

On the second outlap Whincup pulled a great pass on Winterbottom for second behind Tander as light rain began to fall just to throw yet another variable into the melting pot.

The rain cost Tander the lead on the next lap when he slipped through a corner to let Whincup snatch first spot. With his fuel getting dramatically low, Tander seized back the lead again on lap 68.

Behind them Courtney and Van Gisbergen were on a huge runs to reel in the leaders. He was all over Whincup following the Tander pass. Whincup’s black flag then gave Courtney second spot while Winterbottom held off the charging Van Gisbergen from his third straight podium of the season.

“But it was a great race. That was exciting. The rain at the end, people diving up the inside, bits falling off cars everywhere … it was an awesome race to watch and pretty scary to be involved in it.

The Championship now moves to the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne for three non-points races and then resumes at the ITM400 in Hamilton, New Zealand, on April 16-18.

Pacific Blue Regional Sales Manager, Bruce Moffat, said the ITM400 V8 Supercars in Hamilton had quickly become a major event on the New Zealand sporting calendar. “The race is very well supported by locals and visitors and we’re delighted to have teamed up with the organisers this year to assist with crew travel and promote the event further afield in New Zealand.”

As part of the agreement Pacific Blue Guests who fly into Hamilton or Auckland between Monday 13 April and Sunday 18 April will be able to present their valid boarding pass and matching photo id at a special Pacific Blue “check-in desk” at the main entrance to the event and receive a three-day pass valued at $79.

“Anyone who flies with Pacific Blue on these days into Hamilton from Australia, or into Auckland from Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch or Wellington or our many Australian and Pacific destinations, will be eligible for the free three-day pass,” Mr Moffat said.

ITM400 Hamilton spokesman, Dean Calvert, said it is an exciting development to be able to fly the drivers, teams and officials on the new international services direct to Hamilton from Australia. “Having a low fare airline flying directly into Hamilton is proving very useful. One of the challenges has always been to co-ordinate the travel needs of 15 independent racing teams, officials and media. We have been doing this for 10 years now and Pacific Blue have been absolutely exceptional in this respect – the best we have dealt with.

Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said it is great to see two big names associated with the city working together to provide visitors with such a unique offer. “Since hosting the first V8 supercar street race in Hamilton in 2008, each year the event keeps getting better and better. This year’s Pacific Blue/V8 Supercars offer adds another element to the street race and gives even the most unlikely of motorsport fans the opportunity to experience the excitement and adrenalin of this major event for themselves.”

The ITM400 is the fourth round of the V8 Supercar Championship and is the largest annual sporting events in New Zealand having attracted 300,000 fans in the first two years, with around a third of them visitors.

No-one could stop the two-time defending champion Jamie Whincup who skipped away to his fourth straight win of the new season in the Team Vodafone Holden, finishing clear of Mark Winterbottom (Ford Performance) and Van Gisbergen, who again set the fastest lap of the day, with a new record and the only driver under the 2m07sec barrier.

It moves the young Auckland driver to third on the championship standings behind Whincup and Winterbottom as the troupe heads back to Australia for the next round in Adelaide before heading across the Tasman for the ITM400 in Hamilton on 16-18 April.

“That’s the one I am aiming at. I want to do really well their more than any track. We’ve got a fast car and a great team, and I can’t think of anything better than to win in front of my friends, family and sponsors in Hamilton,” Van Gisbergen said.

“We changed the car for today and the tyres held on a lot longer. We are working pretty hard. We knew we were strong but not this strong. It’s a good thing.”

Fellow New Zealander Jason Richards pushed into the top 10 for the first time finishing eighth in he Team BOC Holden after qualifying sixth fastest.

“We obviously improved the car massively overnight which was a great job by the engineering group,” Richards said. “We had a big rethink on what we were doing and now we’re competitive in that top 5-10 group. Our aim is to finish here for the rest of the year, we learnt a lot this week, it’s a low grip surface and we’ve always struggled here. I thought it was a great comeback and now we hope we can be competitive on the other low grip tracks.”

Of the other New Zealanders Steven Richards (FPR) was 15th, Greg Murphy (Castrol racing Holden) 22nd, Daniel Gaunt (Gulf Western Holden) 23rd but Fabian Coulthard (Bundaberg Red Holden) did not finish.

Van Gisbergen remains the only New Zealander currently in the top 10 on the standings after four races in third behind Whincup and Winterbottom, with Jason Richards up to 14th, Steven Richards 20th, Coulthard 25th and Murphy 28th after missing the opening two races.

Whincup eclipsed the great Allan Moffatt’s 36 touring car championship wins along the way with his 37th victory. He won all four races to start last year and now moves back for the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and ITM400 in Hamilton after that.

It wasn’t smooth sailing for Whincup who missed the start and fought back from fifth including the pass for the lead over Winterbottom, although the Ford driver fought back later in the race in a nose to tail battle over the concluding laps.

“That certainly wasn’t my perfect performance,” Whincup said. “It’s just a massive, massive effort from our team and one we are immensely proud of but my race wasn’t the best today.”

New Zealand’s Greg Murphy took no time to get to grips with his first drive in the Castrol Holden colours, after missing the first round with duties as a guest on the Top Gear Live Show in New Zealand to be 10th fastest.

Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander and Will Davison had the benefit of the extra running time following their disastrous season opener in Abu Dhabi last weekend under the rules which give the bottom half of the field two more practice sessions.

Jack Daniel’s Racing’s Todd Kelly, who also had a terrible Abu Dhabi weekend, did see some benefits for a third today ahead of Van Gisbergen fourth and fellow kiwi Ford Performance Racing’s Steven Richards fifth.

But Tander (sixth) and Davison (12th) were still more than a second off the pace compared to Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes who set the fastest two times late in the day on the tyre-tough Bahrain track.

Both Lowndes and Whincup used new tyres at the end on the circuit that was part unfamiliar to the teams with the extension to include the full Grand Prix track that Formula One used last year.

“Most people walked the track yesterday and had a good idea of what it would be like,” Lowndes said. “Jamie and I had a good run last time we were here and we got to know that new section of the track pretty quickly. “The car wasn’t perfect. We made a lot of adjustments during the first set of tyres. It was a bit of an unknown setup until the end but a green tyre around here is very rewarding if you get the lines right.” Kelly said the small reward of extra practice time would easily be swapped for a better start to the Championship.

“He (Whincup) is not last so that’s not fair either,” Kelly said. “We are looking at this weekend as a clean slate and the first round of the Championship.”

Tander was at the top of the sheets late in practice and spent the last few minutes watching from the garage. In the end his time was not enough but practice is practice and it is likely they will fire back tomorrow in qualifying and for the first race.

Richards’ team-mate Mark Winterbottom (16th) was also struggling in the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon, as was Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney (14th).

The SP Tools Racing driver, the youngest fulltime driver in the series, set the fastest of the race and set the new lap record in a brilliant performance.

“Later in last year, I was a lot more consistent and made less mistakes, and I feel I’m maturing a lot more like that, being more consistent and racing a lot cleaner,” Van Gisbergen said.

“It’s working alright, and now it’s showing. I feel like I’m driving pretty good, and the team’s doing a good job. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing, and results like this will keep coming.”

Van Gisbergen, picked up as a teenager by New Zealand’s Stone Brothers Racing, is buoyant about the rest of the season and his focus is on success at the ITM400 in Hamilton on April 16-18.

“I’m so excited to have finally got on the podium. This result has been a long time coming for me.

“I want to thank Ross and Jimmy for giving me this opportunity, it’s been three years with SBR and I feel like I have finally rewarded the guys for all their hard work. I would have loved my dad to have been here but let’s hope I can do this in Hamilton as well.

“The car felt strong all day, I feel like we were better in qualifying and managed to stay out of trouble in the race which was the plan. I was telling myself to keep it together on the last few laps but when I crossed the line it just felt great to have finally finished on the podium."

Pacesetter Whincup signalled his intent of claiming a record third straight V8 Supercar Championship by winning race two of the season-opening event to complete the weekend double.

Whincup returned to Holden after four years of driving for Ford with his slick Team Vodafone outfit this season, but didn’t miss a beat in Abu Dhabi with a four-second victory over Ford Performance Racing’s Winterbottom, making it a perfect two wins from two starts to open the year.

“The car was bullet-proof, and we were sort of in control from the start,” Whincup said. “I am almost in shock from what has panned out this weekend. Having a brand-new car, a brand-new circuit and to almost have a perfect weekend, well that’s good enough. It is just an amazing feeling.”

Van Gisbergen was the only New Zealander in the top-10 in the second race with Fabian Coulthard 16th, Steven Richards 16th and Jason Richards 21st.

Whincup’s back-to-back gives him 300 championship points into next weekend’s second round of the Series at the Gulf Air Desert 400 in Bahrain, while Winterbottom (267 points) is second. Van Gisbergen is fourth with Jason Richards 15th, Coulthard 16th and Steven Richards 17th.

The SP Tools sponsored driver said he enjoyed the experience of his first outing at the circuit.

“This track has a bit of everything, the first part of the circuit is quite open and has the corkscrew in there which really suited our car because we were the quickest in the first sector.

“At the end of the final session it cooled down so quickly when the sun went down, for one run there I had the sun in my eyes and then the next lap we were under lights.

“It’s awesome to have my name on the top of the timesheets on our first day in Abu Dhabi, the SP Tools Racing Falcon feels strong and I can’t wait for tomorrow’s race!”

“It was really cool and a fantastic experience. Pink was a lot of fun especially given she had more than a 12-hour production that day,” Coulthard said.

“It was great to get that sort of experience with someone as high profile as Pink.

“They started at 8am and I was not needed until about 6pm. She was getting tired but still had time to have some fun with us.

“It’s great for our category to attract someone like Pink. She’s an icon.”

Coulthard was paired with James Courtney for their part in the advertisement, with the Australian managing to pull a practical joke on the kiwi.

“We had our own caravan and James had pulled out all the red M&Ms that were in a dish there. He told me that he had requested it – and it was what happened with stars. And I fell for it.” Coulthard said the high profile launch at Fox Studios in Sydney was a great way to start the season. He is excited about his new drive with Walkinshaw Racing after his first test in the Holden recently.

“I’m excited about it. We are part of a fantastic four-car team.”

Coulthard has set lofty goals this year. “I want to win races this year. My goal is to finish in the top-10 in the championship and at least win one race. That’s a feasible option.

“And I couldn’t think of a better place to win than in Hamilton. That would be incredible.

“Going forward I want to be a genuine contender and hopefully win a championship.” A championship and a day with a rock icon. Life’s in the Pink for Fabian Coulthard.

“Times aren’t that important; today’s more about familiarising myself with the car and team, but right from the very beginning I’ve felt extremely comfortable,” Murphy said.

“I’m settling in well and the car feels good, I’m pleased with our performance – it’s been a very good start.”

At the lunchtime break, reigning V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup had set the quickest time in his brand new TeamVodafone Holden Commodore, just edging Ingall and team-mate Craig Lowndes – James Courtney the first Ford driver fourth quickest.

Ingall was driving his brand new Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore, the first of three being built by the Paul Morris Motorsports team as part of its technical alliance with Championship winners, Triple Eight Race Engineering.

Murphy will receive a brand new Castrol EDGE Commodore in time for the third round of the series – the first Australian round – the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in late March. Murphy will make his first race appearance in the Castrol EDGE Commodore in the second round of the series, the Desert 400 in Bahrain, in two weeks time, missing the opening round in Abu Dhabi due to a prior contractual arrangement with Top Gear Live in New Zealand.

“When I signed for Top Gear Live no one envisaged starting the V8 Supercar season as early as we are – in the Middle East in the middle of February,” Murphy said.

“Castrol and [team owner] Paul Morris were aware of the commitment from the very beginning, they have been tremendous and totally understanding.

“We’ll fall a little behind in the points missing the first round, but it is a very long season and I will be back in the car for Bahrain – I’m confident we can make a good challenge from there on.”

Russell Ingall was the third fastest driver at the Queensland Raceway test after unveiled his new-look Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore, ahead of Jonathon Webb (Dick Johnson Racing) and Dean Fiore (Triple F Racing).

But while Van Gisbergen was the man to beat today, he suggests it means little when he gets to the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series season-opener at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit on February 18-20.

“This afternoon we got the car really good on a better set of tyres,” said Van Gisbergen.

“We were mid-pack and we put on the new set of tyres, like most other people did, and we were straight to the top.

“But you don’t get any trophies for a test day; we’re just hanging out for Abu Dhabi and getting ready for that.

“We’re all hanging out to get over there and hopefully we’re up there again.”

Meanwhile, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup debuted TeamVodafone’s two new Holden Commodore VEs, finishing the test 10th and 11th fastest, respectively.

While TeamVodafone didn’t set the pace at the test day, Whincup believes the change to Holden from Ford is a great motivation for his 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series title defence.

“I’m feeling good and it’s a whole new motivation trying to get the Holden up to speed,” said Whincup.

“The challenge in making the car competitive is one that’s keeping us going at the moment; it’s one that’s going to make us strong. If we were here doing the same thing as last year, there wouldn’t be anywhere near the morale within the team.

“It’s a new challenge, it’s exciting. We’re not at the end of the road yet, we’ve got a lot of work to do, but fingers crossed we’re on track.”

Whincup said he was very excited about the switch.

“Like Craig [Lowndes], I started my career with Holden and although I haven’t won a race with the lion yet, I have set my goals high," Whincup said at the new car’s unveiling.

While the team won’t test publicly until next week, there’s strong rumour that the team is delighted with the development of the Holden.

That is also good news for New Zealand V8 Supercar driver Greg Murphy, who will drive a sister-car for his new Paul Morris Racing team. Triple Eight will produce the PMM machines in an agreement between the two Queensland teams.

Veteran Lowndes is delighted with his switch back to Holden. “Knowing I have always had my best results in a Holden definitely gives me some added confidence.”

The season begins in two weeks at the new event at Abu Dhabi on 18-20 February, followed by Bahrain the following weekend.

The third round is at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on 26-28 March before crossing the Tasman for races seven and eight in the series at the ITM 400 on 16-18 April.

Kiwi superstar Murphy will be on hand for the ITM400 Road Shows in Christchurch and Invercargill. The first will be at Hamptons ITM in Ferry Road, Christchurch on Friday 15 January from 4pm to 6pm followed by EH Ball ITM Building Centre in Eye St, Invercargill on Saturday 16 January from 11am to 1pm.

The next round of the ITM400 Road Shows will take place in the Bay of Plenty with Coulthard to meet and greet fans at Taupo ITM on Friday 22 January from 4pm to 6pm, Rotoma ITM on Lake Rd in Rotorua on Saturday from 11am to 1pm and Oregon ITM at Mt Maunganui on Sunday from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

The road show will feature an authentic V8 Supercar for fans get the feel that the driver experiences. There’s a driving simulator – and fans can see if they can beat the times set by Murph and Fabian. There are also displays, video footage, merchandise, tickets for the event, prizes and competitions, the magnificent Mark Porter Trophy for the winner of the ITM 400 as well as a poster signing session with either Greg or Fabian. The two drivers are super keen as they both approach very exciting times for the 2010 V8 Supercar season. Murphy, a four time winner of the New Zealand round of the series, moves to Paul Morris Motorsport to drive a brand new Holden which will be prepared by current V8 Supercar champions, Team Vodafone.

And Coulthard has moved to Melbourne where he has landed the key drive for Team Walkinshaw, moving to Holden in one of the identically prepared new machines that Walkinshaw prepares at Clayton for Holden Racing Team and Team Bundaberg.

The ITM400 organisers said that they want to take the message about the event around the country.

“It was always our intention to head around the country, explain the event and share in some of the excitement that is V8 Supercars,” said ITM 400 promoter Dean Calvert.

“Our first two years have been to focus on getting the fundamentals of the event right. We will continue to look to improve the event every year, but now it’s time to go out to the fans around the country.

“We get fantastic support not only from the Waikato and Auckland areas. But our research shows us we get great support from places like the Bay of Plenty and and the South Island including a number of fans from Invercargill.

“V8 Supercars is a fantastic product and the drivers are incredible athletes and great people. We want to share that with motor race supporters and sports fans around the country.”