Mark Winterbottom capitalised on pole position to record a maiden win for Ford's FG X Falcon V8 Supercar in Race 1 at Albert Park.
Winterbottom beat fellow front-row starter and team-mate Chaz Mostert to the first corner on the double-file rolling restart.
A multi-car accident on the opening laps brought the Safety Car out for three circuits, before Winterbottom controlled the restart and the remainder of the 12 lap affair.
The result marked Winterbottom's first victory since June last year, where he triumphed at Hidden Valley.
Mostert took the flag two seconds adrift with Clipsal 500 winner James Courtney completing the top three.
Shane van Gisbergen overtook David Reynolds for fourth shortly after the restart, with minor contact at Turn 6 shuffling the Ford down the order, eventually finishing 19th.
Fabian Coulthard trailed Van Gisbergen home in fifth ahead of Jamie Whincup, Tim Slade, Rick Kelly, Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander in a largely uneventful race.
The single Safety Car had been required on the opening lap to retrieve the stranded Mercedes of Ash Walsh.
Walsh had been involved in a multi-car fracas on the run to Turn 6 that also saw the cars of Marcos Ambrose and Tim Blanchard spinning down the road.
Blanchard drove his crumpled Holden back to its garage while Ambrose continued at the back of the field, sporting cosmetic damage on the way to 23rd.
Also down the order was Scott McLaughlin, who finished 17th after dropping back to last when he was shuffled wide at Turn 3 on the opening lap.
The second of four V8 Supercars races will get underway at 1820 local time, with the grid set on the result of Race 1.
Result: V8 Supercars Race 1, Albert Park
1 |
Pepsi Max Crew |
Mark Winterbottom |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
27:39.15 |
1:59.0121* |
2 |
Pepsi Max Crew |
Chaz Mostert |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
27:40.89 |
01:59.06 |
3 |
Holden Racing Team |
James Courtney |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:44.37 |
01:59.03 |
4 |
Team Darrell Lea STIX |
Shane Van Gisbergen |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:47.83 |
01:59.07 |
5 |
Freightliner Racing |
Fabian Coulthard |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:47.95 |
01:59.49 |
6 |
Red Bull Racing Australia |
Jamie Whincup |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:48.95 |
01:59.74 |
7 |
Supercheap Auto Racing |
Tim Slade |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:50.31 |
01:59.95 |
8 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Rick Kelly |
Nissan Altima |
27:52.86 |
02:00.17 |
9 |
Red Bull Racing Australia |
Craig Lowndes |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:53.42 |
02:00.24 |
10 |
Holden Racing Team |
Garth Tander |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:53.94 |
02:00.25 |
11 |
Nissan Mororsport |
James Moffat |
Nissan Altima |
27:54.86 |
02:00.27 |
12 |
Team BOC |
Jason Bright |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:55.33 |
02:00.12 |
13 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Todd Kelly |
Nissan Altima |
27:55.80 |
02:00.27 |
14 |
Repair Management Aust Racing |
Nick Percat |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:56.82 |
02:00.21 |
15 |
Walkinshaw Racing |
Lee Holdsworth |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:57.52 |
02:00.31 |
16 |
Erebus Motorsport V8 |
Will Davison |
Mercedes E63 AMG |
27:58.00 |
02:00.31 |
17 |
Wilson Security Racing GRM |
Scott McLaughlin |
Volvo S60 |
27:58.97 |
02:00.16 |
18 |
Team GB Galvanizing |
Dale Wood |
Holden Commodore VF |
27:59.59 |
02:00.45 |
19 |
The Bottle-O Racing Team |
David Reynolds |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
28:00.16 |
02:00.53 |
20 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Michael Caruso |
Nissan Altima |
28:07.89 |
02:00.55 |
21 |
Wilson Security Racing GRM |
Chris Pither |
Volvo S60 |
28:10.72 |
02:01.80 |
22 |
Super Black Racing |
Andre Heimgartner |
Ford Falcon FG |
28:12.48 |
02:00.83 |
23 |
DJR Team Penske |
Marcos Ambrose |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
28:22.28 |
02:01.74 |
DNF |
Erebus Motorsport V8 |
Ashley Walsh |
Mercedes E63 AMG |
||
DNF |
Team Cooldrive |
Tim Blanchard |
Holden Commodore VF |