AGP Race 1 - Young gun shows the way
10/3/2000 22:25 (Jason Whittaker) - Valvoline Cummins Holden racer, Garth Tander, continued his fine 2000 form to claim a convincing victory in the first race of the Hot Wheels V8 Supercar Showdown at the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Tander took advantage of a slight error from pole sitter, Mark Skaife, to take the lead early and hold it to the end of the ten-lap battle around the demanding Albert Park circuit. This comes on top of Tander's Shell series win in the opening round at Phillip Island.
"The whole team is working really hard and the car is going strong and we are getting some good results. We will keep working and try to keep this form going," said Tander.
Behind the Perth youngster, the Holden Racing Team pair of Skaife and Craig Lowndes and Shell Helix Ford's Paul Radisich fought a gripping battle for the minor placings.
Radisich had held second place for much of the race until a last lap swoop saw both HRT drivers edge past. Radisich responded instantly to steal third place back from Lowndes in the dying stages.
"There was some pretty good racing at the end there," said Radisich. "We swapped a bit of paint but it was good professional stuff."
Skaife was mindful of conserving his tyres for the remainder of the weekend.
"We've got eight tyres for the whole weekend so we have to look after them through tomorrow's 12 lapper and Sunday's six lapper or we could see cars sliding all over the place," said Skaife.
Greg Murphy, Jason Bargwanna, Craig Baird Brad Jones and Rodney Forbes were all forced out of the race before the finish and will start from the rear of the grid in race two tomorrow. They will have to negotiate their way past Sam Newman's Hot Wheels Holden tomorrow after the V8 Supercar novice kept his cool and finished a clean ten laps.
"I am just pleased to bring the car back straight and narrow," he said. "I will have to try to think of a strategy to keep the guys behind me as I haven't had to think about that yet this weekend."
Tander will start from pole tomorrow and will be looking for more of the same.
"I will be content to lead off and watch the other guys scrap for position in my mirrors while I keep it straight and out in front," he said.
Tomorrow's race will see a first when the race sponsor introduces a novel motorsport concept as the 'Hot Wheels Grid Kids' join the 'Hot Wheels Grid Girls' on the starting grid. The vibrant colour on the grid at the start of the V8 Supercar battle will be hard to match.
**TOP 10**
1st GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
2nd MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
3rd PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
4th CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
5th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
6th LARRY PERKINS (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
7th JOHN BOWE (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon
8th STEVEN JOHNSON (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
9th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon
10th MARK LARKHAM (Mitre 10 Racing) - AU Falcon
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