AGP Race 2 - Skaife holds nerve for Hot Wheels win
11/3/2000 18:13 (Jason Whittaker) - Mark Skaife survived a first corner battle of nerves with Garth Tander to skip away for a comfortable win in the second Hot Wheels V8 Supercar Showdown race at the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Skaife's Holden Racing Team Commodore pressured Valvoline Cummins Holden pole sitter, Garth Tander, deep into the first corner. Tander was too hot and found himself off the track to rejoin in sixth place while Skaife held his line strongly and powered on to victory in the ten-lap race.
"I wasn't going to break until Garth did and he broke really late," said Skaife. "He found himself on a dirty part of the track and I was able to hold on to it."
Shell Helix Racing's Paul Radisich was once again the lone Ford representative at the front of the field and he held his own to take second place ahead of Tander who inherited rather than earnt his third place.
"I got a bit of a shocking start but then I just sat back and watched guys go off to hand me third place," said Tander. "Tomorrow will be different, I will get a better start. Tomorrow is pay day."
Castrol Holden driver, Russell Ingall was very aggressive as he forced his way in to the top three, before a flat tyre saw all his good work go to waste.
Craig Lowndes and Larry Perkins also blew their podium chances with mishaps before the finish of the 10-lap sprint.
Tander's teammate, Jason Bargwanna and Big Kev Racing's Paul Morris provided the inspiring drives of the afternoon when they finished tenth and thirteenth respectively after starting from the rear of the 30 car grid.
Morris, in particular, thrilled the big crowd with some spectacular two wheel cornering which had his sponsors very excited.
Steven Johnson, Paul Weel and Craig Baird all found the kitty litter during the race and will have their work cut out as they start from the rear of the field in tomorrow's 6 lap super sprint.
Sam Newman again impressed in his V8 Supercar debut, keeping his Hot Wheels Holden on the black stuff and bringing it home straight where some of the more experienced drivers failed.
"I think I am getting better. You will see my best stuff when it gets a bit hotter, I am not so strong in these mild conditions," quipped an exhausted Newman after the drivers combated track temperatures well over forty degrees today.
Tander and Skaife now have one win apiece and both will be looking to add to that tomorrow, ahead of plenty of other challengers.
The Hot Wheels Grid Kids made their debut at the start of today's race and will be back out on the grid before tomorrow's third and final Hot Wheels V8 Supercar Showdown race before the F1 Grand Prix.
**TOP 10**
1st MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing Team) - VT Commodore
2nd PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
3rd GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
4th LARRY PERKINS (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
5th CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
6th MARK LARKHAM (Mitre 10 Racing) - AU Falcon
7th JOHN BOWE (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon
8th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon
9th STEVEN RICHARDS (K-Mart Racing) - VT Commodore
10th JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
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