Australian Jamie Whincup has gone back to back at Pukekohe Raceway to win the V8 Supercars ITM 500 feature race.
Jamie Whincup off the line in the ITM 500 Photo: Sports Media NZ
Whincup won race three by four seconds over fellow Australian, Craig Lowndes.
Craig Lowndes' surge through the field to finish second - Red Bull's first one-two result since Symmons Plains eight months ago - and David Reynolds' fourth place result trims the margins in the title race considerably.
Whincup never lost control of Sunday's 200km race after jumping home track-hero and polesitter Scott McLaughlin off the grid.
The defending champion produced a relentless charge to victory, sealing the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy as the highest pointscorer at Pukekohe in front of a bumper crowd of 116,554 across the weekend.
There was drama between the Holden Racing Team pair of Garth Tander and James Courtney late in the race, colliding during Tander's overtaking move on Cameron Waters.
The first New Zealander across the line at their local race was McLaughlin, who finished sixth, with Fabian Coulthard seventh and Shane Van Gisbergen ninth.
