Larry Perkins Trophy points breakdown

Scott Pye and Nick Percat proved Jamie Whincup’s closest challengers for the new Larry Perkins Trophy in the inaugural Coates Hire Supercars Melbourne 400.

Whincup started Sunday’s final leg at Albert Park with an all-but unassailable advantage, based on finishing second, first and second across Friday and Saturday’s races.

Third place took his tally to 277 points from a maximum 300, to claim the silverware recognising Perkins’ career in Formula 1 and Supercars.

It makes Whincup the holder of three current trophies, alongside his 2017 Supercars title and Jason Richards Trophy won at Pukekohe.

Whincup finished 48 points clear of Pye on 229, the Walkinshaw Racing United driver fifth on Sunday after wining his maiden race on Saturday evening.

Percat was on the podium in the third and fourth races of the weekend for Brad Jones Racing, to finish a further nine points behind.

Third behind David Reynolds and Jamie Whincup in the finale meant Percat jumped ahead of Scott McLaughlin by two points.

The weekend had four different race winners from four starts with McLaughlin, Whincup, Pye and Reynolds.

That also means the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has opened with five different winners in six races, following Shane van Gisbergen's success in Adelaide.

Based largely on 12th and 14th in Saturday’s two races, Reynolds was ninth in the weekend’s standings, with six Holdens and four Fords in the top 10.

Reynolds’ Erebus Motorsport team-mate Anton De Pasquale was the weekend’s top rookie in 17th.

Final Larry Perkins Trophy points