'Like a draw in football': Winton's rare tie
Winton Motor Raceway will host the resumption of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship in October.
13 years ago, the rural Victorian circuit played host to a rare occurrence under the round win system, which was replaced by standalone race wins from 2009.
Three different drivers, three different race winners - but there could only be one round winner.
That honour went to reigning series champion Garth Tander, who by virtue of the Race 3 win, took home the biggest trophy of the weekend.
Tander, Jamie Whincup and Will Davison all ended the weekend on 272 points. Whincup, who would go on to win the title, won the Saturday race.
Mark Winterbottom, who dominated the middle part of the 2008 season, led from pole but dropped down the field following an early puncture.
Winterbottom leads the field away
Winterbottom battled to make it to the opening of the compulsory pit stop window, with Davison emerging from the stops in the lead.
Whincup claimed the lead while Davison was vulnerable on cold tyres, and won with Tander third.
Sunday’s Race 2 began with a major incident between Jason Richards and Steven Richards, with Russell Ingall and Mark Skaife caught up.
Davison again emerged from the pit stop cycle in the lead, but this time held on to claim victory.
It was Davison’s second career win, coming after his Eastern Creek breakthrough earlier in the year.
Whincup was fourth behind Tander and Winterbottom, who raced from 21st to second in one of the drivers of the season.
Davison leads Whincup and Tander
Winterbottom won the Race 3 start and led Davison and Tander into Turn 1. Tander, looking for a second round win of 2008, cleared Davison into Turn 3.
Winterbottom, meanwhile, locked a tyre and ran off the circuit, before contact with Todd Kelly saw the Ford Performance Racing Falcon beached in the sand.
After the Safety Car restart, Whincup managed to jump Davison for second, with Lee Holdsworth splitting the two Falcons.
With Tander winning the race, and Davison fourth, the reigning champion clinched the round win and the series lead.
It wasn’t the first time Tander was level on points for a round, only to be the beneficiary this time around.
At Pukekohe in 2007, Tander won the first two races, but seventh in the finale, which was won by teammate Rick Kelly, saw the round win go to the latter.
Tander claimed overall round honours
"It's a little bit like a draw in football I guess, but the rules are that the first across the line in the last race gets the trophy," Tander said.
"Rick and I were tied first and second in New Zealand last year and I was given second there… that’s the way it is and I'll certainly take it this time.
"We won that last race on genuine speed and it's a shame Mark [Winterbottom] wasn't there for us to gauge our speed from, but you've got to stay on the track for that to happen.”
Whincup, who ceded ground earlier in the season following a Hamilton qualifying accident, was second overall for the weekend.
"Any podium finish in this category is a good one,” Whincup said.
"We didn't steal the silverware this time and we were very keen to do that after [being beaten] at Queensland Raceway [by Winterbottom].”
Whincup went on to win the 2008 title
Davison was the biggest loser in Race 3, with wearing tyres seeing Holdsworth prevent him from winning the round.
"Any day to be on the podium is a great day, especially for me,” the Dick Johnson Racing driver said.
"I'm a little disappointed though because we did go into the last race leading, but having used all of our tyres.
"And Lee did a good job to jump me in the pits, which ultimately became the difference.”
The 2021 season will resume in October at Winton, which will host its 33rd ATCC/ Supercars event.
