Top performer: Woodstock Winton SuperSprint
Brad Jones Racing newcomer Tim Slade dominated both races over the weekend, but there were strong performances across the field on the newly resurfaced circuit.
Strategy was key on Sunday, and some played the game with three stops, while others ran long with two.
Saturday was more straightforward – and now we have a new Championship leader.
An honourable mention goes to David Reynolds in the Erebus Commodore in Sunday’s race – he was on a charge mid-race and earned his second best result of the year with sixth, bouncing back from a horror 22nd on Saturday.
Who was your best – vote now and comment below.
Tim Slade, Freightliner Racing
Slade became the second double winner of 2016 on Sunday, after earning his first Supercars win on Saturday.
Backing up looked easy, after the 30-year old completed raced 226 races before cracking his 227th.
The pace of the Freightliner Commodore was impressive and Brad Jones Racing made the right calls on strategy.
Extra points for offering to stay back and clean his car after celebratory donuts in the dirt.
Mark Winterbottom, The Bottle-O Racing
He’s acquired the championship lead with a solid second place on Sunday, after finishing third on Saturday.
Winterbottom was wary of Winton, heading to the newly resurfaced circuit with no recent experience, while rival Victorian teams tested there in the weeks prior.
But he performed solidly, showed speed and collected the points he needs to defend his title, while nearest rivals Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes and Scott McLaughlin were nowhere to be seen in victory lane yesterday.
Fabian Coulthard, DJR Team Penske
He didn’t doubt his old team would be ones to beat heading to Winton, but Coulthard mounted a challenge of his own with a blistering start yesterday (so good it was investigated as a potential jumped start).
Saturday was disappointing but the turnaround to take a podium the next day was a positive.
The team has now recorded three third place finishes since expanding to two cars this season – when will DJR Team Penske go to the next step?
Cameron Waters, Monster Energy Racing
Waters seemed to be in thick of it over the weekend, but managed a credible top five finish on Sunday, the second best of the Prodrive cars.
It is the rookie’s second best race finish for the season, but given he was fourth in the rain-hazed Clipsal 500 race, this one was more of an even contest.
Third in qualifying on Saturday couldn’t be converted after some push and shove with James Courtney, deemed a racing incident.
Rivals are labelling him as one of the potential ‘new’ winners for 2016 and after yesterday’s finish, he very well could pull it off.
Vote for your top performer now and explain in the comments below.
