Symmons Plain V8s: Jamie Whincup wins after hitting Craig Lowndes

Lowndes led the Triple Eight Race Engineering pair for the first half of the race and was in control before a safety car caused by Rick Kelly's trip into the Turn 6 gravel trap on lap 21.

After the safety car, Whincup set about working on his team-mate, and dived down the inside at Turn 6 on lap 26, hitting Lowndes in the front left door and pushing him onto the gravel.

Holden Racing Team's James Courtney moved up to second following the departure of Lowndes, and came under heavy pressure from Mark Winterbottom, shortly after the safety car.

Some good defensive driving allowed Courtney to consolidate second and Winterbottom had to settle for third as the highest placed Ford.

Series veteran Russell Ingall came home in fourth after taking his best qualifying position in six years in third.

He had a terrible start but recovered after the safety car to lead the late charging Kiwi Scott McLaughlin, who was the highest finishing Volvo in fifth.

Lowndes fought back late on in the race having rejoined 11th after the incident with Whincup, finishing eighth.

Results - 42 laps:

Pos  Driver               Team/Car                  Time/Gap
 1.  Jamie Whincup        Triple Eight Holden    39m48.2632s
 2.  James Courtney       HRT Holden                +0.8999s
 3.  Mark Winterbottom    FPR Ford                  +1.3537s
 4.  Russell Ingall       Dumbrell Holden           +5.1238s
 5.  Scott McLaughlin     Volvo                     +5.3126s
 6.  Garth Tander         HRT Holden                +5.7946s
 7.  Will Davison         Erebus Mercedes           +6.3556s
 8.  Craig Lowndes        Triple Eight Holden       +8.7485s
 9.  Fabian Coulthard     Brad Jones Holden         +8.8913s
10.  Scott Pye            Dick Johnson Ford         +9.2640s
11.  Shane van Gisbergen  Tekno Holden              +9.8129s
12.  David Wall           Dick Johnson Ford        +12.4933s
13.  Chaz Mostert         FPR Ford                 +14.1251s
14.  Tim Slade            Rosenberg/HRT Holden     +15.3264s
15.  Jason Bright         Brad Jones Holden        +15.4875s
16.  Lee Holdsworth       Erebus Mercedes          +17.6191s
17.  Nick Percat          Walkinshaw/HRT Holden    +17.8620s
18.  James Moffat         Nissan                   +19.1756s
19.  Dale Wood            Britek/BJR Holden        +19.7717s
20.  Robert Dahlgren      Volvo                    +20.0199s
21.  Michael Caruso       Nissan                   +20.8816s
22.  Jack Perkins         Schwerkolt/FPR Ford      +35.9884s
23.  David Reynolds       Rod Nash/FPR Ford           +1 lap

Retirements:

     Rick Kelly           Nissan                     19 laps
     Todd Kelly           Nissan                     13 laps