Supercars Symmons Plains: McLaughlin beats Coulthard in race one

After jumping polesitter Mark Winterbottom on the run to the first corner, McLaughlin controlled the first stint of the race.

It took him a few laps to shake the Team 18 Holden driver, but Coulthard clearing David Reynolds for third and then quickly closing up on Winterbottom helped him build a gap.

McLaughlin's lead was around 2.2s when the stops kicked off, with Coulthard first of the leaders to pit on lap 19 of what would become a 50-lap race.

While it was not a great stop for Coulthard, Winterbottom's a lap later was even worse.

He emerged behind Coulthard as a result of the delay, while McLaughlin pitted on lap 21 and came out in front of both of them.

From that point a Penske one-two was inevitable, with the leader pulling more than three seconds on Winterbottom within 10 laps.

By the finish McLaughlin's advantage was out to 1.7s over Coulthard, with Shane van Gisbergen another three seconds back in third.

Van Gisbergen's podium came after he used an entirely different strategy to the rest of the leaders.

After running fifth in the opening stint, the Red Bull Holden driver stayed out until lap 30 before making his stop.

It meant he was undercut by David Reynolds and James Courtney, but had better tyre condition for the run home, which he used to quickly clear that pair, before setting off after Winterbottom.

Courtney came home fifth for Walkinshaw Andretti United, followed by fellow Holden drivers Reynolds, Tim Slade, Nick Percat and Anton De Pasquale.

Chaz Mostert was the next-best Mustang driver behind the top two in 10th, although the Tickford racer was lucky to get that far after a second-lap clash with Jamie Whincup.

The pair were squabbling over 11th when Whincup made a clumsy attempt to get the nose of his Commodore up the inside of Mostert's Mustang at the penultimate corner.

Contact left Whincup with a broken front-right wheel, and the subsequent trip to the pits left him two laps down.

He ultimately finished last and in the standings is now 151 points behind McLaughlin, who holds a 135-point lead over Mostert.

Results - 50 laps