Adelaide Supercars: McLaughlin wins after Triple Eight pit error
Scott McLaughlin took full advantage of a costly error from the Triple Eight Holden squad to secure his first win of the 2020 Supercars season in Adelaide
Some swift work in the pits from the factory Holden outfit in the first round of pitstops looked to have given Shane van Gisbergen the upper hand in a tight battle with rival McLaughlin.
However, an uncharacteristic error during the second pitstop phase meant van Gisbergen fell short of the required fuel drop, which forced forced into stop as McLaughlin charged to victory.
Paired with his second place in the opening race of the season on Saturday, McLaughlin leads the points after the first round.
Van Gisbergen, meanwhile, did not even make the finish after a disappointing afternoon ended with a suspension failure three laps from the end.
That paved the way for a first podium in Walkinshaw Andretti United colours for Chaz Mostert, while Cam Waters rounded out the top three. McLaughlin got the best start from the outside of the front row, the Penske Ford comfortably out-dragging polesitter van Gisbergen into the first corner.
The reigning champion seemed to have the measure of the Red Bull Holden over the first stint, too, leading the way until an early safety car on lap 13 sparked the first round of stops.
Triple Eight was slightly faster in the pitlane, and van Gisbergen took on around one-second less fuel to grab the lead in the process.
He then had the pace to cover off McLaughlin's minor fuel advantage, building a five-second cushion across the second stint.
On lap 43 McLaughlin made his second stop, van Gisbergen predictably following suit a lap later.
But while the Holden driver rejoined with a healthy lead, it quickly emerged that he had fallen short of the required 120-litre fuel drop.
The error meant van Gisbergen had to make a third stop on lap 68, 10 laps from the finish, which dumped him back to fourth.
He did have new rubber and third placed Waters in sight, but quickly relayed fears about his front-right suspension over the radio.
Those concerns were realised with three laps to go, as van Gisbergen was forced out of a race he could have so easily won.
All the while it was smooth sailing for McLaughlin, who cruised to a first win of the 2020 season.
Mostert took his first podium as a Holden driver thanks to sharp strategic work from his WAU crew.
The team opted to go for a long-fill during his first stop under the safety car, which resigned him to a second stint running at the back end of the top 10.
But a significantly shorter second stop helped him jump the likes of Waters, Will Davison, Lee Holdsworth and Jamie Whincup to emerge in third - which then became second thanks to van Gisbergen's pit issue.
Waters completed the podium, despite his second stint going a lap longer than planned after he locked up on the way into the pitlane and missed pit entry.
He then had to momentarily fend of van Gisbergen before the suspension failure - the pair reuniting on the cool-down lap as Waters gave his rival a lift back to the pits.
Waters was followed home by Tickford team-mate Davison, while Saturday race winner Whincup and Holdsworth - who both opted for early stops - finished fifth and sixth.
Nick Percat was seventh, with David Reynolds eighth after recovering from an early drivethrough penalty.
The sanction came after he spun team-mate Anton De Pasquale on the first lap, as part of a passing move on Mark Winterbottom that went wrong.
Result - 78 laps
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Scott McLaughlin | DJR Penske | Ford | 1h52m12.3963s |
2 | Chaz Mostert | Walkinshaw | Holden | 10.3069s |
3 | Cameron Waters | Tickford | Ford | 14.3097s |
4 | Will Davison | 23Red Racing | Ford | 21.0459s |
5 | Jamie Whincup | Triple Eight | Holden | 24.1866s |
6 | Lee Holdsworth | Tickford | Ford | 24.7477s |
7 | Nick Percat | Brad Jones | Holden | 33.0469s |
8 | David Reynolds | Erebus | Holden | 34.1674s |
9 | Fabian Coulthard | DJR Penske | Ford | 35.0661s |
10 | Andre Heimgartner | Kelly | Ford | 35.6501s |
11 | Mark Winterbottom | Schwerkolt | Holden | 46.5674s |
12 | Jack Le Brocq | Tickford | Ford | 51.2202s |
13 | Rick Kelly | Kelly | Ford | 55.3084s |
14 | Todd Hazelwood | Brad Jones | Holden | 1m01.6673s |
15 | James Courtney | Sydney | Holden | 1m05.1407s |
16 | Zane Goddard | Matt Stone | Holden | 1 Lap |
17 | Bryce Fullwood | Walkinshaw | Holden | 1 Lap |
18 | Jack Smith | Brad Jones | Holden | 2 Laps |
19 | Macauley Jones | Tim Blanchard | Holden | 3 Laps |
20 | Garry Jacobson | Matt Stone | Holden | 6 Laps |
- | Shane van Gisbergen | Triple Eight | Holden | Retirement |
- | Chris Pither | Sydney | Holden | Retirement |
- | Anton De Pasquale | Erebus | Holden | Retirement |
- | Scott Pye | Schwerkolt | Holden | Retirement |
Drivers' standings
Pos | Driver | Points |
---|---|---|
1 | Scott McLaughlin | 288 |
2 | Jamie Whincup | 261 |
3 | Chaz Mostert | 234 |
4 | Cameron Waters | 231 |
5 | Will Davison | 231 |
6 | David Reynolds | 210 |
7 | Lee Holdsworth | 171 |
8 | Mark Winterbottom | 162 |
9 | Fabian Coulthard | 162 |
10 | Rick Kelly | 150 |
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