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Tander takes Race 1 win at Eastern Creek

 

 

Polesitter Garth Tander has led from start to finish in his #1 Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore to win today’s first race of the second round of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney.

 

Team-mate and defending round winner, Mark Skaife paid for a bad start, his #2 Toll HRT Commodore spinning the tyres badly off the line and dropping him to sixth – the five-time champion finishing the 31 lap contest in the same position.

 

Tander was never headed, pulling out to a 3.1sec lead at the end of lap two, Ford’s Will Davison and Jamie Whincup embroiled in their own battle.

 

He pitted on lap 10, taking on two rear tyres for his compulsory stop before emerging in 12th position – Ford driver Mark Winterbottom leading the jumbled field at that point but only 29s in front of the HRT Commodore.

 

At the end of the pit stops, Tander held a comfortable 6s lead and maintained it to the end. Davison and Whincup claimed the final two podium spots.

 

Earlier in the day, Tander claimed pole with Skaife making it an all Toll HRT front row for the second consecutive year at Eastern Creek.

 

 

Garth Tander, #1 Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE (Qual: 1st, Race 1: 1st)

“I haven’t even won a chook raffle here before, so to get pole and win is a really good day after a dark Clipsal. I had a really, really good start, there’s not a lot of grip off the line here, but I got away and looked in the mirror and there was a gap. It was head down for the first two or three laps and there was no pressure at the pit stop. The rest of the race all I needed to do was to look after the tyres and car.”

 

 

Mark Skaife, #2 Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE (Qual: 2nd, Race 1: 6th)

“I picked up too much wheel spin at the start and you can’t make a mistake like that and expect to win races. Subsequently, being back in the pack, I had to use the car and tyres harder than I should have – I was driving it much harder than what I did last year when I was out in front. I had a great battle with Lowndes for 20 laps, it was tough, close and fair, but I shouldn’t have had to be there.”