Supercars star Jamie Whincup has claimed the opening race of the Gold Coast 600.
The seven-time series champion held out fellow Holden driver Shane van Gisbergen on Saturday by 0.52s, while runaway championship leader Scott McLaughlin was third in the 102-lap event.
Whincup claimed his ninth career win on the Gold Coast, teaming up with co-driver Craig Lowndes to mark their first victory together since 2008.
The result was only Whincup's second win of the 2019 season and his first since Ipswich in July, moving him from fifth to third in the drivers' standings.
Van Gisbergen - who combined with Garth Tander - chipped away at Ford star McLaughlin's championship lead, reducing it to 613 points.
McLaughlin held a 622-point buffer over nearest rival van Gisbergen when he arrived at the tourist strip.
McLaughlin even had a chance of claiming the 2019 series title on Saturday, if he crossed in the top three and van Gisbergen failed to finish.
The victory was set up, when Lowndes was able to get the jump on pole-sitter McLaughlin's teammate Alex Premat at the start.
Whincup maintained the lead when drivers changed over after 34 laps.
Van Gisbergen did not take his team's second compulsory pit-stop until late, grabbing the lead. When he returned to the field, he was third, more than eight seconds behind pacesetter Whincup.
But a fast-finishing van Gisbergen reeled in McLaughlin to take second spot with 14 laps left, before Garry Jacobson's Nissan lost its exhaust and was struck by the field on turn four, producing a safety car and ensuring a tense end.
There was drama even before the opener, after provisional pole-sitter Chaz Mostert crashed out in the top-10 shootout, ruling him out of the entire weekend's action.
While his Ford outfit initially hoped to repair the Mustang, after Mostert crashed into the wall at turn 11, under closer inspection, they determined it was a write-off.
It was a tough blow for third-placed Mostert, who was a mathematical title chance and considered a Gold Coast podium threat, after winning the past two Saturday races on the Gold Coast.
Mostert emerged unscathed, after being cleared at the track's medical centre.
Gold Coast's second 300km race will be held on Sunday.
AAP
