Tense Race Brings FPR Podium

Frosty showed great race pace finishing 3rd

Less than one second separated the top three V8 Supercar Championship Series drivers today during the closing stages of the Surfer's Paradise race, with Mark Winterbottom chasing a win until the last corner.

The Ford Performance Racing driver had the speed but Garth Tander and Jamie Whincup did not put a wheel wrong in the 27-lap battle, which saw the Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon finish third.

Team-mate Steve Richards made the best pass of the race on lap four, when he got round Mark Skaife on the notorious Indy street circuit for 12th. The Castrol FPR Falcon driver was fired up after losing track position on lap one when three drivers cut the chicane. He later registered the fastest lap of the race and finished 11th.

Tomorrow's race two starts at 10:15am.

Mark Winterbottom Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon
'I think I had the best seat in the house, watching Garth [Tander] and Jamie [Whincup] hitting tyre bundles and rubbing panels! I was just sitting there watching, hoping Garth would make a move so I could reap the rewards; it was follow the leader a bit.

'It was a tough race but everybody drove well, everybody's cars are straight. We're fighting for the championship and we all scored good points.

'The car was a lot better than yesterday. In the race we were always pretty confident that we would come back. We'll do some tuning tonight so tomorrow's going to be a good fight.'

Steve Richards Castrol FPR Falcon
'At the start I went around the chicane like you're supposed to but the three guys behind me just drove straight through so I lost three places; they made no effort to go round the corner at all.

'Skaife was just narrow into that corner and I knew I could get a run up the inside. You know with guys like that you're pretty right; he's a pretty fair racer and when you pull a reasonable move they will be reasonable with you.'

SURFERS PARADISE STREET CIRCUIT
Nikon Indy 300 - 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series -Rd 11 RACE ONE
1. Jamie Whincup, 888
2. Garth Tander, HRT
3. Mark Winterbottom, Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon
4. Todd Kelly, Perkins Motorsport
5. Russell Ingall, PMM
6. Craig Lowndes, 888
7. Will Davison, DJR
8. Paul Dumbrell, TWR
9. James Courtney, SBR
10. Lee Holdsworth, GRM
11. Steve Richards, Castrol FPR Falcon