Russell Ingall powered his Caltex Havoline Ford to victory in the first race of round four of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship at Hidden Valley in Darwin on Sunday while team mate and reigning champion Marcos Ambrose finished third in the Pirtek Ford.
Ambrose was involved in a tense battle with race leader Mark Skaife in the HRT Holden but the rivals tangled on the last corner and Ingall managed to avoid the carnage and take the win from Todd Kelly in another HRT Holden.
The second 100-kilometre heat was a Holden benefit with brothers Rick and Todd Kelly finishing 1-2 and Steven Richards third after team mates Ingall and Ambrose collided. Ingall went on to finish down the order while Ambrose was slapped with a drive-through penalty for a pit crew infringement that sent him to the back of the 31-car field but an amazing drive lifted him to 13th at the finish.
The final 100-kilometre heat was won by Todd Kelly in the HRT Holden with Ambrose second in the Pirtek Ford and Steven Richards third in the Castrol Perkins Holden. Richards lost a drag race to the chequered flag with Ambrose leaping out of the last corner to blast across the finish line a couple of hundredths of Richards.
The combined result saw Todd Kelly emerge the winner followed by Steven Richards and Russell Ingall.
Highlights of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship…presented by Ford can be seen in High Octane Motorsport on Supersport on the following dates:
01 June, 22h30 – CSN / Supersport 2
02 June, 05h00 – CSN / Supersport 2
03 June, 01h00 – CSN / Supersport 2
04 June, 09h00 – CSN / Supersport 2
