DEWALT Racing driver Mark Winterbottom scored Team 18’s first ever race win as he took out Race 13 of the Repco Supercars Championship at the Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley Raceway.

The 2013 Bathurst 1000 winner and 2015 Supercars Champion qualified a strong third position, before muscling past Broc Feeney into second place at Turn 1 off the start and slotting in behind race leader Cam Waters.

Hino driver Scott Pye ensured both cars progressed through to the final ten in qualifying, and started from eighth position.

A safety car was deployed on Lap 2 after Waters encountered a nasty fire, as the team executed an outstanding double stack to put Winterbottom back in the lead and Pye back into eighth.

Winterbottom sustained pressure from Feeney after a later safety car restart to take the chequered flag by half a second.

Pye moved forwards to fifth before he was hit from behind on one of the later restarts, with a guard rubbing on the right rear tyre. However, Pye hung on for a solid points finish 12th.

Team 18 will return to action on Sunday for back-to-back qualifying at 9:30am, before Race 14 at 11:50am and Race 15 at 3:25pm.

RESULTS & QUOTES

Mark Winterbottom, driver #18 DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Qualifying: 3rd (1:06.1283)
Race 13: 1st (Fastest Lap: 1:07.8646)

“We won the race! It’s an incredible moment. It’s been a lot of work from the guys and girls here at the track and back at the workshop, and all of our sponsors, our fans and our supporters. It’s a really cool moment and I can’t thank everyone enough for the support.

“We’ve won one. It’s not saying we’re going to win them all, but far out, it feels good to get a trophy. We’ll celebrate this, we’ve still got tomorrow obviously to race, but hat’s a trophy they can’t take off us.”

Scott Pye, driver #20 Hino Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Qualifying: 8th (1:06.7304)
Race 13: 12th (Fastest Lap: 1:08.2789)

“First of all, congratulations to Frosty and the car 18 crew. I was excited to get out and see Charlie. I mean, he has worked so hard to get the team to the point that it’s at now. So stoked for car 18 and Frosty as well. It’s been a long time coming for him to get that win and that’s well deserved.

“On my side of the garage it was a little bit tougher day. We got up to fifth, but unfortunately had someone hit my rear bar, which pushed it into the tyre and cut my tyre, which we immediately dropped to 12th. I think as everyone’s tyres started to degrade, we were able to defend and hold them off.”

“It was disappointing to get up to fifth and have damage that immediately it was like driving on oil. I actually thought the rear tyre was going to explode. I’m really grateful that it didn’t, we did finish on canvas, there’s a belt hanging at the side, so I guess I can count my lucky stars that we hung onto the end and got some points from today.

“I wish we had a little bit more luck and it would’ve been great to come away with a win for the team and then maybe a fifth to sixth or somewhere around there would be a solid day.”