McLaughlin claims Queensland V8 win-256

Rising V8 Supercars star Scott McLaughlin claimed the third win of his rookie season in race two of the Queensland Raceway weekend.

McLaughlin had already taken wins in the non-championship Melbourne Formula 1 support event and the Pukekohe points round. The Garry Rogers Holden beat pole-sitting champion Jamie Whincup's Triple 8 Commodore off the line on a slightly damp track.

The circuit very rapidly dried and McLaughlin was able to hold Whincup at arm's length throughout. He was untroubled by a safety car to retrieve debris from Lee Holdsworth's Mercedes, ultimately winning by 0.6 second.

James Courtney celebrated his new Holden Racing Team deal with a podium, as he shadowed the leaders in third.

Fabian Coulthard emerged from a wild early gaggle to take a lonely fourth. His Brad Jones Holden teammate Jason Bright grabbed fifth from star rookie Chaz Mostert on the line.

Mostert had qualified a stunning fourth and briefly jumped to second on lap one before being elbowed back. Ford Performance Racing duo Will Davison and Mark Winterbottom and Whincup's team-mate Craig Lowndes all had underwhelming qualifying sessions and could not recover. They finished ninth, 10th and 12th, with a similarly disappointed Garth Tander among them in 11th.