Lowndes takes V8 series lead with win in Surfers opener

Craig Lowndes moved into the V8 Supercars championship lead as he and Warren Luff won a wild Surfers Paradise opener.

Lowndes' Triple Eight team-mate Jamie Whincup was deposed from the top of the points following a disastrous day. First Whincup crashed in opening qualifying, leaving his car 25th on the grid. Then his co-driver Paul Dumbrell collided with Greg Murphy early in the race, ending their day.

Amid abundant crashes and divergent fuel strategies, the Tekno Holden of Shane van Gisbergen and Jeroen Bleekemolen led into the closing stages, but with Lowndes bearing down on them.

A quicker final splash-and-dash fuel stop by Triple Eight got Lowndes out ahead of van Gisbergen, and despite a brief attack from the Kiwi, Lowndes was able to pull clear.

Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom brought a damaged Ford Performance Racing Falcon home third under big pressure from privateer Tony D'Alberto, having overcome a qualifying error and a drive-through penalty for his Ford's side window coming adrift.

Winterbottom's FPR teammate Will Davison collided with his brother Alex, who drives for the affiliated Schwerkolt team.

IndyCar and sports car racer Ryan Briscoe teamed up with V8 veteran Russell Ingall to complete the top five, the last of the cars on the lead lap.

Brad Jones Racing was among those having a miserable race. Jason Bright failed to make the start as his car could not be repaired in time, despite a huge effort, following a big Friday practice crash for co-driver Andrew Jones, while Fabian Coulthard smashed his Holden's suspension on a curb when running third in the late stages.