V. Gisbergen wins, Winterbottom leads

Shane van Gisbergen claimed his first win of the 2014 V8 Supercars season in the third race at Pukekohe, while Mark Winterbottom moved into the championship lead.

Polesitter Scott McLaughlin led the early laps of the race before his compatriot picked off Jamie Whincup and assertively took the lead heading into the hairpin on lap 8 of 35.

Van Gisbergen was then never headed for the remainder of the 100-kilometre race and finished a slender 0.28 seconds ahead of a charging Winterbottom.

The race two winner put McLaughlin under immense pressure and only found a way past the Volvo on lap 26, before setting off to close the 4.3s gap that was present at the time.

McLaughlin completed the podium after fending off reigning champion Jamie Whincup on the final lap, whose Triple Eight team-mate had another anonymous race.

Craig Lowndes started seventh but dropped down the order to finish 10th and relinquished his lead of the championship in the process.

Garth Tander and David Reynolds were embroiled in a race-long battle for fifth, which eventually went in favor of the 2007 champion by 0.26s.

Originally on Autosport.com