V8 Supercars: Courtney wins Queensland finale

James Courtney pulled off a strategically brilliant victory in the third V8 Supercars race at Ipswich's Queensland Raceway, while Jamie Whincup moved to the top of the championship standings.

Factory Holden driver Courtney held back a set of soft tires in qualifying for Saturday's races and those, coupled with two perfectly timed pit stops, allowed him to secure his second win of the season.

The 2010 V8 Supercars champion slipped behind poleman James Moffat's Nissan at the start and then had to sit behind an out-of-sequence Craig Lowndes during the second stint of the race, but when the stops played out, it was Courtney who came out on top. He took the lead of lap 34 of 65 as his Triple Eight rival had to make a long final stop for tires and fuel, and it was a position he held with ease until the chequered flag, taking victory by a 5.5 second margin.

Lowndes gained seven positions overall to finish second, ahead of Chaz Mostert, who was in the mix all race long and held off a determined Moffat toward the finish.

Ford Performance Racing's rising star was struggling with tire wear and Moffat tried a last-lap lunge at Turn 3, which went awry and he ran wide, relinquishing his position to Scott Pye.

Whincup was not far away from the scene of the incident and greeted the flag in sixth. In doing so, moved to the top of the drivers' standings after title rival Mark Winterbottom had a nightmare race. The former championship leader was forced to pit on lap 12 with a tire issue and was hit with another tire delamination on lap 43.

Winterbottom rejoined the action and fell down the order of not only the race, to 22nd position, but also the championship, as he now trails Whincup by 15 points.

Originally on Autosport.com