V8 Supercars: Whincup, Coulthard split opening wins in Adelaide

Fabian Coulthard (ABOVE) won an action-packed second race at the Clipsal 500 this afternoon, skipping away to a clean win as his rivals went to war behind him.

Race one winner Jamie Whincup (scroll down for video highlights) looked in the box seat to double-up in his Red Bull Racing Australia Holden Commodore VF, but a puncture and dramatic save at Turn Eight saw him drop to an eventual 21st place finish.

The top three were completed by James Courtney claiming second in the Holden Racing Commodore and Whincup's teammate Craig Lowndes third after the traded places a couple of times.

"It all started off yesterday – first front row start for BJR and to come home this afternoon with a third and a first, a race win today, I'm pretty pumped," Coulthard said.

Following on from his non-start in the first race, Volvo's young star Scott McLaughlin's chances were dented when he was judged to have jumped the start and handed a 10 second penalty to be applied at his pit stop. He entered the pitlane leading and exited in ninth but still went on to finish third on the track.

However, he was then handed a further 10 second penalty for taking his original penalty during a safety car period.

"What can you say – that's the rules," McLaughlin said.

"But I think it's fair and square we stopped and did our penalty. We did it. I took the penalty and ... worked my way forward. But that's alright that's the rules."

Meanwhile, Pepsi-Max Ford Falcon FG X driver Chaz Mostert followed up his first race second by smacking into the Turn Eight wall and retiring.

Nissan Altima driver Michael Caruso also smashed into the Turn Eight wall and into retirement, the lap after a dive-bomb at Turn Nine spun Ford driver David Reynolds and blocked PRA star Mark Winterbottom.

After the safety car prompted by Caruso's crash, the action hotted up even further.

Whincup gave up the lead to Coulthard's Freightliner Commodore when he outbraked himself at Turn Nine, then plunged out of contention when his left-rear tire went flat.

A huge tangle at Turn Nine was prompted by Tim Slade, who flew up the inside and tagged Shane van Gisbergen's Commodore. But he also knocked himself out of the race with a broken front-left suspension in his Supercheap Auto Commodore.

The rest eventually sorted themselves out with Garth Tander fourth, Jason Bright fifth, Rick Kelly sixth, James Moffat seventh, rookie Ash Walsh in the Erebus Motorsport Mercedes-AMG E 63 eighth – although he was being reviewed post-race for contact with Dale Wood – McLaughlin an adjusted ninth and Lee Holdsworth 10th.

Mark Winterbottom was 11th, van Gisbergen 12th. Marcos Ambrose, returning from NASCAR for DJR Team Penske, raced forward to finish 16th in both races, after starting from 24th position on the grid.

The 250km Clipsal 500 feature race follows tomorrow

Click here for full results.