V8 Supercars Fujitsu Series News

SCOTT Pye and Nick Percat have both broken through today and won their first race in the Dunlop Series for V8 Supercars at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth.
Triple Eight pilot Pye took pole position at the beginning of the day in dry conditions in just his second appearance onboard the Monster Energy Commodore.
Despite the rain arriving for the first 18-lapper (which ended up finishing after 15 laps due to a time certain finish), the former British Formula Ford Champion was able to hold off the rest of the field to take his maiden win, clear of surprise packet Ash Walsh, Scott McLaughlin, series leader Chaz Mostert, Luke Youlden and Tim Blanchard.
For Ipswich-based Walsh, his SIMPro Falcon started from the front row of the grid after a personal-best qualifying result in his Matt Stone Racing-run Falcon.
Coates Hire Racings Nick Percat struggled in the wet conditions, slipping and sliding his way to eighth spot, but he was in his prime in the second race in the afternoon, where the top 10 on the grid was the reverse order of Race 1.
The reigning Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner picked off Sonic Motor Racing Falcon driver Rodney Jane early in the race, eventually driving away to record a 3.6-second win over Blanchard, Youlden, McLaughlin, Mostert and Jane.
The win was Percats first race win in the Dunlop Series. He won the opening round in Adelaide last year, though today was his first win in an individual race in the V8 Supercar development category.
WesTrac Racings Andrew Jones was lucky to escape major catastrophe when his Commodore was stranded on the grid as Race 2 got underway.
He was clipped by Greg Murphy Racings Dale Wood on the way through; both cars too badly damaged to continue, though without the same sort of damage as last years start line fireball involving Karl Reindler and Steve Owen.
Todays result also means a much tighter championship picture, with Mostert still leading, although by a reduced margin of 22 points back to Fujitsu Racings McLaughlin.
One race remains tomorrow with Race 3 for round two to be held at 1.05pm local time (3.05pm AEST).
The grid will be on accumulated points, so Pye will have pole position clear of McLaughlin, Walsh, Youlden, Mostert and Percat.
All of the top four drivers on tomorrows grid are shooting for their first-ever Dunlop Series round victory.
Tomorrows race will be telecast on 7 and 7mate.