THEIR wings may have been clipped but it hasn’t stopped DJR Team Penske claiming another one-two Supercars finish under lights in Perth on Friday.
Fabian Coulthard claimed his second race win of the season ahead of championship leader Scott McLaughlin in a third consecutive one-two finish for the team after a clean sweep at Phillip Island last month.
Tickford Racing’s Chaz Mostert finished third to lock out the podium for the Mustangs less than a fortnight after Supercars ordered changes to the all-conquering car due to an unfair aerodynamic edge over their Holden and Nissan rivals.
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“The Mustang’s awesome, it’s a lot of fun to drive,” said Coulthard, who has reduced the margin to McLaughlin in the title race to 112 points.
Mostert is third on the standings, a further 140 points behind the top two.
Red Bull Holden Racing Team duo Jamie Whincup and Shane Van Gisbergen finished fourth and fifth in the 50-lap race, which was the first night event at Barbagallo Raceway.
McLaughlin, who earlier in the day claimed his seventh pole position of the season, had a horror start.
Teammate Coulthard jumped him on the line and by the first corner McLaughlin was back in fourth behind Whincup and Mostert.
He quickly passed Mostert but within seven laps Coulthard had opened up at two second gap to the chasing pack.
A clever pit stop where McLaughlin replaced just two tyres before returning to the track allowed him to jump Whincup and from there the DJR Team Penske pair were never headed.
“My teammate did a great job, another one-two is awesome,” McLaughlin said.
“Our car was really good. Felt really strong on two tyres so who knows? Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
The Perth SuperNight event wraps up on Saturday with a longer 83-lap race from 4.45pm.
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McLaughlin quickest in second practice
