Lockwood Racing’s Fabian Coulthard has won Race 15 at the Austin 400, climbing over the Red Bull racers that occupied the front row of the grid. However, the New Zealander faces investigation over a possible mid-race breach, which could mean a penalty affecting the result.
While Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup have had to settle for second and third in the race, Lowndes has moved up into second in the Championship, eclipsing Will Davison who only managed 12th in the outing. Coulthard is fourth in the points, followed by teammate Jason Bright.
Davison’s drop in the points wasn’t Pepsi Max FPR’s only drama this race – Mark Winterbottom’s Ford Falcon led after a great effort in the early laps of the race, but had a shocking pit stop that cost him several positions. He finished in sixth, despite the issue.
There were plenty of battles throughout the field and a focus on Rick Kelly’s Nissan Altima after the manufacturer’s best ever Qualifying, which saw him start from fifth. Kelly couldn’t hold on to the position though.
The top 10 was Coulthard, Lowndes, Whincup, Jonathon Webb, Shane van Gisbergen, Garth Tander, Winterbottom, Bright, Kelly and James Courtney – just one Ford and one Nissan in the mix.
There’s a brief 40-minute break between races, with the final race in Austin coming up shortly.
