Australian Jason Bright claimed the fourth race of the V8 Supercars meeting at Pukekohe and also the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy for his efforts over the weekend.
It was a fitting and emotional result with Bright driving for Brad Jones Racing, the team that Richards made his name with before losing his battle with cancer late in 2011.
Bright’s team mate, Kiwi Fabian Coulthard finished fourth in the defining race, completing a stroing weekend for himself and his team.
Garth Tander was second and Jamie Whincup third.
Whincup had jumped out off the front row of the grid to get the early lead but Bright got past him on lap 10 of 35 and had enough speed to be untroubled through to the chequered flag.
Shane van Gisbergen was the next best Kiwi in 11th with Jonny Reid finishing 25th. Scott McLaughlin didn’t start the last race after crashing heavily in the opening race of the day.
“I went to be last night really determined to wake up and win this trophy. I wanted to win it for the memory of Jason. It’s just so great that we can take this back to our headquarters in Albury,” Bright said.
Earlier in the day van Gisbergen and Coulthard had kept the New Zealand flag flying high with podium finishes in the third race of the weekend.
Aussie Will Davison claimed the chequered flag in an action-packed ITM 400 race and took the overall series lead with that victory as well, something he held on to by the end of the day.
Van Gisbergen finished second and Coulthard third, surviving the carnage that saw the race finish under its third safety flag as time ran out.
McLaughlin, winner of one of yesterday’s two braces, crashed out heavily late in the race to bring the field under the third safety flag. He crunched into the concrete barrier at high speed on turn 11 as he had problems with his front left wheel. There was relief as he walked away unhurt.
Reid finished 19th, his best effort of the weekend.
Mark Winterbottom had got the early jump on the field, leaping ahead off Whincup off the front of the grid.
Their intense rivalry hit fever pitch on the 17th lap when Whincup barged past Winterbottom, causing damage that would eventually force Winterbottom into the pits.
Coulthard took advantage of their tangle to slip past and take the lead.
Whincup had problems of his own on lap 23 when his foot slipped off the pedal and he crashed out.
Coulthard looked like he could push on for victory but was caught napping late in the race as Davison and Van Gisbergen blasted past him.
