Mostert leads home Prodrive 1-2 at Winton

Mostert wasn’t troubled throughout the 60-kilometre affair, winning the start from pole position and never looking back.

Making things even easier for Mostert was that team-mate Winterbottom snuck past Michael Caruso on the run to the first corner, putting PRA well and truly in control and allowing Mostert the freedom of not having to watch his mirrors.

Caruso went on to finish third, taking Nissan’s first podium since the Gold Coast last year in the process. He was shadowed throughout the race by David Reynolds, but while the Prodrive driver looked faster than the Nissan, Reynolds had no chance of getting by, opting instead to settle for a comfortable fourth.

Brothers Todd and Rick Kelly capped of a promising day for Nissan by finishing fifth and seventh respectively, with Fabian Coulthard – the best-placed Holden – sandwiched between the Altimas.

It was hardly a classic for Triple Eight, Jamie Whincup the best-placed Red Bull Commodore in ninth, while Craig Lowndes could manage just 12th. In fact, the best performing T8-built car in the field was the customer entry of Shane van Gisbergen which finished eighth, while Nick Percat was 10th in another T8 customer car.

Scott McLaughlin, who started dead last after causing a red flag in qualifying, couldn’t make any progress, the Kiwi ultimately finishing at the back of the field after a touch from Dale Wood turned into a spin on just the fourth lap of the race.

Wood was one of the few drivers to see some action during the race, with he and Tim Blanchard scrapping over 23rd. In the end Blanchard won out, with Wood going off at turn one.