Coulthard triumphs in Kiwi quinella

Supercars championship leader Scott McLaughlin has been upstaged by team-mate and fellow Kiwi driver Fabian Coulthard in the second race of the Winton Supersprint in Victoria yesterday.

The Shell V-Power pair started the 67-lap affair on the front row, but McLaughlin almost stalled his start to immediately slip back from pole to eighth.

Ford flyer Coulthard didn’t have do anything drastic from there as he cantered to the 10th win of his career.

In a New Zealand quinella, the 35-year-old crossed the line almost 11 seconds ahead of Red Bull Holden speedster Shane van Gisbergen, who claimed another crucial podium in second by backing up his third on Saturday.

It was Coulthard’s first victory since triumphing during the Sydney round in August last year, with his best previous result this season being two thirds in Melbourne.

He is the eighth different driver to win a race this year from 14 starts.

A calculated early pit stop from McLaughlin allowed him to regain composure as he recovered ground to remarkably finish third.

But the 24-year-old will enter the four-week break bitterly disappointed after not converting two poles at Winton.

After an emotional droughtbreaking win during the first race at the Victorian circuit, Nissan veteran Rick Kelly did enough to finish fourth in front of team-mate Michael Caruso to round out the top-five finishers.