The Toll HSV Dealer Team continued on its winning way with a double-podium blitz of Race 1 of the PlaceMakers V8 Supercars at Pukekohe in New Zealand.
Garth Tander, coming off his three-race clean sweep at Barbagallo last round, made it four in a row with a stylish win over Ford’s Mark Winterbottom.
Team-mate and championship leader Rick Kelly snared his sixth race podium in a row when he came a fast-finishing third after fighting his way past the Falcon of Steve Richards.
The race win edged Tander seven points closer to reigning champion Kelly, who leads by six points – 132 to 124. The pair have opened up a gap over third placed Todd Kelly, on 97 points, and Mark Skaife, 83 points.
Despite a flagging clutch that threatened to undo his good work when it took several seconds to “take up” after his pit stop, Tander ran down Winterbottom with six laps to go and sped away to the chequered flag.
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