Tander Scores Confidence-Boosting Phillip Island Victory for Holden Racing Team After Courtney Emerges Safely From Spectacular Incident

Holden Racing Team V8 Supercars Champion Garth Tander has taken victory in a chaotic Race 32 of the series today at the Sargent Security Phillip Island 360, while James Courtney has escaped serious injury after a spectacular collision.

The victory was Tander’s second in 2013 and HRT’s third since its one-two victory at Townsville in July.

In the first half of the 60/60 Super Sprint, Courtney was collected in the driver’s door by Alexandre Premat’s Commodore, which had left the circuit with a tyre puncture; after Premat helped him from the car, he was taken to the medical centre for observation and later released with slight bruising to his right leg.

Tander qualified his VF Commodore third in a weather-affected session before battling with the Ford of Mark Winterbottom for much of the 60/60 Super Sprint’s first half.

Tander and Winterbottom exchanged second position a couple of times before Winterbottom and race leader Craig Lowndes tangled in the final corner, Tander capitalising to cross the finish line first ahead of the half-time break.

At the resumption, Tander stormed away from the field at the double-file restart and was never headed, pulling away to take a three second victory over Fabian Coulthard.

“The seas parted at the end of the first half and I thought ‘thanks very much,’” Tander said.

“We changed the car during the break and it was really good, we were able to manage the gap to Fabian and Alex (Davison) who were battling behind.

“It’s a great result for the team and has put a smile on everyone in the garage.”

Courtney qualified 15th and had climbed to 11th when his car was struck heavily in the driver’s door by Premat at turn four.

“I didn’t see Alex coming, so I couldn’t brace myself,” Courtney said.

“It’s probably a carbon copy of what happened to Jamie (Whincup) a couple of years ago, but bigger.

“I spoke to Alex in the medical car and he said he had a tyre go down. He didn’t mean to do that, no one would, so it’s just unfortunate.”