Defending champion Will Brown has reasserted his Supercars authority with a first victory of the season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Triple Eight ace Brown has surged back to the top of the series standings after leading a one-two finish with teammate Broc Feeney at Albert Park on Saturday.
Brown had snuck into the lead after catching out pole-sitter Feeney from the inside on the way to the first turn.
With his first race win after four consecutive podium finishes, he leapfrogged Tickford star Cam Waters in the standings.
Waters recovered from a start in 19th to finish ninth.
"It's only the second round (of the season) but I really wanted to try and get a race win," Brown said.
Feeney momentarily gave up second to Nick Percat but restored lost ground when his Matt Stone Racing rival lost power steering after a safety car restart.
Percat managed to fend off Brodie Kostecki to hold onto third for back-to-back podium finishes as chaos ensued further down the grid.
Matt Payne was the first victim in the 19-lap sprint, sent off-track at the exit of turn one in the opening lap after contact with Erebus rookie Cooper Murray.
It was Team 18 driver David Reynolds's turn just seconds later, finding himself facing the other way after getting tangled up with Bryce Fullwood and Thomas Randle.
Tickford racer Randle sustained heavy damage to the right of his Ford Mustang but managed to finish 17th.
Championship contender Chaz Mostert could be in trouble with the race stewards for sending PremiAir Nulon Racing driver James Golding off-track and into the gravel in the opening lap.
The incident had ushered in the safety car, with Golding finishing the race 23rd.
The safety car was brought out again in the seventh lap after Murray went nose-first into the barrier at turn 11.
Murray did not finish the race.
Feeney will again start at the top of the grid for the final sprint in Melbourne at 10.25am (AEDT) on Sunday.
But Brown has been relegated to start in 20th position after being hit with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Mostert.
Mostert was forced to abandon a lap during the second qualifying session on Saturday after being stuck behind defending champion Brown.
"It was a brain fade on my behalf," Brown said.
"It wasn't until, actually, he hit me and I was like, 'What the hell was that? Did a dozer come out of the truck and hit me?'
"And then I saw Chaz and his headlights on, I thought, 'Oh, no, what have I done?'"
The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver qualified 24th, while Brown was 18th.
Brown only loses two spots after veteran James Courtney was disqualified for failing a post-session technical inspection.
RACE SIX RESULTS:
1. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)
3. Nick Percat (Matt Stone Racing)
4. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing)
5. Will Davison (Dick Johnson)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 462pts
2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) -6
3. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) -44
4. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United) -97
5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) -131
