Symmons Plains, Tasmania—V8 Supercars descended upon Symmons Plains on the weekend of March 29 for the Tyrepower Tasmania 400. Last year's winner Holden/Red Bull driver Jamie Whincup was the favorite coming into this race but  all eyes were on newcomer Volvo driver Scott McLaughlin.

Read the Volvo V8 Supercars profile in the April issue of Race Car Engineering Magazine here.

After a win at the non-championship V8 Supercars Challenge at the Australian Grand Prix two weeks prior, McLaughlin caught the public and media's attention. McLaughlin's fearless driving and cheeky personality combined with the unlikelihood of the Swedish brand leaping to the front of the V8 field caused a stir. The Australian GP win was Volvo's first in an Australian touring car race since 1999.

To add to the hype, the new Volvo S60 racer has proven potent in a straight line and through high-speed corners, which are defining features of the Symmons Plains course. The track is dominated by two fast sections linked by a hairpin. The McLaughlin Volvo's superior high-speed aerodynamics and strong engine performance give it an advantage at Symmons Plains. Even Holden's Craig Lowndes conceded that the track probably suits the Vovlo. Unfortunately, a recurrence of a power steering problem that has plagued McLaughlin prevented him from stepping back on the podium at Symmons Plains.

All V8 Supercars are equipped with the strong, compact Albins ST6 trans. Learn more

The first official race after qualifying saw some unfortunate incidents. Bad luck that started in Race 4 for Nissan/Jack Daniels drivers  Rick Kelly and Todd Kelly plagued their entire event. Rick Kelly suffered brake failure early in Race 4 and at one point ran off the track. Todd Kelly came into contact with another car that took him out of that race with a broken right front suspension. Holden Red Bull drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes had a disastrous bump which knocked Lowndes off track. Red Bull Racing boss Roland Dane was furious. Whincup, however, held on for the win. Holden driver James Courtney finished second and Ford driver Mark Winterbottom finished third. Lowndes ended up finishing 8th.

Problems continued to follow the Nissan Jack Daniels team in Race 5. Rick Kelly was bumped off the track and Todd Kelly was given a restart penalty for passing in an acceleration zone. Nissan/Norton drivers Moffat and Caruso managed to finish the race, although with less than stellar results. Race 5 was more forgiving to the Holden Redbull drivers. Jamie Whincup started first while Craig Lowndes had to start in position 25 due to a penalty. Whincup held on for the win while Lowndes battled his way from the back to finish 5th. Ford driver Mark Winterbottom finished second and Holden driver Fabian Coulthard finished third to round out the Race 5 podium.

Lowndes showed his dominance in Race 6. He led the pack to win by a very comfortable margin. Whincup took second while James Courtney edged out Will Davison and Coulthard for third.

After the Tasmania 400, Lowndnes extends his series lead to 70 points. Jamie Whincup leapfrogs Fabian Coulthard into second place on the standings.