Motorsport: V8 pairing poles apart from rivals

Two pole positions, a second place in race one and a win in race two was more than enough to give Scott McLaughlin victory again in the V8 SuperTourers in Taupo.

Teamed with V8 Supercar driver Jono Webb, the duo translated their superb qualifying pace - where they locked out pole position for both races with first and second fastest times from qualifying - into podium finishes.

This matched the performance of the Mike Pero Mortgages M3 Racing duo of Nick Cassidy and Jack Perkins, but two pole positions were enough to give McLaughlin and Webb the memorial Ashley Stichbury Trophy in front of a big crowd.

Their driver changes - compulsory in the two 56-lap races - were among the quickest but they were hampered by tyre problems in the first race. They made the most of some small changes in race two, winning and taking the lead in the V8 SuperTourers enduro series.

They didn't have it all their own way, though. Series debutants Cassidy and Perkins put in a quick driver changeover on race one and took a lead they would not lose, and in race two after some early contact they had no answer to the flying McLaughlin and Webb but had the measure of the rest. Championship leader John McIntyre and new co-driver Jono Lester had two third placings.