New Zealand's man of the moment Fabian Coulthard scored his first of what he hopes is many Championship races win as the king of the Super Sprints at the Tasmania Microsoft 365.

Coulthard had won three of the four races at the recent Australian Grand Prix but today was his first in a fully-fledged V8 Supercar race as the innovative Super Sprint format turned in some spectacular action at the short Symmons Plains track.

The first 'half' of the two 60km races was taken by Red Bull Racing Australia's Jamie Whincup from Coulthard but after the break and a spectacular rolling re-start Coulthard assume control, passing Whincup early in the 25 lapper.

Whincup ultimately finished second in the battle with Pepsi Max Crew FPRs Mark Winterbottom third. Whincup assumed the Championship lead from RBA team-mate Craig Lowndes who had a day of disaster.

Coulthard has a genuine sense he could now be a permanent front-runner. He is particularly keen to keep the form ahead of his home race at the ITM 400 Auckland in six days time.

"One that counts means a little bit more. I was happy with my results at the Grand Prix but it doesn't go towards our Championship, this one does which makes it sweeter," Coulthard said.

"We need to make up for a poor result in Adelaide and work our way back. We made the most of the opportunity. It's good to race with Jamie; it's nice, clean, fair and very enjoyable.

"It's my home town. It's awesome to race back at Pukekohe. I've raced plenty of categories and it's nice to race in front of friends and family; and get a bit of a break while I'm there."

Whincup said his car was 'still a bit of an animal' even though second gave him the Championship lead.

"We were very, very quick in the first 25 laps but unlike the guy beside me we de-tuned the car during the break. It was a bit of a laugh really. Everyone was locking up and running off, there was crap all over the track and it was all going on from my cockpit," he said.

"At that restart we were pretty much working it out as we went along. We will clean a few things up but in all a good day."

In a frenetic first 'half'Lowndes was in the wars from the first stages. He tussled with VIP Petfood's Shane van Gisbergen which caused some damage and was then turned around by Russell Ingall's Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore.

What started as a shot at the all-time record became a nightmare. After Ingall spun him around Lowndes had to pit with a shredded rear tyre, putting him effectively on the track but out of the race.

"It all started with a front right shock problem we had in qualifying. We tried to change it but by the time we did it was too late to go back out and we had to start in in eighth," said Lowndes.

"We went into that race knowing that if you go a lap down or get penalised that it was potentially a huge disaster and for us it was a massive one.

"Not only to have the contact, but to then lose the tyre, lose first gear and then go a back down - it couldn't have gotten much worse. We just limped around until the end to keep out of trouble."

Lowndes still has a shot at Mark Skaife's all-time winning record of 90 in two 120km races tomorrow.

"Luckily tomorrow is a new day and we get to qualify again. Hopefully the boys can get the car in better shape and we can have a better day tomorrow."

Todd Kelly failed to take the start of Leg 2 after a power steering failure while Maro Engel was also a DNF, causing the late Safety Car with an off at Turn 4.

Engel's Erebus team-mate Lee Holdsworth was also in the wars, spinning at Turn 2 after a tap from James Moffat in the Lowndes-induced melee. The IRWIN Mercedes eventually finished 23rd, with the incident to be investigated after the race.

Two 100km races will complete the Symmons Plains event tomorrow.