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Defending Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen had to settle for third place in race 10 in Tasmania.
Erebus’ Will Brown has secured an impressive Supercars win from pole in the Tasmania Supersprint opener in a race marred by early carnage.
Brown set the early pace at Symmons Plains and did not relinquish his lead, finishing in front of Kiwi duo Andre Heimgartner in second and Shane van Gisbergen, the two-time defending champion, in third.
It was the 24-year-old Australian’s second win of the season after prevailing during the second race of the Perth round last month.
But the day did not go so well for Brown’s Coca Coca Racing team-mate Brodie Kostecki, who was involved in an incident early in the race.
The championship leader dropped several laps after contact with Tickford’s Cameron Waters, while two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert was wiped out altogether after a clash with Red Bull Ampol young gun Broc Feeney.
Kostecki and Mostert started the day first and second in the championship but his advantage in the title race was cut to 74 points due to van Gisbergen’s podium.
Action will resume on Sunday for qualifying for the second race of the weekend, immediately followed by another session to decide the grid for the third sprint.