2008 Midas 400

V8 Supercar race report
Date = 7 - 9 June
Year = 2008
Race_No = 5
Season_No = 14
Location = Melbourne, Victoria
Course_name = Sandown Raceway
Course_km = 3.1
Distance_laps = 117 (3 x 39 lap races)
Distance_km = 360
Weather =
Pole_Driver = Jamie Whincup
Pole_Team = Team Vodafone
Pole_Time = 1:09.6987
First_Race1 = Jamie Whincup
First_Race1_time = 47:18.7876
First_Team_Race1 = Team Vodafone
Second_Race1 = Mark Winterbottom
Second_Race1_time = 47:22.0287
Second_Team_Race1 = Ford Performance Racing
Third_Race1 = Craig Lowndes
Third_Race1_time = 47:30.4148
Third_Team_Race1 = Team Vodafone
First_Race2 = Craig Lowndes
First_Race2_time = 56:19.9593
First_Team_Race2 = Team Vodafone
Second_Race2 = Shane Van Gisbergen
Second_Race2_time = 56:22.3828
Second_Team_Race2 = Stone Brothers Racing
Third_Race2 = Jamie Whincup
Third_Race2_time = 56:22.9172
Third_Team_Race2 = Team Vodafone
First_Race3 = Jamie Whincup
First_Race3_time = 47:20.7150
First_Team_Race3 = Team Vodafone
Second_Race3 = Mark Winterbottom
Second_Race3_time = 47:22.8980
Second_Team_Race3 = Ford Performance Racing
Third_Race3 = James Courtney
Third_Race3_time = 47:27.5762
Third_Team_Race3 = Stone Brothers Racing
First_Driver = Jamie Whincup
First_Team = Team Vodafone
Second_Driver = Mark Winterbottom
Second_Team = Ford Performance Racing
Third_Driver = James Courtney
Third_Team = Stone Brothers Racing|

The 2008 Midas 400 was the fifth round of the 2008 V8 Supercar season. It was held on the weekend of June 7 to 9 at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, Victoria. With most states of Australia celebrating a public holiday on the Monday celebrating the Queen's birthday, the meeting took the unusual format of Saturday-Monday instead of Friday-Sunday.

Practice

Qualifying was held on Saturday June 7. Following on from the Eastern Creek round of the series, a 'rookie' practice session was held, allowing younger and newer drivers to gain additional testing laps. Teams were also allowed to use the session to test their co-drivers who will step into the teams for the Phillip Island 500 and Bathurst 1000 races later in the season which require two drivers per car. Of the enduro co-drivers, Steve Owen was fastest [cite web | url=http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?09/06/2008.SAN.P6 | title=Sandown International Motor Raceway 09/06/2008 Sandown 400 - 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Round 5 V8 Supercars - Practice 1 | publisher=National Software | date=June 7 2008 | accessdate=2008-06-08] driving for Jim Beam Racing. Paul Radisich (HSV Dealer Team) was second fastest ahead of Jason Bargwanna (Rod Nash Racing). Other co-drivers to take part, in order were John McIntyre (Glenfords Racing), Warren Luff (Jim Beam Racing), Dean Canto (Ford Performance Racing), Craig Baird and Glenn Seton (both Holden Racing Team), David Besnard (Stone Brothers Racing), Greg Ritter (Garry Rogers Motorsport), Dale Wood (Tasman Motorsport), Paul Weel (Paul Weel Racing), Nathan Pretty (Jack Daniel's Racing), Brad Jones (Brad Jones Racing), Jack Perkins (Jack Daniel's Racing), Luke Youlden (Ford Performance Racing) and Grant Denyer (Ford Rising Stars Racing).

Fastest driver of the day was Garth Tander, the only driver to lap faster than Owen. James Courtney, Mark Winterbottom and Jamie Whincup were the only drivers within a tenth of Owen's best lap.

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Sunday June 8. Jamie Whincup slammed home pole position in the final moments of qualifying, some four tenths clear of the field. Mark Winterbottom was second fastest, leading Will Davison and leading Holden, Rick Kelly by only a few hundredths of a second. Fabian Coulthard had a best ever qualifying result to be fifth fastest with Russell Ingall also well up in sixth, 19 grid spots ahead of his team mate. Handling issues slowed the Holden Racing Team, both Garth Tander and Mark Skaife missing the cut for the top ten.

Race 1

Race 1 was held on Sunday June 8. Steven Richards and Todd Kelly tangled on the opening lap, Greg Murphy spun on the second lap, all three dropping to the tail of the field. Andrew Thompson spun Marcus Marshall around at the top of the straight. Will Davison retired from the race in the early running with a engine problems, spoiling the good work from qualifying. Craig Lowndes damaged his car trying to get past Davison. Rick Kelly had lurid 160km/h spin in the Esses without hitting the walls or the cars in close company, only losing three spots.

As the race settled Whincup pulled further and further away, only Winterbottom was able to hang on to finish second. Craig Lowndes fought his way into third position. Russell Ingall took his best finish of the season to finish top Holden in fourth ahead of Garth Tander, recovering from a poor grid position. Coulthard finished eighth, capitalising on his qualifying performance. Shane Van Gisbergen finished an excellent ninth.

Race 2

Race 2 was held on Monday June 9.

Race 3

Race 3 was held on Monday June 9.

Results

Results as follows: [cite web | url=http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?09/06/2008.SAN | title=Sandown International Motor Raceway 09/06/2008 Sandown 400 - 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, Round 5 | publisher=National Software | date=June 9 2008 | accessdate=2008-06-09]

Qualifying

Race 3 Results

References

External links

* [http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?09/06/2008.SAN Official timing and results]

V8 race report
Name_of_race = 2008 Midas 400
Year_of_race = 2008
Previous_race_in_season = 2008 BigPond 400
Next_race_in_season = 2008 Skycity Triple Crown
Previous_year's_race = 2007 Sandown 500
Next_year's_race = 2009 Sandown 400