Event Information | ||||||||||||||
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Round 3 of 14 in the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series | ||||||||||||||
Date | 18–20 April 2008 | |||||||||||||
Location | Hamilton, New Zealand | |||||||||||||
Venue | Hamilton Street Circuit | |||||||||||||
Weather | Fine | |||||||||||||
Results | ||||||||||||||
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Race 1 | |||
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Distance | 36 laps | 120 km | |
Pole position |
Steven Richards Ford Performance Racing |
1:24.7270 | |
Winner |
Garth Tander Holden Racing Team |
1:02:38.9460 |
Race 2 | |||
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Distance | 36 laps | 120 km | |
Winner |
Garth Tander Holden Racing Team |
54:47.9366 |
Race 3 | |||
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Distance | 36 laps | 120 km | |
Winner |
Garth Tander Holden Racing Team |
1:00:27.5864 |
Round Results | |||
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First | 300 pts | ||
Second | 270 pts | ||
Third | 252 pts |
The 2008 Hamilton 400 was the third round of the 2008 V8 Supercar season. It was held on the weekend of 18 to 20 April on the streets of Hamilton, in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand.
Race 1 was held on Saturday 19 April. Garth Tander took his fourth consecutive win after clean-sheeting at Albert Park. The race wasn't without incident though as Mark Winterbottom and Shane Van Gisbergen collided with each other off the start line while Greg Murphy was spun around by Mark Skaife at the exit of turn 1.
The chaos continued into turn 2 when Van Gisbergen locked up while Russell Ingall went down the inside of a Steven Johnson car which caused a collision collecting Paul Morris, Shane Price, Michael Patrizi, Steven Johnson and Craig Lowndes. Johnson, Price and Ingall retired to the pits. Steven Richards had managed to run wide at turn 5 which gave the lead to Tander and gave Rick Kelly second place. The Safety Car was deployed until the end of lap 5. The Safety Car was back on track at the end of that lap though thanks to an incident for Patrizi at turn 7. Most people pulled into the pits except for a few people like Mark Skaife. This decision, forced by HRT's decision to pit Tander first, would cost Skaife dearly later in the race. The Safety Car pulled in on lap 11 and racing resumed.
Jason Richards and Lowndes were both given drive through penalties for pitlane infringements after Murphy pulled into pitlane with a broken steering plate. Murphy returned to the track 2 laps later to the delight of the crowd and Paul Morris had also returned to the track.