Skaife hold off Richard to win Race 1

May 13, 2006 - 10:16am

written by Josh Inglis

After qualifying on pole position Skaife won the first race of the weekend at Barbagallo. Tander also started on the front row and got the jump at the start going into the first corner in the lead but was only to be passed by Skaife and Todd Kelly on the third lap.

“The car jumped quite well (at the start) but I got a bit too much secondary wheel spin. I had a drama there (in Turn 1) last year with a bloke who’s in America at the moment so I thought I’d ease off the throttle and sneak in behind Garth. I didn’t want to have a repeat," Skaife said.

Todd Kelly and Skaife were both running ahead of the pack and beginning to make a good lead on lap six when Todd's Commodore became jammed in fourth gear was forced to pit to rectify the problem.