Lowndes and Skaife win L&H 500

TeamVodafone's Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife have won the L&H 500 Phillip Island for the second year in a row, in another 1-2 finish for TeamVodafone.

Lowndes and Skaife, dubbed the "dream team', remain undefeated since pairing together for the endurance races last year.

"Its unbelievable, I've never seen Craig drive so well - he's really at the top of his game," said Mark Skaife.

"What a team effort to get a 1-2 at this race, you now how tough it is; it's a dream come true."

Lowndes crossed the finish line 6.3 seconds ahead of the sister TeamVodafone car of Jamie Whincup and Andrew Thompson.

"If we find that Mark Skaife I'm going to poke him in the eye! He ran into us at the start and the door wouldn't open!" said Whincup.

"(Lowndes and Skaife) did a phenomenal job and were the best partnership today. I couldn't be happier with Thommo, he handed the car over in first so I couldn't have asked for any more."

Polesitter Will Davison made a late charge into podium contention in the dying laps, overtaking an ailing Shane van Gisbergen who was struggling with steering issues.

"At the end of the day third is all we were good for," said Davison.

"We didn't quite have the speed during certain phases of the race but you never give up and never say die. I hunted a few down at the end and got back on the podium so I'm rapt for the boys."

After being the man on the charge with 13 laps remaining, van Gisbergen limped home to fifth and team manager Dave Stuart echoed the team's disappointment.

"Shane and John did a great job but we're really disappointed not to get a podium. I thought we could have taken it to Craig (Lowndes) at the end there but that's the way it rolls sometimes."

Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon: Shane van Gisbergen, John McIntyre

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Toll Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander pipped van Gisbergen by the narrowest of margins at the finish line for fourth.

It was an incredible recovery for the #2 Toll Holden Racing Commodore after Nick Percat was forced to start from pit lane after stalling the car on the front row of the grid.

Percat drove through the field in his opening stint to put the Toll HRT car back into contention, and the mid-race dice for the lead between Tander and Lowndes was one of the highlights of the race.

David Reynolds/Tim Blanchard (Stratco Racing), Jason Bright/Andrew Jones (Team BOC), Rick Kelly/Owen Kelly (Jack Daniel's Racing), James Courtney/Cameron McConville (Toll HRT) and Fabian Coulthard/Craig Baird (Bundaberg Racing) rounded out the top ten.