Second place has Frosty on target ahead of V8 rivals

MARK Winterbottom may not have won a race at the weekend but it was still mission complete for the Falcon pilot.

MARK Winterbottom may not have won a race at the weekend but it was still mission complete for the Falcon pilot.

Winterbottom finished in front of his two main championship rivals in both races at Queensland Raceway.

"Frosty" Winterbottom defied a slow car to hold on for second, beating both Jamie Whincup, in a much-improved Holden, and series rival Will Davison.

Ford Performance Racing looked set for a poor weekend after struggling in practice but found enough pace to mount a challenge to race winner Craig Lowndes and keep championship leader Whincup in the rear-view mirror.

The two second-place finishes saw Winterbottom take 18 points out of Whincup's lead as the V8 Supercars hurtle towards the business end of the season. Winterbottom is wary of Lowndes, who made the championship battle a four-way fight by winning this weekend.

"It is not over until that very last day so we have never discounted Craig," Winterbottom said.

"He is on fire at the moment and having a very good run so until that last lap at Homebush, I don't think we will be writing anyone off."

Winterbottom was held up on the final lap by Garth Tander and Todd Kelly, who were racing for minor places. The failure of officials to wave the blue flag sparked debate after the race.

"The blue flag situation was pretty average today," Winterbottom said.

"I don't think it would have changed the outcome of the race but it is something that should be discussed. I have raised it in driver's briefings and they just shrug it off.

"There were guys banging doors with me out there today for nothing but there was no blue flag so they have every right to stay on line and race.

"The flag marshals were actually clapping when we were going past thinking we were racing for position. They should have been waving not clapping."