Frosty sensing bigger things after AGP breakthrough

Mark Winterbottom is confident he can challenge the front-runners in Supercars, provided Team 18 can get on top of his qualifying woes.

Winterbottom scored a breakthrough podium in Race 4 at Albert Park, with the Team 18 veteran ending up fifth overall for the weekend.

The #18 DEWALT Camaro was again a revelation in race trim, despite Winterbottom enduring a rollercoaster ride in qualifying.

The 2015 champion ended the weekend with a charge from 23rd to 13th, having raced from 17th to 13th in Saturday’s sprint.

Winterbottom’s run to the podium was built off the back of fourth in qualifying, which became second when Broc Feeney made a mistake. A day earlier, he powered from 20th to 11th in the opener.

The Albert Park moves came after Winterbottom moved from 19th to 12th in Race 1, and 21st to 14th, in Bathurst. All told, Winterbottom has gained a staggering 39 positions in just six races.

Winterbottom’s average starting position of 17.3 is drastically different to his average finishing position of 10.8, justifying the 42-year-old’s desperation to get one-lap pace nailed.

“We've got a trophy to take home, which is fantastic,” Winterbottom said after the AGP finale.

"We had a really fast car, I think as a whole, the weekend, you have to look at the positives and when we qualified bad, we could still drive through the pack and pass some cars.

“We survived, we were fifth for the round and now third in the team's championship and I crept in the top 10 in the championship as well.

“Ultimately I go home with a straight, very fast race car and we know where to improve.”

Winterbottom moved from 16th to equal ninth in the points across the weekend, and is just 55 points behind fifth-placed David Reynolds heading to New Zealand.

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