McLaughlin grabs Eseries points lead

Scott McLaughlin holds the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries championship lead after an entertaining opening round.

WATCH: CHAOTIC ESERIES OPENING LAP AT MONZA

McLaughlin won the first and third races of the night in a commanding display, not to mention making up 21 places in the middle reverse-grid outing won by Jack Le Brocq.

The Shell V-Power Racing driver, who also leads the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, delivered a clinical display in the incident-filled Monza finale.

Carnage ensued from the startline, with Mark Winterbottom being speared into the fence before cars had even reached the first chicane.

When they did get there, Chaz Mostert, Bryce Fullwood and Fabian Coulthard were all spun and things would only get more chaotic.

Roughly half the field were caught up in a Turn 3 tangle that saw Fullwood airborne and Shane van Gisbergen end up on his roof.

McLaughlin appeared to be in the box seat when the Safety Car was deployed on lap 3, leading from Jake Kostecki and Anton De Pasquale.

However, even earlier stops for a gaggle headed by Cameron Waters and Winterbottom saw them roar to the front when their rivals dived in for their compulsory pitstop.

It meant McLaughlin had to carve his way through the field, picking off drivers one-by-one after being positioned 10th on the restart.

He made the decisive move on Cameron Waters down the pit straight at the start of lap 15 but it soon became clear he was short on fuel.

Guided by real-life engineer Richard Harris, the #17 Mustang however would be saved by the time certain finish, which meant the race finished a lap early – when McLaughlin had just 1L of fuel remaining.

He crossed the line 1.483 seconds clear of Waters, who is second in the championship.

Mostert took third in the race, with Will Davison and Jack Le Brocq rounding out the top five.

In the middle race at Phillip Island, Le Brocq emerged triumphant after De Pasquale was handed a 30-second penalty for half-spinning the #55 Mustang in a final corner move for the race lead.

That relegated a shocked De Pasquale to 13th, with Le Brocq rewarded for an impressive drive off the front-row after a nightmare Race 1.

Mostert finished what turned out to be second ahead of Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Fullwood.

De Pasquale was frank in his assessment of the penalty issued to him: “I think it’s a bit harsh… I can’t disappear on the apex.

“I tried to put on a good show for everybody and ended up in the stewards’ room.”

A rundown of Race 1 at Phillip Island, won by McLaughlin, can be read here.

PIRTEK Memorable Moments

Race 3, Monza (19 laps)

Race 2, Phillip Island (16 laps)