Winners and losers: Merlin Darwin Triple Crown

The return to Hidden Valley Raceway saw Shane van Gisbergen continue on his merry way to the 2021 title.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing ace won both Sunday races, but it was Chaz Mostert who took home the most points of the weekend.

Check out those who nailed it and those who fell short in the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.

WINNERS

Red Bull Ampol Racing

Saturday's race didn't go to plan, with Jamie Whincup pushed wide at the start and van Gisbergen losing out in the pits.

However, two first-third results helped the team extend its teams' championship points lead, with van Gisbergen putting an iron grip on the 2021 title.

Chaz Mostert

Mostert topped the round points tally and finished no lower than fourth all weekend.

It was a brilliant turnaround from a trying Tailem Bend weekend, with his Race 12 victory one of the most clinical drives of his career.

Will Davison

He admitted he was "angry" not to convert two Sunday poles into victory, but the Shell V-Power Racing Team veteran continues to justify his return to the main game.

It seemed he was just two aced starts away from ending his five-year wait for victory. Only van Gisbergen has more than Davison's seven podiums in 2021.

Nick Percat

Percat shrugged off a tyre pressure drama to clinch his and Brad Jones Racing's first podium of the season on Saturday.

The 2011 Bathurst winner is closing on Mark Winterbottom's sixth place in the standings, and is one of the form drivers in the field.

Will Brown

The Erebus Motorsport rookie was one of just five drivers to finish all three races in the top 10, and has moved to 10th in the standings.

Not bad for a first main game trip to Darwin!

Wildcards

Thomas Randle and Kurt Kostecki both proved why their heavyweight teams are giving them a chance, with both drivers finishing in the top 10 on Saturday.

Randle pulled off one of the moves of the weekend on Anton De Pasquale in the Sunday finale, just two days after he was confirmed for a full-time 2022 drive with Tickford Racing.

LOSERS

Kelly Grove Racing

After a brilliant OTR SuperSprint, which featured a win for Andre Heimgartner, nothing went to plan for the Kelly Grove squad in Darwin.

David Reynolds finished no higher than 18th in the races, and has dropped to 15th in the points. Heimgartner is now 12th, having entered the weekend seventh.

Anton De Pasquale

De Pasquale was sublime in Saturday qualifying, and had he got through Turn 1 unscathed, it would be a very different story.

Sadly, his weekend didn't fully recover after he was wiped out in the first corner, first lap melee in Race 12.

Team 18

The same goes for both Team 18 drivers, with Winterbottom and Scott Pye both suffering bad luck across the three races.

Pye was admirable in putting his hand up over the Race 12 incident which saw Winterbottom cop damage after an electrical drama ruined his start.

Winterbottom returned on Sunday to claim two top 10s, but more poor luck hindered Pye's strong pace.

Todd Hazelwood

Hazelwood had nowhere to go and ploughed into De Pasquale in the first race, and sustained heavy damage.

It was a desperately unlucky situation for all involved, with Hazelwood only good enough for 14th and 21st in a repaired car on Sunday.

The Repco Supercars Championship field will return to North Queensland for the NTI Townsville 500 across July 9-11. Tickets are available here.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo, and will be broadcast live and free on Seven.