Whincup extends V8 title lead with WA win

AAP-April,30-Holden's Jamie Whincup is threatening to blow open the tightest V8 Supercar championship in years after a perfect start to a title-defining weekend.
Whincup won the first of three sprint races at Barbagallo Raceway on Saturday to extend his championship lead.
He claimed pole position, conserved his tyres during the 50-lap race, had a sizzling pit stop and was never headed to beat Team Vodafone teammate Craig Lowndes and Ford's Will Davison.
Whincup remains the only multiple race winner in 2011, with five different drivers winning the opening seven races.
Critically, Whincup has now won three.
He has boosted his championship lead to 110 points over Lowndes, who heads a chasing pack of six drivers within a standard race victory of Whincup.
Whincup cleared out early in the race, opening up a 12-second lead before pit stops came into play.
The two-time champion waited until lap 28 to make his stop, picked up four tyres and came out ahead of Lowndes to maintain a lead he never surrendered.
Lowndes moved ahead of Holden's Rick Kelly, who slid to third overall in the championship after finishing ninth on Saturday.
Races two and three are scheduled for Sunday.
Grid positions will be decided by a qualifying session on Sunday morning.
A driver's fastest lap will determine their starting spot for race two and their second fastest lap their grid position for race three.