New Zealand V8 Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin says he's thrilled to have broken his run of bad luck on Sunday's after winning the final race of the weekend at the latest round in Sydney.
The 21-year-old says frustration at starting on the front row and failing to finish the weekend's first two races made him fight harder than ever.
And the Volvo young gun's determination paid off as he closed the round at Sydney Motorsport Park with a gritty win in the third and final race.
McLaughlin started the 200-kilometre feature from pole position and crossed the line a mere car length ahead of Nick Percat's Holden with compatriot Fabian Coulthard in third.
The victory was McLaughlin's fourth since joining the championship last year and second of the season after Volvo's breakthrough win in Perth in May.
And it marked a great comeback for McLaughlin, who failed to finish either of Saturday's two 100km sprints with mechanical issues after being on the the front row for both.
His team worked frantically to change the S60 engine between the races, only for a loose wheel to end his chances of a result in the second.
Holden's defending champion Jamie Whincup retained his lead atop the overall standings with a fifth-place finish, despite struggling to see out of his windscreen for most of the race after it was covered in oil from James Courtney's Commodore.
David Reynolds and Scott Pye also had their afternoons cut short, an opening-lap bump sending their Fords into a concrete barrier and back into the pits.
Title contender Mark Winterbottom was blamed for causing the incident and handed a drive-through penalty.
A damaged tyre and unscheduled trip to the pits later in the race ended any chance of a solid result for the Ford Performance Racing star, who rolled home in 20th.
He now trails Whincup by 135 points in the championship, with veteran Craig Lowndes a further 78 points behind.
The championship next heads to Sandown for the start of the endurance series next month.
