2008 Desert 400

2008 Supercar Championship event June 2025 Bahrain 2008 Gulf Air Desert 400 12 14 2008 V8SC Bahrain International Circuit--Paddock Circuit.svg 6–8 November Sakhir, Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit Fine 32 120 Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering 1:25.0415 Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering 50:29.8677 32 120 Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering 49:37.2508 32 120 Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering 51:07.5065 Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering 300 Craig Lowndes Triple Eight Race Engineering 264 Russell Ingall Paul Morris Motorsport 246 The 2008 Gulf Air Desert 400 was the twelfth round of the 2008 V8 Supercar season. It was held on the weekend of the 6 to 8 November at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain. Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday 7 November 2008. Race 1 Race 1 was held on Friday 7 November 2008.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-11-08/whincup-extends-lead-as-title-rivals-collide/198796 Whincup extends lead as title rivals collide abc.net.au 7 November 2008 1 June 2025 Whincup leapt away while a fierce dice erupted between Lowndes, Todd Kelly and Tander. A forceful move on the second lap saw Kelly muscle his way past Lowndes and Tander. Steven Johnson slipped into third behind Kelly as Tander and Lowndes were slow away from the hairpin. Further back in the pack a tangle saw Michael Patrizi and Mark Skaife spun backwards, also tangling with Michael Caruso, Jason Richards and Andrew Thompson, bringing out the safety car. Skaife, Richards and Patrizi had too much damage to continue. At the restart Steven Johnson clawed into second briefly before dropping back behind Kelly again. Lowndes took third from Johnson. Lap 9 saw Whincup, Kelly, James Courtney and Russell Ingall to put of the front runners. The following lap saw Lowndes, Tander, Will Davison and Mark Winterbottom. A slow stop and exit saw Lowndes leap frog Kelly into second place. Tander moved into fourth ahead of Courtney while Davison pulled over at pit exit, overcome by fumes. Fabian Coulthard spun into the turn 4 sand trap after contact from Jason Bright, for which Bright later was given a drive-through penalty. The resultant safety car triggered Johnson's pit stop from the lead with Rick Kelly and Steven Richards also stopping. At the restart Whincup, Lowndes and Todd Kelly leapt away while further back in the field on the second lap contact between Tander and Winterbottom saw Tander spun in front of the pack. Tander dropped to the tail of the field while Winterbottom was assigned a drive-through penalty. Coulthard stopped out on the track trying to limp a car home with a punctured front right tyre and Patrizi spun Jack Perkins around. Paul Morris briefly held fourth on pit stop strategy but soon lost places to Lee Holdsworth, Courtney and team-mate Ingall. Todd Kelly was controversially given a drive-through penalty, taking away his, and the team's, best result of the season, for over-taking the safety car at its second deployment. Team Vodafone continued on to claim a race 1-2, ahead of Holdsworth, Ingall, Courtney, Johnson, Shane van Gisbergen, Steven Richards, Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy. Race 2 Race 2 was held on Saturday 8 November 2008. Whincup leap away with Ingall in pursuit ahead of battling pair Courtney and Lowndes with Johnson. Holdsworth overtook Van Gisbergen for sixth. Paul Dumbrell spun on the second lap after contact with Michael Caruso. Local Bahraini guest driver Fahad Al Musalem stopped with a broken gearbox in the Team Kiwi Ford. Andrew Thompson spun and stopped at turn 1 after the right rear tyre delaminated, triggering a safety car. At the restart Whincup led from Ingall, Lowndes, Courtney, Holdsworth, Richards, Johnson and Winterbottom. Richards pounced on Holdsworth at turn 1 while further Todd Kelly picked off a few cars including Garth Tander. Van Gisbergen was smoking at the front left corner tyre rubbing after contact Van Gisbergen lost control, hitting Jack Perkins and spinning Rick Kelly. Van Gisbergen later received a drive-through penalty. A fierce dice between Courtney and Winterbottom saw the Ford Performance Racing driver move into fourth place on lap 23, the following lap Steven Richards got Courtney as well, with Holdsworth and Todd Kelly closing behind. The dice between those three became hard fought with Courtney suffering for tyre grip but still plenty of power with Will Davison joining the fight by lap 26. Whincup raced on to win from Ingall, Lowndes, Winterbottom, Richards, Todd Kelly, Courtney, Johnson, Morris and Davison. Race 3 Race 3 was held on Saturday 8 November 2008. Russell Ingall led from the start, fighting with Jamie Whincup for the lead with Lowndes and Winterbottom fighting for third. Third lap into the first corner and Steven Johnson ran into the back of Todd Kelly, spinning the Jack Daniels Commodore. Will Davison ran into his team-mate Johnson. Jason Bright and Mark Skaife made contact with Skaife then hitting his teammate Garth Tander. Skaife was out on the spot with Tander pitting for a new right rear tyre. At the restart Ingall again overtook Whincup. Whincup later retook the lead prior to the beginning of the compulsory pit stops. During the stops Craig Lowndes was able to get the better of Mark Winterbottom for what would become third position. Safety was called for Todd Kelly's expired Commodore, the car stopped on the circuit Rick Kelly and Cameron McConville made contact and spun while the bunched field at the restart allowed James Courtney to pass Winterbottom, then move into third by taking advantage of a slow-out-of-the-corner Russell Ingall who had just lost second to Lowndes. On lap 25 Courtney pounced on Lowndes and brakes for second. Lap 28 saw Winterbottom take fourth from Ingall. Whincup pulled clear of Courtney who by race end had to defend from Lowndes. The result saw the first ever 1-2 finish for Team Vodafone. Fifth spot behind Winterbottom was enough for Russell Ingall to claim third for the round, the best Holden driver for the weekend. Results Qualifying Pos No Name Car Team Part 3 Part 2 Part 1188AUS Jamie WhincupFord BF FalconTriple Eight Race Engineering1:25.04152888AUS Craig LowndesFord BF FalconTriple Eight Race Engineering1:25.062437AUS Todd KellyHolden VE CommodorePerkins Engineering1:25.1556417AUS Steven JohnsonFord BF FalconDick Johnson Racing1:25.387451AUS Garth TanderHolden VE CommodoreHolden Racing Team1:25.4116618AUS Will DavisonFord BF FalconDick Johnson Racing1:25.4481739AUS Russell IngallHolden VE CommodorePaul Morris Motorsport1:25.473686NZL Steven RichardsFord BF FalconFord Performance Racing1:25.511495AUS Mark WinterbottomFord BF FalconFord Performance Racing1:25.5967104AUS James CourtneyFord BF FalconStone Brothers Racing1:25.75561115AUS Rick KellyHolden VE CommodoreHSV Dealer Team1:25.52891225AUS Jason BrightFord BF FalconBritek Motorsport1:25.5405139NZL Shane van GisbergenFord BF FalconStone Brothers Racing1:25.60201433AUS Lee HoldsworthHolden VE CommodoreGarry Rogers Motorsport1:25.62821516AUS Paul DumbrellHolden VE CommodoreHSV Dealer Team1:25.6311162AUS Mark SkaifeHolden VE CommodoreHolden Racing Team1:25.707017111NZL Fabian CoulthardFord BF FalconPaul Cruickshank Racing1:25.75421811AUS Jack PerkinsHolden VE CommodorePerkins Engineering1:26.08541926AUS Marcus MarshallFord BF FalconBritek Motorsport1:26.108720777AUS Michael PatriziFord BF FalconFord Rising Stars Racing1:26.32512114AUS Cameron McConvilleHolden VE CommodoreBrad Jones Racing1:25.79382234AUS Michael CarusoHolden VE CommodoreGarry Rogers Motorsport1:25.79992351NZL Greg MurphyHolden VE CommodoreTasman Motorsport1:25.8425243NZL Jason RichardsHolden VE CommodoreTasman Motorsport1:25.92152567AUS Paul MorrisHolden VE CommodorePaul Morris Motorsport1:26.00572650AUS Andrew ThompsonHolden VE CommodorePaul Weel Racing1:26.03882755AUS Tony D'AlbertoHolden VE CommodoreRod Nash Racing1:26.06002812AUS Andrew JonesHolden VE CommodoreBrad Jones Racing1:26.072129021BHR Fahad Al MusalamFord BF FalconTeam Kiwi Racing1:28.8069 Standings After round 12 of 14. Pos No Name Team Points188Jamie WhincupTeamVodafone291625Mark WinterbottomFord Performance Racing272931Garth TanderToll Holden Racing Team26244888Craig LowndesTeamVodafone236756Steven RichardsFord Performance Racing2178 Support categories The 2008 Desert 400 of the V8 Supercar Championship had three support categories. Category Round winner Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Christian Menzel (Porsche 997 GT3 Cup) DHL Gulf Radical Cup John Stanley (Radical SR8) Batelco 2000cc Challenge Mustafa Al Khan (Honda Civic) References External links Official timing and results https://web.archive.org/web/20110227073727/http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?26/10/2008.GOLD 2011-02-27 Desert 400 2008 2008 The Coffee Club V8 Supercar Challenge 2008 Falken Tasmania Challenge 2007 Desert 400 2010 Desert 400 Gulf Air Desert 400 Gulf Air Desert 400