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HRT to complete one-two

For the V8 Supercars’ Holden Racing Team, good things come to those who wait.

After seeing their front-row lock-out ripped to shreds in less than half a lap of race one, Garth Tander and James Courtney hung tough to score a surprise one-two in Townsville’s second race.

It seems this season, they’re bound to do things the hard way.

Tander, particularly, has endured a tough season, without a win or podium since Phillip Island last year.

So surely the result would have come as blessed relief.

“No, not really,” he said.

“I haven’t been thinking about it at all, I’ve been focussed on the job.”

Ahead of Wednesday’s third State of Origin match, the pair took to the podium in almost matching suits; Tander clad in maroon and Courtney blue.

Rugby league allegiances aside, Courtney said the team had a “really good vibe” in the moment and was looking ahead.

They had words for Craig Lowndes, who they saw as the architect of their race one destruction.

“We got battered around in those first few laps by people that should know better,” Tander said.

“But we managed to survive that… and in the second race, the car was just awesome.”

The Tander-Courtney act was a repeat of last year’s result in Townsville’s Sunday race and has given them confidence for the 250 kilometre race and beyond.

Tander has cracked the championship’s top ten with the biggest return of any driver so far from Townsville, while Courtney is fifth.

A strong showing in the endurance races would throw them into championship contentions.

“The cars have been getting better,” Tander said.

“The problem we’ve had this year is there’s not enough time to get everything on the car we that we need to.”

“If we can get the rest of the upgrades on… that will be move the performances closer again”

“You’ve got to be a little bit real about it (but) we feel like we’ve got more points to come from our car.”

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