Supercars: Scott McLaughlin beats the heat to dominate season opener in Adelaide

Scott McLaughlin has kicked off his title defence in imperious fashion, cruising to victory in the opening race of the season in Adelaide.

McLaughlin beat home seven-time series champion Jamie Whincup, with his Red Bull teammate Shane van Gisbergen making it a 2-3 finish for the Holden outfit.

Will Davison finished an impressive fourth in his Milwaukee Mustang, ahead of Tickford stablemate Chaz Mostert.

Polesitter Fabian Coulthard ended up sixth after a trying afternoon, with Nick Percat, David Reynolds, Mark Winterbottom and James Courtney rounding out the top 10.

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A fast-starting McLaughlin led the field through the first chicane as Coulthard and Whincup bogged down off the start.

Coulthard and Whincup both looked to have jumped the gun, and the former was handed a 10-second penalty for a false start.

2019 IS ON

The @VirginAustralia Supercars Championship is underway.#VASC pic.twitter.com/IbyhkCIciQ

— Supercars (@supercars) March 2, 2019

Heat was the hot topic of the day - as it had been all weekend - with temps touching 40 degrees at race start. Cameron Waters' day was ruined when his cool suit system failed, forcing his Monster Mustang into the pits.

After a relatively incident-free run past the opening stops, the race's first real flashpoint occurred on lap 26, when Lee Holdsworth cooked it heading into turn seven. With the exit tyre wall brought to the kerb's edge for 2019, Holdsworth was buried - and Scott Pye had nowhere to go.

💥#VASC pic.twitter.com/epJMRGYFN4

— Supercars (@supercars) March 2, 2019

Both cars went into the pits, Holdsworth for repairs to his damaged rear wing, Pye forced out of the race.

As the second round of stops began to play out, van Gisbergen had his hands full with a pumped-up Mostert for laps on end, with the 2016 series champion defending with vigour.

On lap 49, Mostert - with five-lap younger tyres - lost his cool and locked up heading into turn four, and dropped to fifth behind Davison.

😤 Another locked brake on a passing attempt by Mostert.

He's fallen back behind Davison for a second time.#VASC pic.twitter.com/CK27r79M4r

— Supercars (@supercars) March 2, 2019

McLaughlin finally pitted from the lead on lap 51, and emerged with the length of the pit straight over Whincup, with van Gisbergen sitting pretty in third.

From there, it was a serene run to the flag, with the 78-lap affair running without safety car intervention.

McLaughlin marked his run to the flag singing Daryl Braithwaite's 'Horses' in homage to the new-for-2019 Mustang model.

The Mustang - replacing the Falcon in 2019 - returned its first win in 46 years in ATCC/Supercars competition.

McLaughlin's win marked the first time since 2007 that a Triple Eight-built car hadn't won the first race of a new season.

It was the 25-year-old's first win on the streets of Adelaide, and the 26th championship race win of his career.

SUPERCARS: ADELAIDE 500

RACE 1 RESULTS

SUPERCARS: CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

AFTER RACE 1