Holdsworth surprises at Jim Beam 400.

A tyre choice that bucked the trend followed by more experienced members of the field helped Holden 'young gun' Lee Holdsworth to his first win in the V8 Supercar Championship at Oran Park.

Holdsworth was already having a brilliant Jim Beam 400 meeting after working himself into fourth position going into the third and final race, but never expected to turn that run into a maiden championship victory. However, the 24-year old Valvoline Cummins Racing driver made the decision to start the final race on wet weather tyres while most others stuck to slicks, and was rewarded for his daring when the heavens opened.

With the rain starting before the race, Oran Park was treated to the bizarre scene of half the field starting from the pits after realising that slicks were the wrong choice - and still having a mandatory pit-stop to perform - while those who chose to start on slicks also found themselves coming in after a lap, leaving Holdsworth out on his own.

At one stage, the Garry Rogers Motorsport pilot had a 45-second lead over the field, but three safety cars brought the rest of the pack onto the tail of the #33 Holden. Holdsworth, however, kept his nerve to eventually take the chequered flag ahead of Ford Performance Racing's Steven Richards, with Craig Lowndes third.

Victory was something of a watershed for Holdsworth, who is still recovering from a heavy crash at Winton back in May, and he admitted that he has not enjoyed similar wet weather conditions of late.

"It took me a couple of rounds to get back in the feel of things, and I was a little bit timid - especially on the wet circuits," he admitted, "I felt safer starting on wets here and it turned out to be the right decision. I had to get ahead of these guys and I knew I had to pull a gap because there was a chance it could have dried out. It's better than anything else I've felt before. I've got butterflies in my stomach and just want to get out and celebrate with my team."

Richards' podium was his first in a Ford since his switch to FPR at the start of the year, and the race was a stark contrast to race one, when Lowndes dominated, coming from 23rd to win. The slippery conditions made for some early exits, including championship leader Rick Kelly, who crashed out with others on the first lap.

Championship leader Garth Tander had a weekend he would rather forget with a suspension failure in race one forcing him out while leading. A second placing in the final race was the only highlight for the Toll HSV Holden driver as he finished twelfth overall for the round.

Tander retains his overall lead, however, and, after eight rounds, heads team-mate Rick Kelly by six points, with Jamie Whincup remains in third position as the field heads into the traditional two-race endurance campaign at Sandown and Bathurst.