V8 Supercars champion Jamie Whincup has ended a winless streak stretching back to March with victory in Saturday’s opening 100km race in Darwin.

The Red Bull Racing driver led from start to finish at Hidden Valley Raceway to get his bid for a fourth-successive title back on track.

Teammate Craig Lowndes, celebrating his 40th birthday, finished second with Holden’s Shane van Gisbergen coming in third.

Championship leader Mark Winterbottom finished sixth following some late race duelling with Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander, who finished fifth.

The other men in championship contention, James Courtney and Fabian Coulthard, finished eighth and ninth respectively.

Erebus Motorsport’s Will Davison was the only driver to fail to finish the 35-lap race, retiring after 12 laps due to mechanical issues.

Whincup will aim to make it a double when he starts the second 100km race from pole position, with the action to get underway at 4.30pm (5pm AEST).