Supercars: Shane van Gisbergen wins second Bathurst 1000 title
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Shane van Gisbergen became a dual Bathurst 1000 champion and Garth Tander a five-time winner after the Triple Eight pair delivered Holden the ultimate farewell in the famous Red Lion’s final dance around Mount Panorama on Sunday.
After early carnage in a chaotic start to the Great Race, van Gisbergen again underlined his brilliance to hold off a fierce challenge from defending Bathurst 1000 champion Chaz Mostert in a thrilling finish to the endurance classic.
The Great Race has delivered once again!
In a perfect farewell to Holden at the Mountain, @shanevg97 and @GarthTander have won the Repco Bathurst 1000 🏆 #RepcoSC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/8WYJEQKgR9— Supercars (@supercars) October 9, 2022
Van Gisbergen continued his season of dominance to claim a record-breaking 19th season win – passing Scott McLaughlin’s 2019 benchmark – to win in the biggest race of the year.
In a race that featured eight safety cars, despite conditions clearing for a dry race after days of torrential rain, van Gisbergen overcame an early five-second penalty for an unsafe pit release to hold out Mostert by just one second at the finish.
But the runaway series leader fell just short of securing the 2022 Supercars championship on the same day. He should seal back-to-back crowns in the next round on the Gold Coast.
Van Gisbergen said it was a special moment to give Holden a winning send-off.
“To send Holden out like this is epic – up the Holden,” van Gisbergen said.
“It’s a special way to send it out, but we’ve got a few more (races) to go so hopefully we can get a few more wins.
“When Chaz got into second I got a bit worried because we know how fast he is here, but once the gap stayed at a second I knew we were OK.”
Tander, paired with the New Zealand ace for the fourth year, hailed van Gisbergen’s focus at the end of the race.
“There are no words right now, I can’t really believe it, to be honest with you,” Tander said.
“The guys did such a great job and Shane at the end of the race, how he can do that and just his focus and his ability to punch out laps like that is seriously impressive to watch.
“It’s such an honour to be a part of this.
“The last ever Commodore here at Bathurst, that will sink in a little bit later, I think. I can’t believe it.”
Van Gisbergen claimed his second win in the Great Race ahead of Mostert and Tickford Racing’s pole sitter Cam Waters, whose bid for a breakthrough Bathurst crown again fell short.
The win gave van Gisbergen and co-driver Tander their second Bathurst 1000 win together after their victory in the 2020 race.
Tander now moves to equal-fourth on the all-time list of Bathurst winners alongside Steven Richards after claiming his fifth win at Mount Panorama.
Van Gisbergen had been in a commanding position, leading the field by 5.3 seconds, when Will Davison forced a safety car after slamming into the tyre barrier at turn two on lap 141.
It eroded van Gisbergen’s lead and left a 15-lap sprint to the finish when the race resumed three laps later, with van Gisbergen holding off Mostert in a duel to the finish.
The race was the last time Holden-badged cars will race in the Bathurst 1000 before they are replaced by the GM Camaro for the start of the sport’s Gen3 era next year. Tander has won all five of his Bathurst crowns in a Holden.
Runner-up the past two year at Bathurst, Waters claimed his third podium in a row at Mount Panorama.
The Ford star’s Bathurst chances were hurt after his co-driver James Moffat was spun at the Cutting by Brodie Kostecki, losing track position and forced to fight his way back.
In a very credible result, Kiwi legend Greg Murphy – paired with fellow New Zealander Richie Stanaway – finished in 11th place.
While it was a commanding performance from van Gisbergen, there was plenty of drama and heartache for other drivers earlier in the race.
The race lasted barely 15 seconds before the first safety car was deployed after mid-pack chaos erupted on the opening lap.
The field had just started their run up Mountain Straight after tricky track conditions at the first turn when Jamie Whincup and Jack Perkins both spun, causing collateral damage.
Zak Best (Thomas Randle) was forced wide into the concrete barrier and had to be towed back to the pits, while Michael Caruso (Mark Winterbottom) and Jaxon Evans (Jack Smith) also suffered damage in the incident.
The race had barely restarted before another safety car was sent out following a massive shunt on lap six.
Zane Goddard, James Courtney’s co-driver, ran off the track at the bottom of the Chase and when he returned to the track collected Dale Wood (Andre Heimartgner) and David Reynold’s Grove Racing co-driver Matt Campbell, forcing another safety car.
Campbell had nowhere to go when Goddard speared back onto the track and copped the heaviest hit. The incident wiped out three cars from the race.
Top ten: Final running order
Van Gisbergen/TanderMostert/CoulthardWaters/MoffatB. Kostecki/RussellFeeney/WhincupHoldsworth/PayneDe Pasquale/D’AlbertoLowndes/FraserFullwood/Fiore
Brown/Perkins
– news.com.au
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