MOTORSPORT: Ford Mustang podium streak at The Bend

The balance of power shifted from Holden to Ford at The Bend as three new drivers joined the winners’ list for the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship.

Mustang drivers Andre Heimgartner, Anton de Pasquale and Cam Waters each stood on the top spot but a pair of podiums by Shane van Gisbergen left him unchallenged at the top of the title fight in his Holden Commodore.

The Bend has never been a favourite circuit for SvG or the Red Bull Ampol team, so the results were not unexpected and the pendulum could easily swing back to the red side when racing continues at Winton in rural Victoria at the end of May.

“Couldn’t take a trick,” said Jamie Whincup after a tough weekend with his sister Commodore.

But Heimgartner and de Pasquale both lifted a level at the South Australian circuit with speed and consistency in their Mustangs.

Heimgartner was The One on a wet and wild Saturday at The Bend, claiming both his first pole position and his first win for the revitalised Kelly Grove Racing.

He joined a long list of web-footed Kiwi raiders that stretches back to Jim Richards in adapting best to changing conditions as Chaz Mostert drove strongly for second after his breakthrough win with Walkinshaw Andretti United at the previous meeting in Tasmania.

On Sunday, it looked as if de Pasquale was growing into the big shoes left behind by triple champion Scott McLaughlin at Shell V-Power Racing as he bagged a pair of pole positions and the Sunday morning win – the 400th for Ford in the touring car championship – before an engine problem took him out of the lead in the afternoon at the OTR SuperSprint.

“It was good to see Anton score his first Supercars win and it’s all starting to make sense between the crew and two new drivers. Replacing Scott McLaughlin was always going to take a few races,” said team boss Ben Croke.

“We are the same team that won three championships in a row and we’ve been putting the pieces together with the new blokes, learning what they need. It was always going to take a little time but we’re getting there.

“It’s a little disappointing that we had a problem in the final race, but Will Davison still kept our podium streak going which was good.”

Waters’ win, which came after a massive repair job to a Monster Mustang that had the right-rear corner torn away in the second race, saw him surviving the sort of intense pressure from van Gisbergen that has seen him crack in the past.

“I’ve got no words. We’ve had a fast car all weekend. We bounced back,” said Waters.

“The boys worked so bloody hard to fix the car, and not just fix it but give me a car capable of winning. It’s nice to get one up over him (SvG).”

There was a little niggle after the race, as Waters had been complaining that the Commodore was faster than the Mustang after the previous round at Symmons Plains.

“Bet he’s not whingeing about parity now,” said van Gisbergen, then passing some kudos to his rival.
“He drove awesome. I couldn’t quite get close enough to make a pass.

“But that’s alright. Good weekend. Good points.”

The changeable weather at The Bend, and the funnelling effect in the first turn, led to contact and drama for a range of racers over the weekend.

David Reynolds looked to be in every conflict with his Mustang and even Tim Slade, who has been trying to recover from a giant first-round crash at Bathurst, got caught up with panel damage.

“I thought we were racing Supercars, not dodgem cars. To be honest, I had no idea what was going on,” said Reynolds.

“Race two today was an absolute shocker. It’s been a crap weekend for us.”

Mostert is now best-of-the-rest in the championship standings behind The Bulls, ahead of Waters and Winterbottom but still more than 200 points behind SvG and more than 50 short of Whincup.

Race 3
1. Cam Waters, Mustang
2. Shane van Gisbergen, Commodore
3. Will Davison, Mustang
4. Jamie Whincup, Commodore
5. Chaz Mostert, Commodore