MOTORSPORT: Van Gisbergen claims Supercars title

Shane van Gisbergen did as expected over the weekend and wrapped up the 2016 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, achieving what he called a “lifetime goal”.

The 27-year-old gave his various rivals including the dominant driver of the last 10 years, his Red Bull Racing teammate Jamie Whincup, plenty to ponder when he declared himself a long-term fixture in the local tin-top series and enthusiastic about collecting more titles in future years.

“I do a lot of racing overseas but it is all to improve V8s [Supercars],” van Gisbergen told the post-race press conference.

“So definitely V8s is the best racing and the best sport I have been a part of and I will come back and try and defend next year.”

Van Gisbergen said he was particularly excited by the prospect of new technical rules that will roll out from 2017 allowing coupes and turbocharged engines into the championship.

He will be among the first to make that transition when he races a Supercar based on the imported Commodore hatchback in 2018 powered by a turbocharged V6 engine.

“I think the changes for the future are exciting,” he said. “Things are changing and evolving and they are always moving into a new challenge.

“With the new motors and cars in a year or two I think it is going to be great and then we will see where it goes.”

The Red Bull Racing Holden Commodore VF driver entered the title decider, comprised of two 250km races on the brutal Sydney Olympic Park street track, with a comfortable 191 point leader over Whincup.

But after qualifying on pole with a record-busting lap on Saturday, the hard-charger was uncharacteristically timid in the opening laps of the race. After a botched attempt at a pass of defending champion Mark Winterbottom’s Falcon he copped a pitlane drive-through penalty and dropped to 22nd in the order.

Then the real van Gisbergen re-emerged; blazingly fast, accurate and mistake free he sliced his way forward knowing fifth place would be enough to seal the title even if Whincup won the race – which the six-time champion was on his way to doing.

“Once I was in that position there was nothing to lose and I just went crazy and hit everything except other people, so it was good,” van Gisbergen said.

He benefited significantly from a great car that showed exquisite poise across the high SP kerbs and a late safety car to charge forward from ninth on fresh tyres, overcoming a particularly obstinate James Courtney in the Holden Racing Team Commodore to finish third and wrap up the title.

“I knew on brand new tyres we would have good chance to come through,” van Gisbergen said. “We just went easy for the first few laps and then started picking them off.

Post-race van Gisbergen paid tribute to his mother Karen and father Robert, the latter a constant companion at Supercars racing throughout his nine year career, including the controversial period at the end of 2012 when he bailed out of Stone Brothers Racing as it transitioned to Erebus Motorsport and moved to Holden team Tekno Autosports.

“It has been a pretty awesome few years in the series and I am finally champion of the sport, a lifetime goal achieved,” he said.

“I owe everything to my family. My dad is a racer himself. I am critical of myself but he is even moreso.

“He has been a great influence and he has sacrificed a lot … they travel to most races now and to have them there and be one of the first people to see after this was a really cool moment.

“Dad had some tears in his eyes and it was pretty cool.”

Appropriately enough, van Gisbergen celebrated his championship by winning on Sunday. He stalked and passed pole qualifier Garth Tander in the HRT Commodore and then survived a potential PLP after he rejoined from a pit stop and the two hit at pitlane exit.

Incredibly, the win was van Gisbergen’s fourth in a row on Sunday at SOP but the first time he could perform one of his legendary burn-outs as that right is reserved for the championship winner. He did it NASCAR style by burying the nose of the Holden in the concrete and letting rip to the applause of pitlane.

“It was a pretty awesome feeling to nudge up against the fence in front of all the guys there,” he laughed.

Van Gisbergen wasn’t the only driver with a grin on his face at the end of the weekend.

Tander exited a 12-year career at Walkinshaw Racing with two second places and his first pole position since 2012, giving the organisation he delivered a championship and two Bathurst wins a great send-off to its time as a factory-backed operation.

And David Reynolds held off Whincup on Sunday to score his and Erebus Motorsport’ s first podium together.

Scott McLaughlin didn’t make the podium but he did enough to overcome Craig Lowndes and capture third place in the championship in his final drive for Garry Rogers Motorsport before heading on a big bucks deal to DJR Team Penske in 2017.

It was also terrific to see Nick Percat claim a shootout position for Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport in his final drive for the team.

Whincup came away from the weekend with a win and fourth place, second place overall and the knowledge this was the first time since he first won the championship in 2008 he has gone two years without the title. Naturally, he has vowed to come back harder and faster in 2017. Where he needs to look hardest is at his consistency, which was blighted by a series of mistakes late in the season.

A mistake also costs carsales.com.au Nissan Altima driver Todd Kelly. He was headed for his best finish of the year on Saturday only to slide wide on marbles and crash into a tyre barrier as he battled with van Gisbergen. Kelly was also on his way to a top 10 finish on Sunday when a mechanical issue intervened with just a few laps to go.

Kelly’s team-mates all had tales of woe to tell in a poor finish to a season that has delivered little but disappointment since Nissan extended its factory deal in September.

Ford Falcon FG X drivers also found themselves in the wars at SOP, as the combination of hot weather and soft Dunlop tyres cruelled their pace. If the blue oval teams - Prodrive Racing Australia and DJR Team Penske - are to find Red Bull-like pace over the summer, then there will be very little break-time at either workshop.

But for Sydney Olympic Park as a racing venue there is no future. In its final outing after eight years, former Supercars boss Tony Cochrane’s pet project hosted some great racing and only a mediocre crowd, which baked in the concrete confines.

Next year a new street track in Newcastle is the site for the finale. It’s a different venue, but right now it’s easy to picture the same result; another wild van Gisbergen Sunday afternoon burn-out celebrating a second consecutive championship win.

Supercars Championship points:
1. Shane van Gisbergen – Red Bull Racing Australia – Holden Commodore VF – 3368
2. Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Racing Australia – Holden Commodore VF – 3168
3. Scott McLaughlin – Wilson Security Racing GRM – Volvo S60 – 2806
3. Craig Lowndes – TeamVortex – Holden Commodore VF – 2770
5. Will Davison – Team Darrell Lea Stix – Holden Commodore VF - 2589

See the full run down on V8SC points for 2016

Declaration: Bruce Newton is a paid contributor to the official supercars.com.au website.