MOTORSPORT: Van Gisbergen extends Supercars lead

Shane van Gisbergen’s charge to a third Repco Supercars Championship crown continued at Sandown Raceway over the weekend, when two victories took his season tally to 16 and his career total to 70.

After Will Davison claimed the first race aboard his Shell V-Power Racing Mustang, the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver hit back in Sunday’s pair of races, in the process taking his points lead out to 500, with only 300 on offer at any given event.

“It was critical in those first few laps. What an awesome battle,” van Gisbergen said after the hectic final race, which saw his rookie teammate also earn a podium finish.

“So stoked for the team, double podium, congrats to Broc [Feeney].

“[Davison's] been really fast all weekend. I followed him yesterday, he was driving very well.

“That race, I knew I had to get him at the start... I didn't look in the mirror; I just kept pushing.”

From pole position for the opening race, Davison won the start and ran away to an 8sec victory over van Gisbergen, who was pushed in the closing stages by Anton De Pasquale in the other Shell Mustang.

Qualifying for the second encounter on Sunday morning didn’t go to plan for Davison, who suffered an electrical fire, which was rectified in time for qualifying three, in which he promptly registered his eighth pole of the year.

Van Gisbergen made the most of pole to jump into the lead of race two, ultimately winning at ease.

Davison meanwhile served a pit lane drive-through penalty after a sloppy pit stop, while Feeney also lost ground following a tardy compulsory service.

Chaz Mostert finished in second aboard his Optus Commodore, his eighth podium of the season, while Will Brown registered his best result of 2022 in third aboard his Boost Mobile Commodore.

The final race had a delayed start after a multi-car pile-up in the Super 2/3 race necessitated extensive wall repairs at turn three, the same section of track that saw multiple main-game cars wadded together on their opening lap.

Davison led the first one and a half circuits before van Gisbergen earned the upper hand following a heated exchange, which ended when De Pasquale rode over Davison’s rear wheel, with the damage eliminating him from the lead battle.

After a long first stint, Davison charged at van Gisbergen in the closing laps on his fresh Dunlops, falling just short at the chequered flag.

Cam Waters was looking set for a podium finish after an otherwise quiet weekend in the Monster Mustang, before dropping off the road at Dandenong Road Corner on his own.

Late in the running, Feeney passed Mostert to claim third, the second podium finish of his rookie campaign after earlier in the year breaking through at Symmons Plains.

Waters remains second in the standings behind van Gisbergen after results of fifth, seventh and tenth, while Davison vaulted de Pasquale to slot into third.

The Repco Supercars Championship returns to New Zealand with the ITM Auckland SuperSprint at Pukekohe Park Raceway over September 9-11 – the final event before the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 6-9.

Race 1 – 36 laps

Race 2 – 36 laps

Race 3 – 36 laps

Championship points:

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