Van Gisbergen wins with

New Zealand Herald Herald Sun, Herald New Zealand Herald Herald Sun Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen took advantage of a late safety car to win an enthralling race at Winton Raceway and fire a counterpunch back at championship rivals Shell V-Power Racing yesterday.

The defending series champion’s Red Bull Holden Racing Team found improved speed after playing catchup to their Ford rivals over the past three rounds and sets up a superb championship battle through the rest of the year.

His Red Bull teammate Jamie Whincup held off a charging Fabian Coulthard over the final laps to ensure a one-two finish for the Holden outfit.

The safety car — the first since Phillip Island two rounds ago — was called when Michael Caruso was pushed off the track and into the tyres, which bunched up the field and left a 13-lap sprint to the finish.

New Zealander van Gisbergen got the better of the restart and jumped his teammate Whincup, while the latter was left to go back and forth in a terrific exchange with Coulthard.

Cam Waters jumped pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin while all of that was going on as well and there were exchanges all the way down the field thanks to the late safety car intervention.

McLaughlin, who won both races at Barbagallo a fortnight ago as well as Saturday’s race, didn’t quite have his car dialed in from the outset.

He was beaten off the line by Whincup and wasn’t able to respond with anything.

Waters finished McLaughlin fifth.

It was a masterclass of aggressive racing from van Gisbergen, who had fourth, with