Van Gisbergen ends Mustang’s V8 streak as Holden finally prevails

AFTER eight races, Holden has finally produced a Supercars race winner, with Shane van Gisbergen triumphing at Symmons Plains to kickstart his season.

The Kiwi won from pole position on Sunday, beating home Fabian Coulthard and David Reynolds on a grey day in Tasmania.

While the clouds and drizzle made for miserable conditions, there were finally smiles in the Red Bull Holden Racing Team garage.

Never before has the sport’s dominant team had to wait so long in the season for a race win, and hopes will now be high they can begin to make inroads to Scott McLaughin’s commanding championship lead.

McLaughlin finished fourth on Sunday, the first time he’s started a race this season and not won it.

The Kiwi’s lead at the top of the standings is now 124 points to teammate and compatriot Coulthard, who took second place in both races during a productive meet.

But together with Jamie Whincup’s run through the field to finish fifth, Red Bull and van Gisbergen could look back on a super Sunday result that didn’t come easily.

Van Gisbergen was clearly relieved post-race, considering his last meet at the Australian Grand Prix yielded a DNF, 10th, 21st and 22nd.

“So good to get one back,” he said.

“What an awesome race, I had a big battle with Fabian and Scott out of the pits.

“We’ve bounced back from our shocker last time … once our tyre life was good I knew we were going to be okay.”

Whincup jumped off the canvas on Sunday, putting aside his last place on Saturday, rallying strongly from a grid position of 13th.

Garry Jacobsen had a dire day, finishing 22 laps down and copping a $3000 fine and the loss of 30 team championship points for a pit stop breach.