Kiwi rejects Perth bogey claim

Supercars championship leader Shane van Gisbergen has dismissed a suggestion Perth is a bogey location despite it being one of the few venues where he’s yet to win a race.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing star heads to Wanneroo Raceway for this weekend’s two races with a 144-point lead in the standings after taking out overall honours at the Australian Grand Prix event earlier this month, winning two of four races in Melbourne.

That means van Gisbergen has already won six of nine starts in 2022, leaving his rivals to hang their hopes on the fact he is yet to taste victory out west.

A lot of that has to do with the fact Ford star Scott McLaughlin won five of the past six races at Wanneroo, with then-teammate Fabian Coulthard the only other driver to taste victory at the venue in that time.

The championship also hasn’t visited the Perth track since 2019 – essentially avoiding the period when van Gisbergen has emerged as the category’s top driver following three-time champion McLaughlin’s move to the United States.

‘‘That’s a kind of an insult and a compliment at the same time,’’ van Gisbergen said about the commentary around him being winless in Perth.

‘‘There was an article saying it’s my bogey track or whatever but I think the

‘‘It’s a track I obviously go half OK at. I just haven’t managed to win there.’’ Shane van Gisbergen, right,

on his record in Perth last eight races I’ve been in the top six there.

‘‘To win a championship, you’ve got to score points and it’s a track I obviously go half OK at. I just haven’t managed to win there.

‘‘My goal is to go there and do the best I can ... just score points every race.

‘‘It’s kind of a cool thing to say that it’s probably one of the only tracks I haven’t won at. I guess that’s a good thing.’’

Van Gisbergen says it was a ‘‘pleasant surprise’’ to do so well at Albert Park given Red Bull haven’t always enjoyed the best time there.

The 32-year-old is also happy with how his team has handled a massive off-season transition which included Jamie Whincup retiring from fulltime racing to take over from Roland Dane as team principal, while van Gisbergen has a new engineer in former Brad Jones Racing guru Andrew Edwards.

‘‘Jamie becoming a team boss and a new younger team-mate [Broc Feeney[, certainly some big changes,’’ van Gisbergen said.

‘‘It’s been interesting because I’ve got a new engineer as well. That’s probably been the biggest change but it still feels like Triple Eight. It still feels the same.’’

The Perth SuperNight begins tonight with a 46-lap race under lights before two more 46-lap races tomorrow afternoon.