‘My car is a jet’: Van Gisbergen cruises to sixth win of 2022
Defending Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has racked up his sixth win from eight starts in 2022, dominating the third of four sprint races in Melbourne.
After coming out on top during a chaotic 20-lap race two yesterday morning, the Kiwi Red Bull Holden star did it far easier in the afternoon to notch up his 60th career win.
Van Gisbergen blitzed the field at Albert Park, finishing almost six seconds ahead of Ford veteran Will Davison.
Resurgent Grove Racing driver David Reynolds secured his third podium of the weekend with another assured performance around the Australian grand prix circuit.
But New Zealand’s Van Gisbergen continues to go further ahead in the championship standings and already appears destined for a third Supercars title.
‘‘My car is a jet,’’ van Gisbergen said.
‘‘The more I’m in a car the better I drive and I feel awesome in it right now.’’
The first race of the day was cut short after crashes galore forced the safety car out twice.
Reigning Bathurst 1000
champion Chaz Mostert was penalised for a last-gasp incident with James Courtney after the veteran was spun off track.
The pair made contact on the final turn as Courtney tumbled from third to 10th and finished with significant damage to his Ford.
Mostert went from a fourth to 22nd after stewards slapped him with a penalty.
‘‘I like to race hard and fair but I felt that was a bit outside the boundaries there,’’ Courtney said.
‘‘(Mostert) probably would agree when he sits down and cools down.’’
But Mostert was in no mood to take any blame for the incident.
‘‘If Courtney goes back and looks at it, I’m not here to do the lawns at the grand prix,’’ Mostert said.
‘‘You’ve got to give respect out there to get it back and when you constantly play the old 1984 or however old he is game out there, you’ve got to give room.
‘‘We were side-by-side so you can’t just run them onto the grass and that’s what results in the last corner.’’
After starting on pole, Davison’s race ended in disaster after being clipped by fellow Ford driver Cameron Waters.
The Tickford Racing gun was penalised after the second safety car was brought out.
Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner was fuming after youngster Will Brown sent him off track to force out the first safety car.
Heimgartner blasted the fellow Commodore driver’s contact as ‘‘stupid’’.
Brown was penalised for his actions.
‘‘Unbelievable the driving standards at the moment,’’ the New Zealand’s Heimgartner said.
The Supercars’ final race at the Australian grand prix circuit gets underway at 2pm (NZT) today.