Tasmania challenge for Kiwi Supercars leader
The Supercars championship makes its longawaited return to Tasmania this weekend, with Shane van Gisbergen looking to add another win to his undefeated season.
For the first time since 2019, the Symmons Plains Raceway will play host to the Supercars in its 48th championship visit to the state for round three.
Van Gisbergen leads the championship drivers’ standings with 605 points after a perfect five-from-five start.
The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver is 150 points clear of team-mate Jamie Whincup despite breaking his collarbone and ribs in a mountainbike crash last month.
Kiwi van Gisbergen has won in every car he’s raced in this year and is pleased with the results his team has managed while working with a new engineer in 2021.
‘‘Just as a team things are working well, we’re not making big changes with the car, we’re just chipping away and being methodical with it,’’ he said.
‘‘When you’re going well it certainly makes it much better but there’s always something to improve on and we’re always looking to make ourselves better.
‘‘This weekend we have some objectives to try and make work and hopefully see some improvement.’’
Van Gisbergen said no teams would be disadvantaged by having less data on the Tasmanian track after the extended spell away.
‘‘I don’t think it’s a disadvantage because everyone has the same thing, everyone hasn’t been there for two years,’’ he said.
‘‘We just have to do as best we can with our prep . . . trying to make sure we turn up with the best car we can and try and be as fast as anyone out there.
‘‘We’ll find out on Saturday morning whether we’re good enough.’’
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