Red Bull Ampol Racing team’s Shane van Gisbergen has given Pukekohe Park Raceway a dream farewell ahead of its closure by securing the final victory at the venue for the Repco Supercars Championship.
Following on from the announcement the venue will close as a motorsport facility in April next year, van Gisbergen gave Pukekohe a fitting farewell after a thrilling battle with Monster Energy Racing’s Cameron Waters.
Starting eighth, van Gisbergen put on a passing masterclass to continue his journey towards the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship title.
A mistake from the Shell V-Power Racing Team dropped Will Davison out of contention after the back left wheel cross threaded on the hub and the Mustang was dropped to the ground while the rattle gun was still tightening.
Waters led van Gisbergen and R&J Batteries driver Andre Heimgartner for much of the race, but he wasn’t able to hold off the championship leader after a spectacular battle including a tap at Turn 11 before a pass was made.
Polesitter Davison led at the start as chaos occurred behind when James Courtney was sandwiched between Todd Hazelwood and teammate Jake Kostecki, sending the Snowy Rivers Racing Mustang into the wall on the outside of Turn 1.
A safety car was required leaving Davison in front from Waters, the repaired Mustang of Anton De Pasquale, Broc Feeney, Heimgartner as van Gisbergen remained in eighth.
It didn’t take long for van Gisbergen to start making moves once racing restarted as he disposed of David Reynolds at the hairpin ahead of the stops where Heimgartner emerged the winner by jumping De Pasquale and Feeney.
Van Gisbergen stayed out late to emerge right in the battle between Heimgartner and Waters after his pit stop, but the pressure was on as demonstrated by the Tickford Mustang going off at Turn 5.
Successfully completing a criss-cross move at the hairpin, van Gisbergen held off Waters to take the final win at Pukekohe as Heimgartner continued his strong run in third from Feeney, De Pasquale, Chaz Mostert, Scott Pye, David Reynolds, Nick Percat and Tim Slade.
By clean-sweeping Sunday’s Supercars action van Gisbergen now holds a 525-point lead in the standings ahead of the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 6-9.