Supercars: Van Gisbergen makes it clean sweep in Townsville

Shane van Gisbergen has produced the same winning move as he did 24 hours earlier to claim victory over teammate and King of Townsville, Jamie Whincup this afternoon.

In the second and final race of the NTI Townsville 500, van Gisbergen and his Red Bull teammate Whincup started on side-by-side on the front row and led from start to finish. Shell Ford Mustang driver Anton De Pasquale finished third, the same result he recorded yesterday.

While the victory was dominant for the Banyo squad, Van Gisbergen and Whincup ensured it was as tight a race as ever at the front.

The two Red Bull Commodores collided when van Gisbergen made the winning move late in the race. It was a tap that could’ve had major repercussions, but both avoided major damage and raced on to record their sixth 1-2 finish on the famous North Queensland circuit.

The result was van Gisbergen’s 10th victory of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship and the 50th of his career.

It means he now joins Scott McLaughlin, Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Mark Skaife, Garth Tander, Marcos Ambrose and Glenn Seton as the only drivers to have won ten or more races in a season.

No driver in history has ever won ten races and not gone on to win the Championship, meaning the 2016 title winner is now in the box seat for his second Championship crown.

Today, Whincup started from pole – and van Gisbergen from second, the opposite to Saturday’s race.

The seven-time Supercars’ Champion started stronger and opened a handy lead, before the 32-year-old kiwi clawed his way back and into the lead just before the finish.

Behind the top three was Shell V-Power’s Will Davison in fourth ahead of rookie Will Brown who continues to impress in his debut Championship season.

Today’s result extends van Gisbergen’s lead over Whincup on top of the Championship ladder. The #97 Commodore driver now holds a 245-point advantage over the seven-time Champion.

Race 2 Results

PROVISIONAL REPCO CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS