Van Gisbergen wins wild Race 4 in Triple Eight one-two

Shane van Gisbergen has won a wild Race 4 of the Repco Supercars Championship at Symmons Plains, leading home Broc Feeney in a Triple Eight Race Engineering one-two.

The two Red Bull Ampol ZB Commodores were separated by 2.4175s when the chequered flag flew after 44 laps, with Grove Racing’s David Reynolds third in the #26 Penrite Mustang and Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert coming all the way from 16th on the grid to fourth in the #25 Mobil 1 Optus ZB Commodore.

A red flag caused an early suspension of the race and there was yet more drama when it got back underway, particularly when Tim Slade got airborne at north of 200km/h after contact with Cameron Waters as they ran down the back straight.

With one race remaining at the Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint, van Gisbergen has extended his championship lead to 48 points over the Shell V-Power Racing Team’s Anton De Pasquale, who finished fifth.

It was an all-Triple Eight front row, and rookie Feeney (#88 ZB Commodore) bettered his pole-sitting, two-time champion team-mate when the lights went out to signal the start.

A Safety Car was called with the front-runners on Lap 2 after contact just outside the top 10 saw Jack Le Brocq (#34 Truck Assist ZB Commodore) and Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries ZB Commodore) go off at Turn 7 and into the tyre wall.

At the time, it was Feeney leading from van Gisbergen (#97 ZB Commodore), Reynolds, Mark Winterbottom (#18 Irwin Tools ZB Commodore), Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang), Slade (#3 CoolDrive Mustang), De Pasquale (#11 Mustang), Todd Hazelwood (#35 Truck Assist Mustang), Scott Pye (#20 Seiko 5 ZB Commodore), and Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang).

A red flag was soon called in order for the tyres which line the pit wall to be reset, before the race restarted from under Safety Car conditions on Lap 7.

Before that lap was out, van Gisbergen was in front, having thrown a dummy at Turn 6 and then fired his #97 ZB Commodore down the big gap which Feeney had left for him.

Waters pitted as soon as the window opened on a delayed Lap 11, before De Pasquale got out from underneath Slade’s rear wing when he stopped on Lap 15.

Reynolds and Slade were into the lane a lap later and the latter would rejoin just behind Waters, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the contest.

On Lap 19, Slade was trying to pass the #6 Mustang as they ran up the back straight when they made contact multiple times, the latter of which caused Car #3 to slew sideways and skate through the infield at extremely high speed.

Slade momentarily got airborne on the grass before sliding back across the race track at the exit of Turn 6, although clear of traffic.

Both were able to press on, but Waters was soon issued a pit lane penalty for a driving infringement.

CLICK HERE for Slade reaction

Meanwhile, Feeney had been into the pits on Lap 17 to cover the threat of Reynolds, and just as well for the rookie considering how close they were when he re-entered the race track at Turn 2.

Winterbottom was officially second at the time he took service on Lap 19, while van Gisbergen and Mostert went all the way to Lap 27 before they stopped.

Car #97 resumed between #88 and #26, but van Gisbergen had fresher tyres than Feeney, including a brand-new right-rear.

Feeney left a big space for van Gisbergen to drive through when they got to the Hairpin on Lap 30, and the championship leader was 1.7s clear when the pit stop cycle completed at the end of Lap 32.

At that point, Reynolds was about 1.3s further back, from De Pasquale, Mostert, Winterbottom, Pye, James Courtney (#5 Opposite Lock Mustang), Lee Holdsworth (#10 Penrite Mustang), and Hazelwood.

Mostert picked off De Pasquale as they ran towards Turn 6 on Lap 34, then started to close the gap to Reynolds.

Van Gisbergen’s margin over Feeney fluctuated in the final few laps but was over two seconds at the chequered flag, and the race winner also scooped the five fastest lap bonus points.

Feeney was a career-best second place, finishing comfortably clear of the battle for the final podium position, with Mostert able to catch Reynolds but unable to pass.

De Pasquale took fifth, ahead of Winterbottom, Pye, Courtney, Holdsworth, and Hazelwood, with Nick Percat (#2 Mobil 1 NTI ZB Commodore) 11th in the second WAU entry.

Slade ended up 15th, Davison 16th after a drama in his pit stop, and Waters 17th.

Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) failed to finish after late contact from Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy’s ZB Commodore) left him stuck on the embankment at the exit of the Hairpin.

Heimgartner tried but failed to reach the finish and Le Brocq was going nowhere after their Lap 1 crash, for which stewards opted to take no further action.

Jake Kostecki (#56 Tradie Mustang) was also a retirement after an early, three-way squeeze with Macauley Jones (#96 Automotive Superstore ZB Commodore) and Jack Smith (#4 SCT Logistics ZB Commodore) at the Hairpin.

The final race of the weekend, also scheduled for 44 laps, starts at 15:55 local time/AEDT.

Results: Race 4, Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint

Fastest lap (bonus): Shane van Gisbergen, 0:51.6528s, Lap 32

Drivers’ championship

Teams’ championship