Website of the YearShane van Gisbergen completed a dominant sweep of the Mount Panorama 500, with the Kiwi cruising to victory in Race 2 today.
Van Gisbergen felt at home on the mountain when it mattered on the weekend, claiming two wins and a pole to assert himself as the 2021 championship favourite, in the absence of defending champion Scott McLaughlin, now in the United States racing IndyCars.
Today, the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver crossed the line with a 6.1s margin over Cameron Waters, who led the opening stint.
Chaz Mostert recorded a 60th career podium with third for Walkinshaw Andretti United, with the top three mirroring the podium from last October's Bathurst 1000.
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Advertise with NZME.Waters out-dragged van Gisbergen off the line and edged into an early lead, but the No97 shadowed the No6 Monster Energy Mustang's every move.
It marked the 42nd career win for van Gisbergen, who will leave the rural New South Wales circuit with a maximum 300-point haul.
"That's a team win, a strategy win, the car was awesome," he said. "Unfortunately we can't battle on track, so we had to try and win it in the pit lane and we did.
"That middle stint was insane. It was so cool to get such a good car and push in clean air.
"[Engineer David] Cauchi just asked me to make the gap; normally you're managing managing tyres and everything.
"I had eight laps to do on those tyres, so just qualifying laps the whole time.
"Watching [Waters] get smaller in the mirror was pretty cool.
"It's awesome, and also to have fans here again as well. To win here with an atmosphere is awesome as well," he said.
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Advertise with NZME.Van Gisbergen will carry a 33-point lead over Mostert into the next round, with Winterbottom 69 points adrift in third.
Fourth-placed Davison is the only other driver within 100 points of van Gisbergen, with Whincup fifth, 102 points down.
The Supercars Championship field will return to Victoria for the Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint across March 21-22.
