SVG LAUGHED DURING EPIC SANDOWN BATTLES
By Heath McAlpine
Date posted: 24 March 2021
Despite the inclement conditions, racing during last weekend’s second round of the Supercars was relatively clean, highlighted by Shane van Gisbergen’s phenomenal charge through the field on Saturday.
From 17th on the grid, van Gisbergen took his third win in a row and set the tone for the rest of the event as he went on to dominate, all this while recovering from a broken collarbone.
Van Gisbergen admitted to laughing during the race during a safety car intervention that interrupted his battle with Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert, while also complementing the rest of the field’s driving standards.
“In that race with Chaz I was laughing, I was giving him the thumbs up under safety car,” admitted van Gisbergen.
“I was having such a good time, everyone’s racing at the moment hard, but respectful.
“A couple of years ago, people would just run you wide and off the track, but now I think the racing is really good.
“It’s good at a track like this where you don’t have many fast corners, you can actually battle people.”
Drivers enjoyed the tight close racing at Sandown – Image: InSyde Media
Tickford Racing title rival Cam Waters shared the same sentiments although he battled Mostert and seven-time champion Jamie Whincup for the lead.
Mostert on an older tyre set successfully played his best defensive cards to maintain the lead, but it proved race defining for all three as van Gisbergen was able to close sufficiently enough as he made a late-race run for victory.
“I was having so much fun,” said Waters. “Obviously, I could see Chaz was hurting and every time I got close to Chazzie, and was about to make a move, JDub decided to have a crack at me.
“We did that for a few laps until I could get Chaz and those three or four laps of that was probably what got Shane back in the race.
“I had so much fun doing that.”
During Race 2, Mostert and Waters did tangle, but the WAU driver redressed immediately, but this proved to be the only significant contact within the lead pack for the weekend.
Van Gisbergen’s comments were also echoed by teammate Whincup, as a close yet clean style of racing as demonstrated last year continues into 2021.
“It was good that no one got hooked up or punted and crashed or no one’s punching up in the back of the pits,” he said.
“We all raced hard, it was pretty gnarly and we all got through unscathed, which is great.”
For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and/or weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
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