SVG AND TANDER TO RUN CAR 888
By Dan McCarthy
Date posted: 1 December 2021
Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander will run Triple Eight Engineering’s legendary #888 at this year’s Bathurst 1000 rather than the number #97.
The pair will run the number to pay homage to outgoing team principal Roland Dane, as seven-time Supercars Champion and current driver Jamie Whincup will take over that role from 2022.
Triple Eight Race Engineering made its debut in 2003, and has campaigned the #888 at every ‘Great Race’ between 2004 and 2020.
That tradition appeared set to end this year as the team honoured the retiring Whincup by allowing him to race with his traditional #88 this weekend.
Van Gisbergen and Tander, who combined to win the 2020 race, appeared set to carry on with the #97.
However, a last-minute change ensures the #888 will be on the Great Race grid, with van Gisbergen and Tander behind the wheel rather than Whincup and Lowndes.
The number was used throughout Craig Lowndes’ full-time career at Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Car #888 is the second most successful number in ‘Great Race’ history with six wins, only behind #1.
Whincup and Lowndes won three straight Bathurst 1000s between 2006 and 2008 with the #888 on the window.
Lowndes then had further success adding additional wins with Mark Skaife in 2010 and Steven Richards twice, in 2015 and then again in 2018.
This year Van Gisbergen has won his second Supercars Championship, romping to the title after taking 14 of the 30 races so far in the #97 ZB Commodore.
In fact, the move to 888 will mark the first time since 2012 that van Gisbergen will race with a number other than his traditional #97.
He began racing with the number in 2013 when he moved to Tekno Autosports, and retained it when he shifted to Triple Eight for 2016.
Van Gisbergen won his first drivers’ title with the #97 that year; it was the first instance that a car with the #97 had won an ATCC/Supercars title.
The announcement that the Kiwi and Tander will run #888 comes just hours after they accepted their 2020 Bathurst winners’ plaques.
The Supercars Championship machines will hit the track on Thursday for practice 1 at 10:00am AEDT with every session on the Bathurst Channel Fox Sports 503 and Kayo from today.
The Seven Network will provide live free to air coverage of the event from Friday.
For more of the latest motorsport 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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