Supercars: Van Gisbergen clean sweeps Surfers Paradise

Shane van Gisbergen has completed a Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 clean sweep in a dramatic Race 32.

Van Gisbergen won his fifth race in a row, and 21st of the season, from pole position.

It helped Red Bull Ampol Racing clinch the teams’ championship for a second year running.

Chaz Mostert, who revealed that he actually dislocated his shoulder getting out of a race suit earlier in the day, scored his second podium in as many days, with Will Davison third as the best of the Ford drivers.

The race was headlined by a high-speed pile-up at the beach chicane on lap 4 that started when James Golding lost control.

With the track initially blocked, the race was suspended; six cars were out on the spot.

The drama began as early as the first chicane, with Mostert hitting the rear of Davison.

Davison straight-lined the chicane and emerged ahead of van Gisbergen, with stewards clearing the incident.

Come lap 4, and the race was suspended immediately with the track blocked at the beach chicane.

Replays showed James Golding hitting a tire bundle and spinning in front of the field.

Thomas Randle was first to hit the errant bundle and hit the wall on driver’s right.

Nick Percat and Macauley Jones made front-to-rear contact into Golding.

Beside them, Broc Feeney was sent spinning into the wall by James Courtney, who was hit by Lee Holdsworth.

Todd Hazelwood also picked up damage and stopped at Turn 11; Randle and Courtney brought their cars back to the pits.

Davison led the field to green after a 20-minute stoppage, and came under attack from van Gisbergen.

Van Gisbergen hit the rear of the #17 Ford on lap 10, and picked off Davison at Turn 11 on the following lap.

By lap 25, van Gisbergen had opened up a five-second margin by the time Davison took his first stop.

Van Gisbergen stopped three laps later, with Mostert short-fuelled and released in front of the #97.

Mostert led by the time he stopped on lap 45, Davison on lap 47, and Waters on lap 48.

Triple Eight extended and called in van Gisbergen on lap 51, and he quickly opened up a gap on Mostert.

Some 15 laps after his stop, van Gisbergen was nearly six seconds clear.

Davison was a lone third ahead of Reynolds and Waters, with Brodie Kostecki sixth.

The race was neutralized for a second time when Randle’s car ground to a halt on the pit straight on lap 71.

De Pasquale stopped for tires under yellow, and rejoined in 13th.

Van Gisbergen led the field to green on lap 75, and streaked away from Mostert.

Kostecki launched an attack on Waters and made a robust pass on lap 82 at the hairpin.

Further around the lap, Mark Winterbottom overtook Waters, and Pye tried to follow his teammate.

However, Pye — who was already facing a time penalty due to a restart infringement — was turned by Will Brown.

Brown also copped a penalty over the incident, and was classified 12th, with Pye 13th.

Pye was the last driver on the lead lap, with Andre Heimgartner, Chris Pither and De Pasquale rounding out the top 10.

De Pasquale was placed under investigation over low tire pressures and was later disqualified.

The Shell V-Power Racing Team driver was found to have breached minimum tire pressure regulations.

The stewards’ report reads:

After the Race and following admission by Racing Team (Aust) Pty Ltd that during a Pit Stop for Car 11, the incoming rear left tire on the Car was below the minimum pressure of 17psi when fitted, the Stewards imposed the recommended minimum penalty of disqualification from Race 32 on Car 11, Anton De Pasquale.

Van Gisbergen will now take an unassailable 660-point lead over Waters to the VALO Adelaide 500.

The 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will conclude on the streets of Adelaide in what will be an emotional farewell to Holden from 1-4 December.

Race Results