V8 Supercars: Van Gisbergen won three of four at Albert Park

Shane Van Gisbergen (Triple Eight Race Engineering/Red Bull Racing Australia) has won three of four non-championship V8 Supercars races during Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. His team-mate Jamie Whincup took the fourth win.

V8 Supercars, Albert Park, Triple Eight Race Engineering, Holden VF Commodore

Triple Eight’s Holdens dominated at Albert Park

Shane’s maiden win with his new car

Shane van Gisbergen claimed his maiden V8 Supercars win as a Triple Eight driver in Friday’s Race 1. He beat team mate Jamie Whincup by 0.5sec. Third was Chaz Mostert (Prodrive Racing Australia). Van Gisbergen started fifth but passed three cars on the first lap. He then put pressure on Whincup and passed him after a multiple champion made a small mistake.

Fabian Coulthard (DJR Team Penske) and Chaz Mostert fought hard for third. Mostert took third place with three laps remaining. Coulthard finished fourth ahead of team mate Scott Pye in fifth. Reigning champion Mark Winterbottom had a race to forget after he spun on the opening lap and finished 21st.

In the Friday’s second race, Shane van Gisbergen won again and led the 1-2-3 victory for Triple Eight Race Engineering, as his team mates Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup finished second and third respectively. Fords of Fabian Coulthard and Chaz Mostert rounded the Top 5.

Shane Van Gisbergen, Albert Park, V8 Supercars

SVG was in command at Albert Park

Two triple victories for Triple Eight

Another 1-2-3 victory for Triple Eight followed in Saturday’s Race 3, but with reversed order. Jamie Whincup reached the top podium spot at Albert Park, ahead of team mates Craig Lowndes and Shane van Gisbergen. Van Gisbergen started from pole, but in just two laps Whincup passed both team mates and took the lead. The race was slightly disturbed with a rain shower in the opening laps. Garth Tander (Holden Racing Team) finished fourth and Fabian Coulthard once again entered the Top 5.

In Race 4 Jamie Whincup stopped on the track and retired in lap 3, so Triple Eight missed one more triple victory. Van Gisbergen took the lead from the rolling start and won again comfortably, with the 1.26sec margin over Fabian Coulthard. Craig Lowndes was third, ahead of James Courtney (Holden Racing Team) and Michael Caruso (Nissan Motorsport).

The V8 Supercars will be again on the track for the next championship round Tyrepower Tasmania Supersprint from April 1-3.