Excellent pit strategy paved the way for Shane van Gisbergen to better rival and fellow New Zealander Scott McLaughlin in race 20 of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in Ipswich, Queensland today.
The result reversed their one-two finish in favour of McLaughlin from Saturday and means the Shell V Powered Ford driver retains his 131-point advantage in the championship after 20 of 31 races over van Gisbergen.
It has been a New Zealand championship to date with Kiwi drivers winning 13 of the 20 races this season.
While McLaughlin managed to grab his 10th pole of the season, it was his Kiwi rival from Red Bull Racing Holden who got the better of the start. However McLaughlin was able to close-in after his early first pit stop and led the middle stages of the race.
The key was that van Gisbergen stayed out for a longer first stint in the 200km race, and with the hotter conditions not yielding the same advantage for new tyres, it meant the Red Bull driver took full toll after a shorter second stop.
He pushed back into the lead and while McLaughlin threatened with 10 laps remaining, van Gisbergen had more than enough to hold his rival at bay.
The beleaguered Tickford Racing team earned some long-overdue celebration with Chaz Mostert holding off a charging Jamie Whincup for third, with Kiwi Fabian Coulthard claiming fifth in another consistent performance for the Shell V Powered team driver.
Of the other New Zealanders, Andre Heimgartner was 14th and Richie Stanaway, who qualified in the top-10 for the first time this season, finished 18th.
McLaughlin retains his 131-point buffer over van Gisbergen with Coulthard sixth, Heimgartner 18th and Stanaway 23rd.
The next round is the first ever night race at Sydney Motorsport Park next month, followed by another first at the new circuit in South Australia ahead of the start of the endurances races.
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1. Scott McLaughlin 2321
2. Shane Van Gisbergen 2190 -131
3. Jamie Whincup 1870 -451
4. David Reynolds 1838 -483
5. Craig Lowndes 1821 -500
6. Fabian Coulthard 1652 -669
7. Rick Kelly 1522 -799
8. Chaz Mostert 1517 -804
9. Scott Pye 1489 -832
10. Tim Slade 1397 -924
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