SVG makes perfect Supercars season start

Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has made the perfect start to his title defence, winning Saturday’s season-opening race at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing star used pitlane strategy to outwit his rivals in the 300km opener under lights at the Eastern Creek-based circuit.

Shell V-Power Racing’s Anton De Pasquale, who claimed pole position earlier in the day, finished second with Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert jumping young gun Will Brown late in the race to finish third.

Brown, a race winner in Sydney last year, simply fell off a cliff as his tyres degraded towards the end and limped home in seventh having been at the front of the field for most of the race.

Starting from second, van Gisbergen used an undercut to claim the lead after compatriot Andre Heimgartner had made a fast start with the new super soft compound tyre to snatch the early advantage from the Holden ace and De Pasquale.

Van Gisbergen then gave up the lead to make a third pit stop with 10 laps remaining, but armed with fresh tyres he quickly charged past Brown and then De Pasquale before winning by a comfortable 19-second margin.

De Pasquale spent a large portion of the race driving with a windshield covered in grime, as the threat of rain hovered over the field throughout.

Despite having barely any visibility by the time he made his final pit stop, De Pasquale secured a solid second place to start his season.

Van Gisbergen’s teenage teammate Broc Feeney, stepping into the Red Bull Commodore of retired great Jamie Whincup for the first time, finished 10th in a highly satisfactory first outing as a full-time racer.

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