Tasmania Supercars: Van Gisbergen dominates to complete clean sweep

The Kiwi was forced to come from the second row of the grid for Race 3, after having what looked to be a pole lap in qualifying earlier in the day ruined by a clash with Tim Slade.

That job was made slightly easier on just the second lap of the race when early leader Jack Le Brocq, driving a hastily-repaired Holden following a Race 2 shunt, locked up at the hairpin.

That elevated van Gisbergen to second behind new leader Will Davison, who immediately came under fire from the Red Bull Holden. It took just a lap for van Gisbergen to find a way a through with a forceful move at Turn 6. 

Davison was then left to scrap with team-mate Anton De Pasquale and Matt Stone Racing driver Todd Hazelwood, De Pasquale eventually emerging in second place. In a bid to undercut weekend-long form man van Gisbergen, Dick Johnson Racing opted to pit De Pasquale on lap 9.

But van Gisbergen had enough pace that he was able to keep going until lap 23, take his mandatory service, and emerge with both the lead and better quality rubber. From there it was a case of managing the gap back to the DJR pair as he took his third win from three races.

"It's pretty awesome," said van Gisbergen.  "I can't thank Ampol Red Bull Racing enough. The car has been good all weekend and Broc [Feeney] has been up there as well. 

"Each race we had to work for it, [there were] some more good passes then, I hope it was good to watch. I'm pumped."

Race winner Shane van Gisbergen, Triple Eight Race Engineering

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Van Gisbergen also revealed that he tried to trick DJR into pitting its cars early by reporting a lack of rear grip over the radio. 

"I was screaming over the radio pretending I had no rear and made them pit early and then I just went,"