Shane Van Gisbergen wins Bathurst

Shane van Gisbergen has exited the Supercars championship as a three-time Bathurst 1000 champion, securing back-to-back wins at Mount Panorama.

He teamed up with Richie Stanaway to become the first all-New Zealand pair to win the race since 1999. Starting from sixth on the grid, they outpaced Brodie Kostecki to clinch victory by nearly 20 seconds.

Van Gisbergen’s experience and skill prevailed in the 161-lap race, witnessed by the third-largest crowd in Bathurst history. The victory marked the first consecutive win at Bathurst since 2008.

This win added to van Gisbergen’s 80 career wins and kept him in contention for a third-straight Supercars title. Following this success, he will head to the United States at the end of the season to compete full-time in NASCAR.

Despite van Gisbergen’s victory, it was a disappointing race for Ford teams, as their hopes were dashed after technical adjustments to the Mustangs were rejected just days before the race. Cam Waters, Ford’s leading driver, was taken out of contention due to a crash by his co-driver James Moffat.

Supercars legend Craig Lowndes also had a tough race, forced into the pits due to a broken gear lever mount. He finished 26th, marking his 30th Bathurst 1000 race.