Frustration for SVG after early race incident
Shane van Gisbergen’s quest for a record fourth Repco Supercars Championship title has been dealt a major blow after the Kiwi crashed out of Race 11 of the season at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
SVG was caught up in a massive pile-up on the opening lap of the race, which also involved Thomas Randle and Anton De Pasquale. The incident left van Gisbergen’s Triple Eight Holden Commodore severely damaged, and he was forced to retire from the race.
The crash was a frustrating end to what had been a promising weekend for van Gisbergen. The 33-year-old had qualified second for the race and was confident of challenging for the win.
However, his hopes were dashed just seconds after the start when he was hit from behind by Randle. The impact sent van Gisbergen’s car spinning into the path of De Pasquale, who was also unable to avoid a collision.
Van Gisbergen was visibly frustrated after the race, and he admitted that the crash had cost him a valuable opportunity to extend his championship lead.
“It’s just so frustrating,” van Gisbergen said. “We had a great car, and we were in a good position to win the race. But it was just one of those things. I got hit from behind, and there was nothing I could do.”
The crash leaves van Gisbergen 39 points behind championship leader Cameron Waters with just six races remaining in the season. The Kiwi will need to finish strongly in the remaining races if he wants to have any chance of winning the title.
Race results
1. Cameron Waters (Ford Mustang)
2. Will Davison (Ford Mustang)
3. Chaz Mostert (Holden Commodore)
4. Brodie Kostecki (Holden Commodore)
5. David Reynolds (Ford Mustang)
…
25. Shane van Gisbergen (Holden Commodore) DNF
Championship standings
1. Cameron Waters 2098 points
2. Shane van Gisbergen 1749 points
3. Will Davison 1679 points
4. Chaz Mostert 1646 points
5. Brodie Kostecki 1619 points
Kind regards A. Guthof.
