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Van Gisbergen extends Eseries lead

27 May 2020
SVG, De Pasquale split Interlagos wins
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Shane van Gisbergen has moved closer to clinching the inaugural BP Supercars All Stars Eseries title after another stellar round tonight.

WATCH: KOALA HIGHLIGHTS OF ESERIES ROUND 8

Koala race highlights: Eseries Round 8

The 2016 Supercars champion backed up his win at Phillip Island with a third and first at Interlagos.

It was Anton De Pasquale who took the spoils in the middle race of the night, leading home Fawzan El-Nabi.

The Round 8 finale was a reverse grid affair and it did not take long for carnage to strike, with an out-of-control James Courtney triggering a multi-car crash on the opening lap.

Van Gisbergen picked his way through the drama and, like most of the field, pitted at the end of the second lap behind the Safety Car.

Andre Heimgartner and Rick Kelly were among those to stay out but would lose out in the long run, placing 15th and 22nd respectively.

By the time they had made their first stop, a number of drivers headed by James Golding had completed their second and final visit to the line – that strategy reaping the rewards as the IRWIN Racing wildcard finished fourth.

At the front, it was Scott McLaughlin who took the lead into the dying laps with van Gisbergen closing in.

The duo delivered a thrilling exchange through the first half of lap 17, van Gisbergen eventually moving by.

McLaughlin ultimately would be 0.524s behind at the fall of the chequered flag, with Chaz Mostert third.

In-form Matt Stone Racing driver Garry Jacobson had a tough night, with a power surge frying his computer and wheel and causing him to fail to finish any of the three races.

All up, van Gisbergen now leads McLaughlin by 146 points in the provisional standings.

Cameron Waters remains third from Anton De Pasquale.

Two rounds remain in the virtual competition.

PIRTEK Memorable Moments

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Race 24, Phillip Island

  • Lap 1: Shane van Gisbergen gets the jump on BP Ultimate wildcard Fawzan El-Nabi, who makes a shocking start and loses 11 spots by the end of the first lap

  • Lap 1: Great starts see Lee Holdsworth and Dave Reynolds holding third and fourth

  • Lap 2: Fabian Coulthard loses control into Honda and skates across the grass into Andre Heimgartner and Bruce Fullwood

  • Lap 2: El-Nabi pits to gain clear air

  • Lap 6: Fellow early stopper Chaz Mostert blasts by van Gisbergen to take the effective lead

  • Lap 7: van Gisbergen re-passes Mostert into Honda and Anton De Pasquale soon follows him through

  • Lap 8: El-Nabi punts Scott McLaughlin and cops a drive-through penalty

  • Lap 12: De Pasquale attacks van Gisbergen for the lead but can’t quite find a way past

Race 25, Interlagos

  • Lap 1: De Pasquale and van Gisbergen make light contact into the first corner, with the former holding the lead

  • Lap 1: McLaughlin is spun further back by Mostert, who cops a drive-through

  • Lap 1: van Gisbergen pits in a bid to get a jump on his rivals

  • Lap 3: Reynolds loses it into Turn 1 and is helped on his way by Jamie Whincup

  • Lap 4: El-Nabi pits from second after being held up by De Pasquale

  • Lap 5: De Pasquale pits and retains the effective lead as El-Nabi passes van Gisbergen

  • Lap 10: McLaughlin and Mostert pass Todd Hazelwood through the Esses

  • Lap 11: James Courtney has a huge shunt coming onto the pit straight

Race 26, Interlagos

  • Lap 1: Courtney loses control and triggers a multi-car incident including the likes of Chris Pither, Zane Goddard, Nick Percat and Lee Holdsworth; further back Jake Kostecki and Fabian Coulthard also tangle

  • Lap 1: Safety Car is deployed

  • Lap 2: Almost the entire field pits, with Andre Heimgartner and Rick Kelly staying out to lead a team 1-2

  • Lap 4: The race resumes

  • Lap 4: Jack Le Brocq cleans up Jack Smith and then Fullwood and gets a drive-through for his trouble

  • Lap 4: Reynolds spins Percat while a stack of cars make their second stop already

  • Lap 9: James Golding leads the two-stoppers, with the strategy appearing to pay off well

  • Lap 13: Percat pulls off to the side at the Esses, with his dog Nelson later joining him at the wheel of the #8 Coregas Commodore

  • Lap 17: van Gisbergen makes an excellent pass for the lead on McLaughlin through the Esses and the pair go side-by-side for several more corners

Provisional Eseries standings (top 10)

1. Shane van Gisbergen 1949

2. Scott McLaughlin 146

3. Cameron Waters 1689

4. Anton De Pasquale 1649

5. Chaz Mostert 1547

6. Andre Heimgartner 1267

7. Will Davison 1240

8. Lee Holdsworth 1215

9. Fabian Coulthard 1186

10. Garry Jacobson 1158

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