Chasing Lowndes: SVG discusses looming record

Shane van Gisbergen has admitted he isn’t thinking about the possibility of beating Craig Lowndes’ record of consecutive championship race wins.

Van Gisbergen claimed a seventh-straight win dating back to last October’s Bathurst 1000 at Symmons Plains on Saturday.

It drew the Kiwi level with teammate Jamie Whincup’s 2008 marker of seven straight wins, with Lowndes’ 1996 record of eight straight wins in his sights.

Not that van Gisbergen, however, was overly fussed.

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"I don’t know. I don’t think about that stuff,” he told media after the race.

"I just try and drive as fast as I can and at the moment [I'm] not thinking about records or any of that stuff... just in the moment.

"Our car's good, the team is awesome, the atmosphere in the team, preparation, when we travel, the team dinners… we’re in a good place at the moment and [have] just got to keep the run going.

"Even if I don’t win, hopefully Jamie is up the front winning.

Lowndes at Mallala in 1996 Pic: AN1 Images

"It’s really cool to be a part of this team at the moment.”

Back in 1996, Lowndes won eight consecutive races across the Lakeside, Barbagallo and Mallala events.

12 years later, Whincup completed his streak of seven across the Bathurst, Gold Coast and Bahrain events.

Van Gisbergen followed up his Great Race win from last October with an undefeated run in 2021 across the Bathurst, Sandown and Tasmania events.

Whincup began his 2008 run with a Bathurst win

Already, the 2016 champion has matched Allan Moffat and Mark Skaife’s marker of six straight wins to start a season.

Whincup, who finished second to van Gisbergen on Saturday, praised his Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate’s rich vein of form amid the current crop of competition.

"SVG to win the first six, that’s pretty impressive considering just how close the cars are now,” Whincup said.

"It’s never been as even as it has been… it just keeps getting closer and closer and more competitive.

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"To win the first six in the last year of this [generation] car is pretty impressive."

Van Gisbergen will carry a 153-point lead over Whincup into Sunday, which will feature two 44-lap sprint races.

Qualifying for Race 7 at the Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint will commence on Sunday at 10:45am AEST.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo with highlights on 7 and 7 Plus.