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The Brock marker in van Gisbergen's sights

06 May 2021
Championship leader closing on legendary driver's record
2 mins by James Pavey
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Shane van Gisbergen’s dominant start to the 2021 season has brought the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver within reach of a very famous name.

With his Race 6 win at Symmons Plains last month, van Gisbergen recorded 46 career wins, bringing him within two of Peter Brock’s marker of 48.

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It came after van Gisbergen equalled the joint record of six wins to open a season, having surpassed Brock’s five-straight in 1980.

Brock claimed his 48th and final career win at Oran Park in 1997, when van Gisbergen was just eight years old.

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The nine-time Bathurst winner claimed the win in his 292nd career championship race start.

Saturday’s Race 9 at this weekend’s OTR SuperSprint will be van Gisbergen’s 427th race start.

While still in his relative youth, van Gisbergen would be the slowest to the marker should he bring up his 48th career win at some stage this season.

Craig Lowndes was by far the quickest to the magical 48, bringing up the win at Ipswich in 2000 in just his 105th career start.

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Van Gisbergen claims win No. 46 at Symmons Plains last month

Jamie Whincup is next, scoring win No. 48 on the streets of Townsville in race No. 226 11 years later.

Last year, Scott McLaughlin, who has already clinched a first IndyCar podium, matched Brock in Race 14 of the 2020 season at Hidden Valley.

Mark Skaife, who was a teammate to Brock in the 1990s, matched his Holden contemporary at Oran Park in 2001, the same venue Brock scored his final win four years earlier.

Another Holden Racing Team alumnus, Garth Tander, won his 48th race in the Adelaide opener in 2011.

McLaughlin matched Brock in Darwin last year

While looking to become just the sixth driver to win 50 career races, van Gisbergen must first match and overtake Brock.

The 31-year-old is also closing on another personal best; if van Gisbergen gets three more poles this season, he will equal his best ever record of seven poles in a season (2016).

Will the championship leader pass the legendary Brock at The Bend Motorsport Park this weekend? Stay tuned as the Repco Supercars Championship field returns to South Australia. Tickets are on sale now.

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

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