Van Gisbergen takes provisional round win at Spa
06 May 2020
Shane van Gisbergen has dominated an intriguing Round 5 of the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries at Spa, although his opening race win remains under a cloud.
WATCH: ESERIES RACE 15 HIGHLIGHTS AS VAN GISBERGEN HANGS ON
Van Gisbergen starred in the ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout to snatch pole position, and converted that into victory in the first race.
That result was not without controversy however, with the 2016 Supercars champion colliding with Anton De Pasquale on the pit straight as they approached the final corner of the race.
De Pasquale was put into the fence, opening the door for Scott McLaughlin and Cameron Waters to take second and third respectively, just ahead of McLaren F1 star Lando Norris.
De Pasquale and McLaughlin also appeared to be at risk of possible post-race penalties, with more information hoped to become available soon.
See how you compare in a virtual Supercar at Spa
Regardless, van Gisbergen backed that effort up with another tight win in the finale – shortened by one lap due to a time certain finish – again holding off De Pasquale.
The latter was sent into a spin after making light contact with the back of the Red Bull Holden #97, but hung on for second.
McLaughlin rounded out the podium, ahead of Waters and Chaz Mostert.
In the middle race of the night, it was 17-year-old wildcard Broc Feeney who shone brightest.
The Tickford Racing Dunlop Super2 Series driver passed Will Davison in the second stint to set up a maiden race win after the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner had gained the upper hand in the pitstop sequence.
Feeney hung on by less than four tenths, with Garry Jacobson just staving off Chaz Mostert for third.
Capping van Gisbergen’s night was fifth in the reverse grid race, making up a remarkable 25 places in the eight-lap encounter.
The 30-year-old Kiwi had entered the night third in the standings, 133 points off McLaughlin.
Round 5 PIRTEK Memorable Moments
Race 15
Lap 1: Shane van Gisbergen gets the jump at the start as wildcard Jayden Ojeda bogs down further back
Lap 1: Lando Norris makes an excellent pass on Cameron Waters for fourth into the Bus Stop
Lap 4: Three of the top four peel into the pits while Anton De Pasquale stays out in an attempt to overcut and inherits the lead
Lap 5-6: De Pasquale pits with a 31-second lead, emerges just ahead of van Gisbergen but is passed down the main straight
Lap 8: De Pasquale tries to pass van Gisbergen around the outside through the Bus Stop. The pair make contact on exit, leaving De Pasquale in a spin and van Gisbergen under a cloud for a possible penalty
Race 16
Lap 1: Mark Winterbottom makes a double pass on James Courtney and Broc Feeney at the end of the main straight to take the lead
Lap 1: Lando Norris tangles with Chris Pither near pit entry, leading to the McLaren F1 youngster reversing into Pither and blocking the pitlane in an effort to repair damage
Lap 4: Zane Goddard and Dave Reynolds lead the race as the top runners yet to stop, with Will Davison ahead of Feeney in the effective race lead
Lap 5: Scott Pye pulls off an audacious overtake on teammate Winterbottom at the Bus Stop before the pair make contact at La Source; Feeney meanwhile passes Davison
Lap 6: Contact between Jack Doohan and Bryce Fullwood sends the latter into a barrel roll
Lap 8: Feeney holds off Davison and Garry Jacobson narrowly beats Chaz Mostert to the line for third
Race 17
Lap 1: Polesitter van Gisbergen holds the lead as Andre Heimgartner is spun
Lap 1: van Gisbergen runs wide on entry to the Bus Stop, narrowly retains the lead
Lap 6: van Gisbergen and De Pasquale pit from first and second and resume their effective positions; Jamie Whincup though holds the actual lead having yet to make his first stop
Lap 10: van Gisbergen and De Pasquale pit for a second time and again emerge in those positions, with Chaz Mostert in effective third
Lap 11-12: Norris and Nick Percat engage in a thrilling battle, the Brad Jones Racing spearhead eventually losing out while two-wide through Eau Rouge
Lap 13: De Pasquale spins after making light contact with the rear of van Gisbergen at the Bus Stop but hangs onto second as the race is called time-certain a lap early
