14 starts, eight wins: How does SVG's season start rank?
Shane van Gisbergen’s Sunday Darwin double helped the series leader to his eighth win of the 2021 season in 14 starts.
Heading to next month’s NTI Townsville 500, van Gisbergen has built an imperious 221-point lead over teammate Jamie Whincup.
Van Gisbergen won the opening six races of the season, drawing him level with some legendary names.
However, he went winless for six races before he returned to the top step of the podium in Race 13 at the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.
WATCH: RACE 14 RECAP
He didn’t have to wait long for season win No.8, with the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver cruising to his second win in as many starts.
He matched his career-best season tally of eight wins in his 2016 title-winning campaign.
The Race 14 victory also helped van Gisbergen match the late Peter Brock's tally of 48 career wins.
In 29 seasons prior to 2021, only two drivers have made better starts to a campaign.
Mark Skaife holds the record of most wins through 14 races, winning 11 of the first 14 in 2002.
Skaife won 15 races in 2002 Pic: AN1 Images
Skaife won at least one race at the Adelaide, Phillip Island, Sydney, Darwin and Canberra events.
Scott McLaughlin’s record-breaking 2019 campaign began with 10 wins in 14 starts, before he backed it up last year with eight of the first 14.
Since 1992, on only six occasions has the winningest driver after 14 races failed to win the title.
It last happened in 2017, with McLaughlin winning five races. Eventual champion Whincup had only won a single race, which was the 14th in Townsville.
McLaughlin won a record 18 races in 2019
Will Davison (2012), Whincup (2010), Skaife (2006), Marcos Ambrose, Greg Murphy and Todd Kelly (2005) and Craig Lowndes (2000) are the others.
In 2006, eventual champion Rick Kelly hadn’t even won a race through 14 starts; he won the 25th race of the season on the Gold Coast, his only win of the season.
The Repco Supercars Championship field will return to North Queensland for the NTI Townsville 500 across July 9-11. Tickets are available here.
The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo, and will be broadcast live and free on Seven.
Most wins after 14 races in a season (since 1992)
Wins | Driver/s |
11 | Mark Skaife (2002) |
10 | Scott McLaughlin (2019) |
8 | Scott McLaughlin (2020), Shane van Gisbergen (2021) |
7 | Craig Lowndes (1996), Marcos Ambrose (2003), Garth Tander (2007), Jamie Whincup (2009, 2010) |
6 | Glenn Seton (1993), Mark Skaife (1994), Craig Lowndes (1999), Will Davison (2012) |
5 | John Bowe (1995), Glenn Seton (1997), Craig Lowndes (1998, 2000), Mark Skaife (1992, 2001, 2006), Jamie Whincup (2011, 2013), Scott McLaughlin (2017, 2018) |
4 | Marcos Ambrose (2004), Jason Bright (2004), Jamie Whincup (2008), Garth Tander (2008), Mark Winterbottom (2008, 2015) |
3 | Marcos Ambrose (2005), Greg Murphy (2005), Todd Kelly (2005), Jamie Whincup (2014), Mark Winterbottom (2014) |
2 | Jamie Whincup (2016), Scott McLaughlin (2016), Shane van Gisbergen (2016), Tim Slade (2016) |
