The top 10 Supercars drivers of 2022: Part 1
Over 13 rounds and 34 races, the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship was one to remember.
Several drivers showed superb skill and pace — but one dominated beyond even his own wildest dreams.
Shane van Gisbergen won 21 races — including the Repco Bathurst 1000 — to secure his third title.
However, he was pushed along the way, with rivals staking a claim to push him even closer in 2023.
In Part 1 of Supercars.com's analysis, we break down the top 10 best drivers of the 2022 season.
10) Tim Slade (CoolDrive Racing)Championship: 11thHighlight: A season-high 160 positions gained
Slade farewelled CoolDrive Racing in Adelaide the way he knew best in 2022 — with some big charges through the field. Slade battled over one lap, but made up for it in the races to just fall short of the top 10 overall. What can he achieve in a turnkey Triple Eight Camaro for PremiAir Racing?
9) Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing)Championship: 10thHighlight: Four podiums
Heimgartner was disappointed to be 10th overall, and he had reason to be after a number of crushing DNFs. Podiums came at Perth, Winton and Pukekohe, and he was easily BJR’s best. The Bend and Bathurst were heartbreaking lows, but he had many highs — none better than his dual podiums on home soil.
8) Brodie Kostecki (Erebus Motorsport)Championship: 7thHighlight: Sydney podium after maiden pole, Tailem Bend podium
2022 was a tough year for Erebus, but Kostecki showed his mettle with some stirring performances. A shock pole in Sydney was well-deserved, and he backed it up with a podium. He was also on course for a second straight Bathurst podium — not many drivers can say they’ve achieved that. In the last race of the year, he pinched seventh overall from underneath David Reynolds’ nose. Critically, he outperformed fancied teammate Will Brown.
7) Anton De Pasquale (Shell V-Power Racing Team)Championship: 4thHighlight: Darwin victory
De Pasquale lost the qualifying head-to-head with teammate Will Davison 20-14, and Davison won three races to his one. The #11 Ford proved quick in the first half of the year, but he dramatically fell away after Townsville. He came home with a wet sail to pole and podium in Adelaide, his first trophy since Sandown in August.
6) David Reynolds (Penrite Racing)Championship: 8thHighlight: Seven podiums, two pole positions
After a year in the wilderness, Reynolds emerged in 2022 a renewed force and was a podium contender at a number of rounds. Albert Park — a pole and three podiums — was a clear highlight. An abrupt Bathurst DNF dented his year, but he bounced back to pole and podium on the Gold Coast. He was pipped to seventh in the last race by Kostecki, but still finished in the top 10 overall for the first time since 2019.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle next March.
Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
