Van Gisbergen completes Symmons sweep

Shane van Gisbergen has completed a clean sweep at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver held firm amid a two-pronged Shell V-Power Racing Team attack.

Van Gisbergen took home a maximum 105 points, having set the fastest lap of the race.

The Kiwi became the first driver to win all three races at a Symmons Plains weekend since Garth Tander in 2005.

Will Davison beat home teammate Anton De Pasquale, who is now 69 points behind van Gisbergen.

“It’s pretty awesome, I can’t thank Red Bull Ampol Racing enough,” van Gisbergen said.

“The car’s been really good all weekend… each race we had to work for it.

“I’m pumped… I was screaming over the radio pretending I had no rear, so they pitted early.

“We’ve got some tough competition from these guys, I don’t mean that [sucked in comment] in a bad way."

The race began before lights out for Matt Stone Racing, which hastily repaired Jack Le Brocq’s car.

Le Brocq had crashed heavily in Race 4, but returned to start from a career-best second position.

It initially paid dividends; Le Brocq beat pole man Davison off the line and had a clear lead through Turn 2.

The fairytale evaporated on the second lap, however, as Le Brocq ran long at Turn 4 on the second lap.

It released Davison into the lead, before van Gisbergen muscled by at Turn 6.

A vulnerable Davison was tapped by Todd Hazelwood at Turn 7, allowing De Pasquale into second.

Davison dropped to fifth, with David Reynolds moving by into fourth.

Van Gisbergen kept De Pasquale at bay until the latter made his compulsory stop on lap 10.

Davison stopped two laps later, and Hazelwood on lap 15.

Van Gisbergen stopped from the lead on lap 20, and retained the effective front-running over the two Shell Fords.

The championship leader held a 0.8s lead with 14 laps remaining once all runners had completed their stops.

Davison was 0.7s behind his teammate, with Hazelwood a further 0.8s adrift.

Fourth became fifth for Hazelwood once Reynolds continued his march for a second straight podium.

Van Gisbergen began to open the margin to De Pasquale; with five laps remaining, the #97 led by 1.8s.

A small error allowed Davison clear passage into second, but it did little to deter van Gisbergen.

The reigning champion took the flag by 1.1s to secure a 58th career win, and seventh in Tasmania.

Reynolds was fourth ahead of Hazelwood, who matched Matt Stone Racing’s best race result.

Cam Waters rebounded from his controversial Race 4 performance with sixth ahead of Mark Winterbottom.

Broc Feeney, who claimed a maiden podium in Race 4, finished eighth ahead of James Courtney and Nick Percat.

Chaz Mostert, who entered the weekend as series leader, finished a lowly 18th. Le Brocq was 23rd.

Mostert is now 145 points from van Gisbergen, having been outscored by the latter by 172 points.

The season will resume on the streets of Albert Park on March 7-10.