SVG Takes Emotional Win To Farewell Pukekohe
In front of record crowds and fighting back tears of joy, Shane van Gisbergen has won the Jason Richards Trophy at his home track, Pukekohe, for the final time.
Sep 12, 2022
The final supercars race at Pukekohe was a nail biter with van Gisbergen starting eighth and having to fight dramatically for the win.
“The king is dead. Long live the King!” The voice of Supercars icon, Greg Murphy, bellowed from loud speakers around the natural amphitheatre of Pukekohe’s fabled racing circuit. From one Kiwi great to another, Murphy was the first to congratulate Shane van Gisbergen as he emerged, visibly emotional, from his Red Bull Ampol Racing Commodore having taken one of the great wins of Supercars’ modern era.
The last Supercar race at Pukekohe will go down in history as one of the most exhilarating to watch, at least for Kiwi fans who sadly farewelled goodbye to Supercars at the venue before it’s motorsport days conclude in 2023.
With Shell V Power rival, Will Davison, winning the first race of the weekend and van Gisbergen the second, the point spread was nominal. Shane had a mere 4 points lead into the final supercar race at Pukekohe and he was determined to give the fans what they were desperate for, a Kiwi win.
The Kiwi had qualified on pole for the first race of Sunday, but chasing more speed, the team made a fine adjustment to the rear of the car and it was immediately slower leaving SVG to qualify P8 for the day’s final race. Will Davison topped the time sheets and would start the final race from Pole.
It was an agonising start with a front straight collision spearing Australian driver, James Courtney, into the wall at 180km/h before the first corner. The resulting safety car period lasted a full 11 laps leaving just 30 laps for Shane to reclaim a front running position from eighth on the grid.
But upon race start, he set to work, systematically picking off drivers ahead of him before a horror pit stop by Davison’s Team Penske crew changed the dynamics of the race. The left rear wheel nut was not fully tightened and he was released prematurely, the wheel wobbling precariously as he limped around the track, before re-pitting and also suffering a stop-go penalty for an unsafe pit release.
SVG turned up the heat as he charged through the field to be in P2 behind Cam Waters with just ten laps to go, the pair diced for track position with a display of superb race craft from both drivers, at one point swapping paint at high speed on the blind approach to the infamous hill, providing the throngs of fans plenty to cheer for.
With just three laps to go van Gisbergen made a clean and decisive pass on Waters and defended his position to the chequered flag.
Van Gisbergen emerged from the car with tears in his eyes overjoyed at the win.
Post race, Greg Murphy, who has been crowned the “King of Pukekohe” having won there more than any other Supercar driver was in disbelief at the spirit and the talent behind the win.
“What on earth did you draw on to get that done?” Murphy asked for the television broadcast.
"A bit of you, a bit of J.R, a bit of the crowd," van Gisbergen responded, referencing how both Murphy and the late Jason Richards had influenced his career and his passion for Pukekohe.
"Unbelievable. From eighth, I didn't think we could do that,” he continued.
"Things were playing out, the car was amazing and I didn't give up, I just kept throwing it at it. Cam had me pretty good, and I couldn't get him” he said of the contact over the hill in the final stages of the race,
"Next time, I wasn't lifting.”
After time to reflect Shane revealed at the post race media conference just how much the win means to him.
“To me that was better than Bathurst, this is all time for me, it’s pretty cool”
The crowd erupted to see the local hero secure the final Super sprint title at Pukekohe. Van Gisbergen will carry an extended championship lead over Waters to the Repco Bathurst 1000 next month.