Van Gisbergen denies Mostert in Bathurst classic

Shane van Gisbergen has fended off a late charge from Chaz Mostert to win his second Repco Bathurst 1000.

Van Gisbergen and Garth Tander combined to win their second Great Race in three years.

The duo first won the race together in 2020, and have a 50 per cent conversion rate in Bathurst.

It was a record-equalling ninth Bathurst win for Triple Eight, and third in five years.

Van Gisbergen also helped himself to win No. 19 of 2022, breaking Scott McLaughlin’s 2019 record.

Mostert and Cam Waters scored their third consecutive Bathurst podiums.

Mostert helped Fabian Coulthard to his second Bathurst podium, with Waters helping James Moffat to his third.

It was another narrow defeat for pole-sitter Waters, who finished second in 2020 and 2021.

However, with Waters third, van Gisbergen was unable to clinch the 2022 championship at Mount Panorama.

With a 567-point lead, the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver is almost certain to secure the title at Surfers Paradise.

The 161-lap classic featured eight BP Ultimate Safety Cars, five coming in the first 57 laps.

Van Gisbergen’s second Bathurst win and Tander’s fifth was also the 36th for Holden.

It ensured Holden won its final Great Race, with the Chevrolet Camaro replacing the Commodore in 2023.

“It was awesome,” he said.

“Compared to 2020, to have all the people here, and in this weather, thank you guys so much.

"To send Holden out like this is epic… up the Holden!

“It’s a special way to send it out.

“Hopefully we can add a few more wins to the Commodore."

The #97 led at halfway with Tander behind the wheel.

It came after a dramatic first half of the race, with the Safety Car deployed six times in the first 57 laps.

From there, it became a race of pace, strategy and track position.

Tander opened up a 12-second gap on David Russell, with Jamie Whincup third ahead of a charging Mostert.

Moffat handed over to Waters on lap 95, the duo having clawed back ground after the earlier spin.

Tander handed over to van Gisbergen on lap 100, with Russell swapping with Brodie Kostecki.

Anton De Pasquale took over from Tony D’Alberto on lap 103, with Mostert stopping on the following lap.

The field cleansed by lap 106, with van Gisbergen 12 seconds ahead of Kostecki.

Broc Feeney was third, but was being caught by Mostert and Waters.

Mostert pulled a brave move through The Chase on lap 111, and set off after the leaders.

Waters closed to Feeney, but made his penultimate stop on lap 117.

The race turned on its head when Todd Hazelwood crashed at Griffin’s Bend on lap 119.

Van Gisbergen watched Hazelwood crash, and lost his 17-second margin.

The race restarted on lap 123, with van Gisbergen leading Kostecki, Mostert, Feeney, Waters, Lee Holdsworth, both Shell V-Power Fords and Craig Lowndes.

Mostert haunted the rear of Kostecki, and Waters on Feeney. Both battles gave van Gisbergen a reprieve.

On lap 127, Feeney bowled a wide at The Chase and dropped behind Waters and Holdsworth.

Waters quickly caught the Kostecki/Mostert battle, with van Gisbergen 3.3s up the road.

Eight laps later, Waters made an error at Hell Corner and lost four seconds to those ahead.

On lap 139, Jack Smith crashed at McPhillamy, but managed to return his car to pit lane.

Feeney led De Pasquale and Will Brown into the pits on lap 140, with Mostert and Will Davison stopping on the following lap.

However, Davison appeared to suffer locking into Griffin’s Bend and triggered the eighth Safety Car.

Kostecki followed van Gisbergen into the lane; van Gisbergen had clear passage, but Kostecki faced a trickier fate.

Mostert raced the #99 Holden to the Safety Car line, with a recovery vehicle situated on driver’s left.

Kostecki slotted in behind Mostert, with Waters fourth; all the while, Feeney jumped Holdsworth during the stops.

Van Gisbergen led the field to green on lap 147, and Waters pounced on Kostecki at Griffin’s Bend.

It became a van Gisbergen/Mostert/Waters shootout for victory with 14 laps remaining.

As he did in 2020, van Gisbergen pressed on and clocked the fastest lap of the race on lap 150.

He went even faster on lap 151, but it only motivated Mostert to apply pressure of his own.

The two Holden drivers went punch for punch, but a lap 154 slide at Hell Corner all but ended Mostert’s charge.

Waters fell behind, but Mostert tried desperately to stay with van Gisbergen.

On lap 158, van Gisbergen locked a wheel at Forrest’s Elbow, and the margin dropped to 0.7s

Try as he might, Mostert was unable to overhaul van Gisbergen, who crossed the line with a 1.09s margin.

Kostecki and Russell, who finished third in 2021, came home fourth ahead of Feeney/Whincup.

Holdsworth/Matt Payne finished sixth ahead of De Pasquale/D’Alberto.

Lowndes/Declan Fraser were eighth ahead of Bryce Fullwood/Dean Fiore, with Brown/Perkins 10th.

The 2022 season will continue at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 28-30.