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Van Gisbergen floats Holden number change tribute

18 Nov 2022
The #1 could return to a grid for the first time since 2018
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The #1 could return to a Supercars grid for the first time since 2018, with Shane van Gisbergen floating the idea in tribute to Holden.

Holden and its Commodore will make its final starts at the VALO Adelaide 500 on December 1-4.

The brand’s last hurrah will fittingly come in Adelaide, with the former Elizabeth plant located 15km from the track.

Champion-elect van Gisbergen has run his favoured #97 since he switched to the brand in 2013.

The Kiwi has won 73 races in Commodores — only Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife took more wins for Holden.

The 33-year-old revealed his desire to win Holden’s last race after he clinched his third title in Surfers Paradise last month.

"I want to win more races,” said van Gisbergen, who also won Holden’s final Bathurst 1000.

“So for sure we can go to Adelaide as a celebration and have a good time.

"We also have the chance to celebrate Holden, that’s going to mean a lot to our team and GM.

“We want to go out with a good result. Everyone wants to be the last Holden winner.

“The Ford guys probably want to spoil that, so I’ll be there prepared but also ready to party."

Van Gisbergen opted to keep his #97 after his 2016 and 2021 titles, rather than adopt the champion’s #1.

Van Gisbergen won Holden's 600th race in Perth

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He is now mulling over whether he should adopt the #1 for the first time in Adelaide.

Van Gisbergen posted a poll to his Instagram story, saying: "Thinking about running #1 in Adelaide as a tribute to Holden and their final race”.

The two options were to adopt the #1, or keep the #97 — and after 12 hours, adopting the #1 had accrued 80 per cent of the vote.

Per Rule E1 of the Supercars Operations Manual — specifically Rule E1.4.1 — van Gisbergen, as reigning champon, has the right to use the #1.

Van Gisbergen has changed his number on sentiment before.

Van Gisbergen and Garth Tander ran the #888 for last year’s Bathurst 1000 in tribute of the outgoing Roland Dane.

Last laps: SVG wins final Bathurst for Holden

Whincup was the last driver to use the #1 in Supercars.

Jamie Whincup ran the #1 after each of his seven titles, the last coming in 2017.

He duly used the number in 2018, last running it at the 2018 Newcastle finale.

Scott McLaughlin opted to keep Dick Johnson's famous #17 after his titles in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

With McLaughlin leaving for IndyCar, the #1 couldn’t be used at all in 2021.

The 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will conclude on the Adelaide streets in December.

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