Van Gisbergen honoured to deliver Holden fairytale

Shane van Gisbergen says it is an honour to deliver Holden a Bathurst victory in its final Great Race.

Van Gisbergen denied Chaz Mostert in a thrilling climax to the Repco Bathurst 1000.

It was the second time in three years that van Gisbergen and Garth Tander combined to win the race.

In 2020, van Gisbergen and Tander scored victory in Holden's last event with a factory squad.

That race came in front of a reduced crowd due to the lasting effects of COVID-19.

Fast forward two years, and van Gisbergen and Tander were able to celebrate in front of a sea of red.

The Chevrolet Camaro will replace the Commodore when the Gen3 era commences in 2023.

Both van Gisbergen and Tander revved up the crowd when they accepted the Peter Brock Trophy.

“It was awesome,” van Gisbergen said on the podium.

“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."

Tander, whose 642 career starts have come in Commodores, said: “A special thanks to all the Holden fans who have supported Holden.

“Over the entire journey, it was fantastic to have you along for the ride.

“We hope you join us at Chevrolet Racing next year.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated the 2020 win in fitting style when he pinched a fan's Holden flag from the side of the track.

Van Gisbergen celebrates in 2020

On Sunday, he laid down some typical van Gisbergen-esque burnouts in front of the thousands.

Van Gisbergen later said that while 2020 was the initial farewell, 2022 had more weight considering the fans.

“In our mind, the final send-off was 2020,” van Gisbergen said on Supercars Trackside.

“This is the people’s one. You see how much it means to people, how many Holden flags we signed.

“The brand means so much to people.

“For us to represent it and get results like this, it’s an honour.”

One such effect of the 2020 race was fans being denied to spectate across the top of the Mountain.

On Sunday, van Gisbergen was almost distracted by the wild crowd, as he was in New Zealand four weeks ago.

“I could see them going crazy,” he said.

“The last couple of laps, I was trying to keep focused, it was a pretty big distraction.”

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