Van Gisbergen 'lost focus' chasing big lead

Shane van Gisbergen says he “lost focus” in his title defence following his fast start to the season.

Van Gisbergen has rediscovered his dominant form of late, winning seven of the last eight races.

The defending champion will arrive on home soil in New Zealand with a 500-point series lead.

The Kiwi won nine of the first 14 races of the season, but encountered a series of hiccups at Winton and Darwin.

Van Gisbergen made a risky move on Cam Waters at Winton which left the #97 with damage.

At the following round in Darwin, where van Gisbergen went winless, contact with Will Davison had greater ramifications.

A lunge at Turn 1 in the finale saw van Gisbergen incur damage and a penalty, and he was classified 21st.

He arrived in Townsville and won the first of five straight races.

Van Gisbergen said Townsville, Tailem Bend and Sandown have been “full attack”, and it has been reflected on the results sheet.

He is two shy of Scott McLaughlin's all-time season-wins record of 18, and is nearly two rounds clear at the top.

It comes after van Gisbergen revealed at The Bend that Bathurst was behind his big points push.

"It’s exactly been the goal for the last couple of rounds,” he said when asked about extending his series lead.

"I probably lost focus and was a bit too conservative at Winton and Darwin and didn’t race like I normally would have.

"Last three rounds have been full attack.

"Now I can go to Bathurst and just have a crack, and not even think about the championship.

"It’s a pretty cool place to be.”

Van Gisbergen put it all on the line in the Sandown finale versus Davison.

The former was forced into an undercut, and Davison came up just short by 0.4s.

Davison capitalised on dramas for Anton De Pasquale to move into third overall behind Waters.

“It was a really cool battle,” van Gisbergen said of his fight with Davison.

“I knew it was going to be tough, and whoever led the first two laps probably had the best chance of winning the race.

"I just went all out, and didn’t care about tyre life or anything… I just needed to get in front.

“It was big, bold stuff, and he didn’t let off either, it was really cool."

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