In a performance that is sure to be a talking point for years to come, Shane van Gisbergen took out victory at Sandown in emphatic style, returning after a severe injury.
Gisbergen also broke one of the oldest records in the championship history, with a remarkable win from 17th position in a super sprint race.
Second place went to Cameron Waters and third to his teammate Jamie Whincup.
The victory was made even more remarkable given that van Gisbergen broke his collarbone just two weeks ago in a mountain biking accident and had multiple screws and a plate inserted into his shoulder just a fortnight ago.
In the closing laps of the race, a change in strategy saw van Gisbergen the second last car to pit; rejoining the field, the kiwi started charging through the field and saw an opportunity to take a dive and gain two positions in one of the best manoeuvres of recent memory.
And just a few laps later, he took the lead of the race from Cameron Waters and raced across the line to claim victory and remain undefeated in 2021.
Pulling up in victory lane, the performance’s difficulty was evident as the drivers moved to the podium; Shane climbed from the race car holding his arm in a wing with a grimace on his face momentarily, soon replaced with a victorious smile.
The Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint is also the first event where Victorians have seen the drivers in action since the COVID shutdown and how to finish the race, and that’s just the beginning with two more races today.
