Gold Coast 500: Tensions bubble after massive crash at GC500 Supercars

Supercars champion-elect Shane van Gisbergen has cooled tensions after the Gold Coast 500 was plunged into chaos following a 10 car smash-up. See the wild pictures.

Supercars champion-elect Shane van Gisbergen says the controversial tire bundles on the Surfers Paradise street circuit which the drivers petitioned to have changed two days earlier “probably didn’t contribute” to the horror crash that retired six cars just three laps into Sunday’s race.

Van Gisbergen defied the early carnage and a late safety car to win his 21st race of the season and with it, secure Triple Eight Race Engineering’s 11th drivers’ championship.

But those historic achievements were first overshadowed by the massive crash early in the afternoon, when James Golding’s Subway car hopped the kerb and cannoned into a tire bundle, causing him to slide sideways down the track.

The kerbs and tire bundles were a topic of hot debate between the drivers and Supercars officials on Friday night, when the two parties met to discuss last-minute changes to the track.

The now three-time Supercars champion had previously questioned the safety of the positioning of some of the tire bundles and was disappointed no changes were made to the layout despite the discussion on Friday night.

Massive crash at GC500 Supercars due to 'unsafe' tire bundles that drivers wanted removed. Picture: Supercars Communications.

“After the (Friday) press conference Will (Davison), Cam (Waters) and myself thought we’d better do something (because) we were all complaining. We all had the same problem, it wasn’t a personal thing, and then Chaz joined in … and every single driver signed a petition that the kerbs aren’t good enough and that we needed to do something,” van Gisbergen recounted after his win on Sunday.

“It was frustrating they didn’t listen to us but at the same time maybe I don’t understand enough the FIA license rules and stuff like that but yeah, we come back here year after year and it’s the same stuff.

All angles of the red-flag incident.

At least 10 cars appear to be out of the Sunday race after this Lap 4 crash #RepcoSCpic.twitter.com/T94rjKyImW

— Supercars (@supercars) October 30, 2022

“Hopefully we can all sit down, be a bit calmer and thorough and come up with something good next time so we don’t talk about it or think about it when we’re driving and (can) just send it.”

“The accident today probably didn’t contribute – I think the bundles are probably our best option, it was just a little bit frustrating,” he added.

Runner-up Chaz Mostert praised Supercars for being willing to listen to the drivers’ concerns on such short notice.

“In previous years I don’t think there would have even been a possibility to sit with them,” he said.

“There was a change to the track … that first chicane there, that tire bundle got moved back, which was the only real outcome Supercars could have done at the time.

More than 10 cars were caught up in the carnage, but luckily no drivers were seriously hurt. Picture: Supercars Communications.

“I think it’s a bit harsh on Supercars to say they didn’t do anything for us … I think it’s a credit for them to actually hear us out.”

Shell V-Power driver Will Davison agreed with Mostert’s take.

“We all left the meeting and we thought it was quite productive. It was a good, calm conversation,” Davison said.

“I think Shane said, we were frustrated in the end because we took the right channel and it was a good step forward so I’m not sitting here s--- canning the system.

“Ultimately in the short time (we had) there wasn’t a solution we could come up with.”

More than 10 cars were caught in the lap three carnage including Macauley Jones’ #25 Holden Commodore, which caught fire under the hood as a scramble to pull clear of the wreckage began.

The race was delayed by more than half an hour as medical teams ruled all drivers safe from serious injury – and teams assessed the damage.

Six cars were immediately retired from the race: Todd Hazelwood, Broc Feeney, Lee Holdsworth, Nick Percat, Golding and Jones all beyond timely repair.

Shane van Gisbergen on the Gold Coast 500 podium. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty

Thomas Randle was able to return to the race but he stopped on the track with 14 laps to run, bringing out the safety car and pulling van Gisbergen back to the chasing pack of Mostert and Davison.

It ultimately mattered little, however, with the Kiwi’s #97 Holden Commodore streaking away to complete a brilliant Gold Coast double and put the icing on a championship-winning weekend.

Despite teammate Feeney’s DNF, van Gisbergen’s 100-point haul for finishing first was enough to clinch the teams’ championship for Triple Eight.

Anton De Pasquale and Davison needed to outscore van Gisbergen and Feeney by 90 points on Sunday to take the title fight to Adelaide, however the Dick Johnson Racing duo came up 56 points short.

Supercars heads to Adelaide on December 1 for the final round of the 2022 season with its champion driver and team already decided.

“I want to win more races so for sure we can go there as a celebration and have a good time, celebrate Holden – that’s going to mean a lot to our team and GM, so for sure we want to go out with a good result,” van Gisbergen said.

“Everyone wants to be the last Holden winner and the Ford guys probably want to spoil that so yeah, I’ll be there prepared but also ready to party, too.”

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