Bathurst 2020: Shane van Gisbergen wins Bathurst after safety car madness

Bathurst 1000 champion Shane van Gisbergen was struck with emotion just once as he revealed his only regret from his greatest victory.

Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander.

Shane van Gisbergen is king of the mountain for the first time after a wild finish to the Bathurst 1000.

The Kiwi was runner-up in 2019 and 2016 in cruel fashion, but he held his nerve in a tense sprint to the flag to win the Peter Brock Trophy for the first time.

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Van Gisbergen twice had his lead disappear in the final 10 laps when two safety cars were deployed within five minutes. 

He had Ford's Cameron Waters breathing down his neck for the final 10 laps, but he showed his class to break clear in the final lap. 

Van Gisbergen's win with co-driver Garth Tander is a huge result for Holden in the final year before the Red Lion officially walks away from Supercars, with the pair beating out Ford's Waters and third-placed Chaz Mostert.

Tander is now a four-time Bathurst champion.

Van Gisbergen said after the race his only regret was that his mum and dad weren't able to be there with him in Bathurst with his parents stuck in New Zealand because of Australia's border restrictions.

Speaking about his parents, Robert and Karen, was the only time van Gisbergen showed emotion in his post-race celebrations.

"Just awesome and the last few laps were tough with the safety car," he said.

"The team did a faultless job and thanks to the guys, we had a great car and great way to send us out.

"Thanks to everyone, I just wish my mum and dad were here."

In 2016, van Gisbergen was brought to tears when saying thanks to his parents for their sacrifices after he won his first Supercars championship.

"I owe everything to my family," van Gisbergen said.

Bathurst champions Shane van Gisbergen (R) and Garth Tander.

"Dad is a racer. I'm a pretty big critic of myself, but he's even more so.

"But he's been a great influence, he and my mum have sacrificed a lot and they travel to most races now.

"To have them there and be one of the first people I see after this moment was a really cool thing."

The win erases 14 years of Bathurst failure for van Gisbergen, who has now cemented his place as one of the modern day giants of Supercars.

When the safety car was deployed for a second time with just five laps remaining, the 31-year-old could have been forgiven for thinking the nightmare was happening all over again. 

He was agonisingly close in 2019 when he was beaten by McLaughlin in one of the most controversial finishes in the history of Australian motorsport with Fabian Coulthard and the Shell V-Power Racing team hit with a $250,000 fine when the driver backed up the grid to give McLaughlin an illegal buffer.

He was just 0.1 seconds short of victory in 2016 and would have won the race in 2014 if not for an engine breakdown. 

This is one that can never be taken away from him.

"It’s been a while and I’ve been close a few times, but it doesn’t owe me anything," he said.

"I feel like we earned it, though."

Van Gisbergen said after the race it was his lightning run in the middle of the race on the wet-weather tyres that set up the victory. 

He scorched through the field to take the lead when the rain first arrived - and he simply refused to let anyone take it off him.

Here's how the incredible drama unfolded.

Originally published as Bathurst 2020: Shane van Gisbergen wins Bathurst after safety car madness

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