Photo: Supercars

Shane van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway dominates 2023 Bathurst 1000 race

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Reigning Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen, who leaves for NASCAR next year, and co-driver Richie Stanaway dominated the 2023 Bathurst 1000 race for Triple Eight Race Engineering.

But as the lights went out at the start, it was team-mate Jamie Whincup who claimed the lead from second on the grid in the #88 Chevrolet Camaro.

A first safety car was issued on lap 27 when Porsche ace Kevin Estre went off at Turn 1, a safety car period which saw the #97 duo of van Gisbergen and Stanaway getting ahead of Whincup/Broc Feeney.

And the bad luck continued for Whincup/Feeney who hit gearbox issues on lap 136, dropping them out of contention to ultimately finish 23rd, 19 laps behind.

David Reynolds was hit with a drive through penalty for overtaking Feeney during the safety car session. Reynolds handed third position back to Feeney, but still had to serve the penalty, dropping the Penrite Racing of Reynolds and Garth Tander down the order.

There was contact between Dale Wood and Scott Pye on lap 39, sending Wood into the Wall at the final corner of the lap, forcing the safety car back on track for a second time.

The #8 entry of Wood and Andre Heimgartner later retired on lap 68 due to an engine issue.

A third safety car session came when James Moffat hit the wall hard at the Dipper on lap 70, limping back a severely damaged Ford Mustang into the Tickford Racing garage to retire.

Van Gisbergen (Chevrolet) crossed the finishing line first, close to 20 seconds ahead of the Erebus Motorsport duo of Brodie Kostecki and David Russell (Chevrolet).

Dick Johnson Racing drivers Anton De Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto claimed the final podium position, heading four Ford Mustang drivers with Mostert/Holdsworth fourth, Reynolds/Tander fifth and Courtney/Best sixth.

Kostecki remains on top of the championship standings, with van Gisbergen closing the gap to 131 points.

Kostecki’s team-mate Will Brown, who finished eighth in the race, has climbed to third overall while Feeney has dropped to fourth following his gearbox misfortunes.

Next up os the Gold Coast 500 on October 27-29.