Reigning Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has become the first driver to crack the magical 300km/h mark at the Bathurst 1000 in this new Gen3 era.
Supercars GPS data officially clocked van Gisbergen at 300.5km/h coming down Conrod Straight during Friday’s qualifying – which put the Kiwi superstar into the top 10 shootout.
It’s the first official time a Supercar has been clocked at 300km/h.
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Van Gisbergen needed until the final lap of Friday’s session to qualify in seventh – not having missed a Bathurst shootout since 2010.
The reigning Supercars champ thanked rival James Courtney for his final lap speed when speaking with Fox Motorsport.
“Thanks to James Courtney I just got a tow off him – we didn’t really have the pace but he just pulled me along which was good so we snuck in (to the shootout),” van Gisbergen said.
“We kind of prioritised the race car which made us not very good in qualifying so we’re up there but we’ll see.
“We’ll try (for front row) but we’re not focused on that – we’re focused on the race car.
“We’ll have a go.”
Van Gisbergen had been off the pace for much of the qualifying session, complaining he felt like he was “out the window” trying to maintain control during the session.
“That’s the most high stress, high stakes performance that you get in this game,” commentator Mark Skaife said of van Gisbergen’s final seconds effort to jump into the Top 10.
“With his back against the wall, he’s delivered again,” Chad Neylon added.
The 300km/h feat is a remarkable achievement considering it’s the Brodie Kostecki car #99 that has set the pace all weekend.
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Kostecki currently sits on provisional pole after topping time sheets from the moment his Camaro rolled off the truck.
But in promising signs for reigning Bathurst champion van Gisbergen, it was his teammate Richie Stanaway who topped the final co-driver practice on Saturday.
Stanaway, partnering his fellow Kiwi compatriot for the first time since Garth Tander’s deflection to Penrite, was impressive in his drive.
“He’s reinvigorated isn’t he?” commentator Greg Murphy said of Stanaway.
“We’ve seen the change from the demise of his career as it seemed in 2019.
“To see him enjoying his racing again … for me it’s incredibly good to watch.
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“His enthusiasm about racing has come back.
“We can see it in his eyes and we’re going to be better off seeing him in a car and applying his trade the only way he knows how to – and that’s flat out.”
