Van Gisbergen only has eyes on Gold Coast

Supercars series leader Shane van Gisbergen may be in sight of a maiden championship but the Holden star insists he is only focusing on the Pirtek Cup.

His eyes are firmly on the prize.

But it's not a maiden Supercars championship title that series leader Shane van Gisbergen has in his sights ahead of this weekend's Gold Coast 600.

Flying Kiwi van Gisbergen is in the box seat for the 2016 drivers' crown after emerging from a controversial Bathurst 1000 with his series championship lead intact.

However, the Holden star insists he only has one thing on his mind this week - the Pirtek Cup for best endurance driver.

The Pirtek Cup will be decided after the third and final endurance round - the Gold Coast 600.

Van Gisbergen and co-driver Alex Premat are just six points behind Pirtek Cup leaders Will Davison and Jon Webb.

"We've got to keep the momentum going," van Gisbergen said on Wednesday.

"The endurance season is up for grabs and that's what we are pushing for this weekend."

Now in its fourth year, the Pirtek Cup is growing in stature among the drivers, van Gisbergen says.

"Definitely. And the endurance section of the year is the most important part," he said.

"It sets you up for the run home and whether you are in contention or not.

"I never think about the championship until after this round.

"We will get this weekend out of the way and then see how we stack up."

Van Gisbergen leads the series with 2524 points, ahead of Holden teammate Jamie Whincup (2385) and Craig Lowndes (2205) after a controversial Bathurst 1000.

Whincup crossed the line first but was relegated to 11th due to a time penalty for a late incident.

It helped van Gisbergen finish second behind Holden's Will Davison and boost his series lead.

But van Gisbergen said he would not dare to dream of improving on his 2014 second place and claiming a maiden Supercars title while at the "crazy" Gold Coast street circuit.

"There's always carnage here," van Gisbergen said.

"The key is not get involved in stupid battles early.

"There is a lot at stake. The (series) gap is not that big when you think about it.

"You need to get through here clean and then start thinking about how many points you have got."

Practice for the Gold Coast 600 starts on Friday.


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world