Motorsport: Shane van Gisbergen refuelled after painful injury

Shane van Gisbergen holds a 139-point advantage over second-placed teammate Jamie Whincup. Photo / Photosport

Shane van Gisbergen says he's almost back to full fitness after a March mountain bike crash left him with three broken ribs and needing surgery to repair his collarbone.

The Supercars leader raced in pain at the second round at Sandown — winning all three races — and in Tasmania last month but is grateful for the additional recovery time before this weekend's fourth round at Tailem Bend.

"It's been good to have three weeks off," van Gisbergen told the Weekend Herald. "The time off has really helped me and it's been a good time to recover. I think I'm a lot better now, especially my ribs.

"I've not broken them before and they were awful, really bad, but they're pretty good now. It hasn't been fun, especially with all the racing just after I'd done it, but I've had all the right stuff and good doctors."

After winning the first six races of the season, van Gisbergen was beaten in the last two at Tasmania but is adamant it was a good round for him.

His lead was cut but the 31-year-old Kiwi, sitting on 865 points, still holds a handy 139-point advantage over second-placed teammate Jamie Whincup.

"Some people were commenting we didn't have too good a weekend last time we raced," van Gisbergen said. "I don't know why because we still won a race and our worst result was a fifth. It was still a good weekend and I think we finished second in the points for the weekend."

But this weekend, the Red Bull Ampol Racing Team of van Gisbergen and Whincup might have their work cut out to dominate the three races in South Australia.

"It's not been our strongest track [The Bend] in the past, but we've got a few ideas and new things to try this weekend, so we should be okay," said van Gisbergen.

"We struggle a bit on tracks that are fast, flowing and have long corners. We're always good at places with short corners — street circuits and stuff like that. We've been close in the past [to getting a good car] and that's what all the prep has been about since the last race.

"The practice and qualifying sessions are pretty short, so we have to be straight on it as soon as the car hits the track. There's been no radical changes to the car, so it should be a good improvement," he said.

The depth of talent in the 24-car field is robust and a couple of younger drivers have been fast but not consistently. Will Brown, Bryce Fullwood, Jack Le Brocq and Brodie Kostecki have all earned top-six finishes in the past eight races.

"That's what the competition is all about. We're not going to win every race and will be doing everything we can each time we go out. The car's capable of it [winning every race] but we have to make sure everything else is all right. If so, we'll be up the front somewhere," said van Gisbergen.

"You've got some good, fast young drivers who have been pushing, like Kostecki and [Zane] Goddard.

"In the last race, he was beating me at the start. The future of the sport is looking good, with new drivers coming through, which is awesome.

"It keeps me honest and the cars are so even now ... It's great to see and it's not going to get any easier; they're all getting faster."