The Kiwi domination of V8 Supercars continued today when Shane Van Gisbergen reigned in the rain to win race three of the non-championship series at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne today.
The Tekno Team VIP driver streaked clear to win the third of four sprint races from Craig Lowndes (Red Bull Racing) and his teammate and boss Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports). This followed the two wins yesterday by compatriot Fabian Coulthard (Lockwood Racing).
Van Gisbergen, who won the second race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide earlier in the month, was in a class of his own in the wet conditions today. Starting from ninth on the grid, the young New Zealander moved up four places by the first corner and took little more than one lap to get passed Coulthard to take the lead.
Van Gisbergen made a mistake in the conditions to slide off the track on the second lap but it only took another lap to regain the lead. He was never challenged from that point; the only driver under the two minute 12 second barrier and eventually winning by nearly 13 seconds in a championship usually decided by parts of seconds.
Fellow Kiwis Jonny Reid (Wilson Security Ford) and Scott McLaughlin (Fujitsu Racing Holden) finished near the rear of the field in the 12-lap race around the Albert Park circuit, ahead of the final qualifying for the F1 drivers in tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix.
