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AAP
AAP
Sport
Fraser Barton

Double Sandown delight for van Gisbergen

Supercars championship pacesetter Shane van Gisbergen completed a SuperSprint double at Sandown. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO) (AAP)

Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen has produced a flawless display to win both Supercars races at Sandown Raceway.

After roaring home to victory in race 25, van Gisbergen made it win No.16 for the season with a comprehensive and exciting drive to topple Saturday's winner Will Davison.

The pair had an even start off the front row with Davison prevailing through the opening corner but van Gisbergen was hot on his heels and maintained a 0.5 second gap.

The top six drivers could only be separated by less than 1.5 seconds through seven laps before third-placed Chaz Mostert pitted first to undercut his rivals.

On lap 18, van Gisbergen followed suit and his team delivered a crisp 3.6-second tyre change as he hit the track marginally ahead of Mostert.

Davison pitted with a 33.6-second margin over a charging van Gisbergen, but the pace of the Red Bull was too much as it surged past Davison down the back straight and into the lead.

The Shell V-Power driver battled with Mostert for second before gaining on van Gisbergen in clean air with two laps to go, but the New Zealander held on for his 70th career win and fifth from his past six starts at Sandown Raceway.

"I knew it was going to be tough and whoever led the first two laps probably had the best chance of winning the race" van Gisbergen told reporters.

"I just went all out and didn't care about tyre life or anything and I just wanted to get in front.

"We went for the undercut which is unusual for us, and then I just sort of managed the pace to him (Davison)

"And then when he came out, I went for it."

Mostert was pipped late by Broc Feeney who started ninth on the grid, making it a Red Bull Ampol double podium and Feeney's first since Tasmania earlier this year.

Earlier, van Gisbergen prevailed from pole position as he claimed his 15th win of the season just hours after registering his 43rd career pole.

He increased his imposing series lead with the comfortable victory in the 36-lap Supersprint.

Van Gisbergen was threatened briefly by Mostert and Feeney heading into turn one but came out ahead and never looked back.

Will Davison claimed pole spot for Sunday's final Supercars race at Sandown. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO) (AAP)

One of the last drivers to pit for their compulsory stop, he re-entered the race ahead of all who had pitted, seeing the chequered flag with a 7.3-second margin.

The flying van Gisbergen has maintained the dominant form that brought him the 2021 title, winning 60 per cent of the races this season.

He will return to New Zealand in the next leg of Supercars as a hot favourite to earns the spoils on home soil.

SUPERCARS RACE 26 RESULT

1. Shane van Gisbergen (Red Bull Ampol Racing)

2. Will Davison (Shell V-Power Racing) +0.461 Five bonus points for fastest lap

3. Broc Feeney (Red Bull Ampol Racing) +11.804

4. Chaz Mostert (Mobil 1(tm) Optus Racing) +15.263

5. Mark Winterbottom (Irwin Racing +15.409

SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1. Shane van Gisbergen (Red Bull Ampol Racing) 2493 pts

2. Cameron Waters (Monster Energy Racing) 1993 pts

3. Will Davison (Shell V-Power Racing) 1974 pts

4. Anton De Pasqual (Shell V-Power Racing) e 1971 pts

5. Chaz Mostert (Mobil 1(tm) Optus Racing) 1764 pts.

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