Supercars: Townsville 500 ends with awkward exchange for Kiwi star – Motorsport

Shane van Gisbergen has prolonged his direct in the Supercars championship, boasting a sweep of the NTI Townsville 500 in a remarkable complete to race 20.

Van Gisbergen’s closest rival, Anton de Pasquale, was chasing him down in the final stint and bumped van Gisbergen, sending him into a spin whilst trying an formidable overtake.

Realising his blunder, de Pasquale tried a redress to permit van Gisbergen back in entrance prior to the chequered flag, but the Kiwi was acquiring none of it, almost pushing de Pasquale more than the line.

Race officials considered de Pasquale had committed an act of careless driving and gave him a 5-second time penalty, handing the victory to van Gisbergen, though Cam Waters rounded out the podium.

It was van Gisbergen’s 11th get of the year, his 10th in Townsville and 65th of his vocation.

De Pasquale approached van Gisbergen quickly soon after the race to apologise for bumping into him, but the two-time Supercars winner fully brushed him, rejecting the present of a handshake.

“He had a go, you have to regard that,” van Gisbergen mentioned of the incident.

“Car was excellent, but his was better, he ran me down … we’ll have a chat afterwards, I’m offended at the second.”

Van Gisbergen explained by rejecting the redress, he was hoping de Pasquale would be presented a more substantial penalty.

“Yeah, I almost certainly imagined that at the time,” he explained, per Speedcafe.com.

The 33-year-previous was fuming at the time but explained he afterwards cleared the air with de Pasquale, and there have been no hard feelings in between the two drivers.

“I was offended at the time and I needed to rejoice with my fellas,” van Gisbergen stated.

“Then after the interviews, I went and noticed him and claimed pretty much what I mentioned to Jess (Yates, Fox Motorsports host).

“I don’t brain that he experienced a go, I’m indignant that I received spun out but I’m satisfied we’re possessing a fight and I’ve obtained no dilemma with that.

“Maybe he could have done it greater but I was offended.”

De Pasquale mentioned: “I was catching him, experienced a dip, locked the fronts, he spun all around.

“I tried using to give him the placement, but he was seeking to be a bit smarter than that.

“So, it is no worry for me.

“Obviously, I spun him and he was main the race, so he deserves to earn.

“I attempted to give him a place back again (but if) he doesn’t want to get it, that’s on him, but I’m not likely to commence inventing procedures.

“The final results I consider, as we sit here, is form of what it deserves to be for today’s race, so it all works out.”

The Supercars season will resume at the OTR SuperSprint at The Bend in Adelaide on July 29 -31.

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