Shane van Gisbergen’s second Bathurst 1000 win over the weekend was made even more special by his dad Robert who was there to celebrate alongside him.
In 2020, the 33-year-old won his first Bathurst 1000 event alongside Garth Tander but due to COVID-19 restrictions, his dad was forced to watch from his home in New Zealand.
This year was different though, with both father and son finally getting the chance to celebrate the victory together.
“It was also cool to have my family in friends here to share this moment,” SVG said speaking to Supercars. “They missed out on our win in 2020,” he added.
“My dad is finally able to come over to watch our races again.”
July 2022 was the first time van Gisbergen senior finally got to watch his son race from the trackside at Townsville, where Shane also won.
The weekend before Bathurst was also a special moment for both Kiwis as Shane competed in his very first World Rally Championship round, scoring third place in the WRC2 class and ninth overall.
His dad, a keen rally driver himself, was also there to cheer him on.
“I’ve loved racing again with him mainly in rally,” said SVG.
“It’s great to see how much it means to him as well.”
Also cheering him on at the 2022 Bathurst 1000 was the crowd full of Holden fans as it would be the last 161 lap race around Mount Panorama the Australian brand would ever do again.
“It still hasn’t sunk in,” he added.
“To compare our win in 2020, it’s another farewell to Holden. But to have the fans here this time and share it with them is extra special.
“This week especially, I learnt a lot about how much the Holden brand means to so many people. To represent it like we do, it’s a privilege to add to the tally of Holden wins.
“It’s hard to put into words but it’s pretty cool.”
The win also marks van Gisbergen’s 19th win of 2022, beating fellow Kiwi Scott McLaughlin’s record number of wins in a single season.
It now comes down to the final two races of the season where the Kiwi could secure his third Supercars championship title and there’s not doubt his dad will be there to celebrate if he does.
Van Gisbergen next takes to the track at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 28 to 30.
