Having won the previous year in the same car, the only previous Bathurst winning car on track this weekend, poses a big advantage. Triple Eight can start their campaign with a known winning set up for that chassis and hopefully make just minor adjustments from there.
Two big variables that may complicate things this year, the co-drivers and the weather. With no Endurance series able to run this year due to a COVID-impacted calendar, the Bathurst co-drivers will not have the same seat time leading into Bathurst. A critical factor given the unforgiving nature of the circuit and the difficulty of driving these 650HP, 1400kg beasts.
Also at the time of writing, Bathurst has experienced one of the most torrential downpours of rain in years, track maintenance are feverishly trying to evacuate standing water from the road circuit. And that rain is looking like it may persist for the week.
Each of those factors play into Shane van Gisbergen’s hands. His co-driver will be the four-time Bathurst Winner and Supercars stalwart, Garth Tander who helped SVG secure his first win last year. A very safe and capable pair of hands in relation to many other co drivers.
And van Gisbergen typically shines in the wet, falling back on his experience in drifting and rallying to deliver unearthly car control, a wet race could easily prove advantageous to Shane.
While the talent has been on show years, Shane is no longer the journeyman at Triple Eight Racing and the new era for the team and indeed, SVG’s chances for another Bathurst victory are exciting. The apprentice has well and truly become the #888 master.