November 10, 2014 - Shane van Gisbergen is focused on closing the 76 points to second place in the V8 Supercar Championship at the Plus Fitness Phillip Island 400 this weekend.
With just two rounds remaining, Van Gisbergen is third in the points and reeling in Ford rival Mark Winterbottom.
The TEKNO Autosports driver said a consistent weekend at Phillip Island will set him up for a career best series finish.
“I know we’re going to be fast at Homebush, so this will be the more important weekend for points,” Van Gisbergen said.
“We’re in a good championship position but I’m not paying too much attention to where others are. I’m just concentrating on each race.”
The VIP Petfoods/Lucas Oil Commodore has been one of the fastest cars of the past few rounds, with Van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb picking up a win at the Gold Coast three weeks ago, and third overall in the Pirtek Endurance Cup.
The Phillip Island 400 sees the series revert to the Super Sprint format with two 23-lap 100km dashes on Saturday and a 45-lap, 200km thriller.
“We’re carrying a lot of momentum into the event and I’m confident TEKNO Autosports are on top of what we need for a quick car at the Island this year. We were alright last year but could have been better,” he said.
“I’m just going to go out there and give it everything and see where we end up!”
Thoughts on Phillip Island:
“The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is one of the fastest tracks on the calendar. There isn’t any other track that flows like it. You never really know what the weather is going to throw up until you get there, so it’s always a bit of fun.”
Turn 1:
“Turn one, Doohan Corner, is a quick, fifth gear right hander. It can catch guys out if there is a tail wind on the straight.”
Turns 2-4:
“The Southern Loop and Stoner Corner are three smooth left hand turns to set up your run to the hair pin.”
Turn 5:
“The hair pin is the slowest point of the track and the best opportunity to pass, although we’ve seen blokes get it wrong – like Alex Premat last year when he took out James Courtney in a big crash.”
Turns 6:
“Siberia – on a bad day it’s the coldest place on earth.”
Turns 7-9:
“The run to Lukey Heights really flows and is a part of the track you really feel the car work. It sets up the run for the second best place to grab a position.”
Turn 10:
“It's is another slow corner and a good chance to get a position. The approach can be tricky because of the downhill braking zone and the rear of the car is bouncing around, so you have to be careful not to lock up.”
Turns 11 - 12:
“The last two turns are also high speed and challenging. You need to get a good run and not run wide on exit for maximum speed on to Gardner Straight and set it up to do it all again.”
2014 Phillip Island 400 Schedule:
Friday, 14 November
10:05 – 10:25 Practice 1
11:45 – 12:05 Practice 2
13:50 – 14:10 Practice 3
Saturday, 15 November
11:50 – 12:00 Qualifying - Race 33
12:10 – 12:20 Qualifying - Race 34
14:30 – 15:15 Race 33 (23 laps)
16:35 – 17:20 Race 34 (23 laps)
Sunday, 16 November
13:00 – 13:20 Qualifying
15:55 – 17:15 Race 35 (45 laps)
*N.B. The above times are all in Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time.
2014 V8 Supercars Championship Series
Top 10 Drivers' Championship Points
- Jamie Whincup: 2835
- Mark Winterbottom: 2433
- Shane van Gisbergen: 2357
- Craig Lowndes: 2331
- Fabian Coulthard: 2192
- Chaz Mostert: 2147
- James Courtney: 2135
- Scott McLaughlin: 2091
- Garth Tander: 1806
- Michael Caruso: 1688
Top 10 Teams' Championship Points
- Red Bull Racing Australia: 5216
- Ford Pepsi Max Crew: 4605
- Holden Racing Team: 3001
- Brad Jones Racing: 3752
- Norton Hornets: 3274
- Erebus Motorsport V8: 2862
- Valvoline Racing GRM: 2752
- Jack Daniel's Racing: 2713
- Wilson Security Racing: 2687
- Tekno Autosports: 2352*
* Single-car team.
