Van Gisbergen/Stanaway take dominant victory

The #97 Purple Bull Camaro benefitted from the timing of a lap 27 security automobile, having pitted shortly earlier than the warning to leap the sister #88 entry, which had led the race to that time. 

As soon as in entrance the double stack proved problematic for the #88, serving to the #97 right into a commanding place because the race wore on.

A gearshift tower difficulty would later extinguish the risk from the #88 totally, whereas steering considerations for Brodie Kostecki within the closing levels helped van Gisbergen to a 20 second victory.

It marked a 3rd for the NASCAR-bound Kiwi, and a primary Nice Race crown for Stanaway, who will return to Supercars as a full-timer with Grove Racing subsequent season.

Kostecki cruised to second place alongside David Russell, leaving the Erebus driver well-placed for the title with simply two rounds to go. 

His lead is 131 factors over van Gisbergen, whereas Brown, who completed eighth alongside Jack Perkins, is now third due to Feeney’s mechanical misfortune, albeit 390 factors behind.

Feeney, in the meantime, faces an uphill battle for the title, the hole to Kostecki 408 factors with simply 600 left on the desk. 

Anton De Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto rounded out the rostrum for Dick Johnson Racing, main a quartet of Fords on a weekend when parity was firmly within the highlight. 

The second half of the race began with Stanaway stalking race chief David Russell.

The hole bought right down to nicely inside a second when Russell took to the lane for a fourth cease on lap 90, handing over the automobile to Kostecki for the run to the flag.

Two laps later two of the lead group peeled into the pits, one being Jamie Whincup, who had labored his method as much as third, and the opposite being D’Alberto in fourth. They each handed over to their respective co-drivers Feeney and De Pasquale, who resumed in that order.

On lap 96 Triple Eight determined to pit the race chief, Stanaway handing over to van Gisbergen for the run house. The Kiwi emerged with round 6s in hand over Kostecki, who was in efficient second forward of Will Brown and Feeney – a minimum of till Brown known as an early finish to the stint and hit the lane.

That hole between van Gisbergen and Kostecki steadily grew to over 10 seconds throughout the stint with one other eight seconds again to Feeney in third place.

That is how issues stood when Kostecki stopped on lap 115, with Feeney following go well with a lap later and managing to get again out forward of the #99 entry. 

Van Gisbergen waited one other three laps earlier than stopping for gasoline, tyres and brakes, a clear cease serving to him again out 9 seconds forward of Feeney and 11 seconds away from Kostecki. 

Initially there have been considerations over the #97 with van Gisbergen reporting a tender brake pedal again to the Triple Eight storage. 

On the similar time Feeney decreased the deficit to van Gisbergen from that 9 seconds down to 5 seconds. After a handful of laps, nevertheless, van Gisbergen returned to a rhythm and stabilised the hole again to his teammate.

On lap 137 there was heartbreak for Feeney as a strong second place, and ongoing hopes of a win, had been each dashed by a gearbox failure down Conrod Straight. Feeney rolled again to the pits the place he reduce a distraught determine within the automobile because the crew tried operating repairs.

He would ultimately return to the race however 20 laps down. 

By lap 145 the hole between van Gisbergen and Kostecki was 16 seconds, the latter then peeling into the lane for this remaining cease.

Van Gisbergen waited one other three laps to do likewise, returning together with his comfy lead nicely and actually in tact.

Each drivers complained of steering points throughout that final stint, nevertheless each made it to the end, van Gisbergen 20 seconds away from Kostecki and 33 seconds away from De Pasquale.

Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth had been the second better of the Fords in fourth, the pair having fought again from a troublesome first stint in admirable trend.

David Reynolds and Garth Tander fought again from their early drive-through to complete fifth forward of James Courtney/Zak Greatest, who survived a gnarly second at Skyline halfway by the race. 

Bryce Fullwood/Dean Fiore ended up seventh for Brad Jones Racing, with Brown/Perkins eighth after ranging from seventeenth and copping a number of double stacks.

Jack Le Brocq/Jayden Ojeda completed ninth for Matt Stone Racing with James Golding/Dylan O’Keeffe rounding out the highest 10.

The 2023 Repco Supercars season continues with its penultimate spherical on the Gold Coast on the final weekend in October.

Race outcomes: