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Drama as Shane van Gisbergen secures Supercars double in Townsville

Reigning champion Shane van Gisbergen has claimed back-to-back Supercars win in Townsville.

Reigning champion Shane van Gisbergen has claimed back-to-back Supercars win in Townsville. Photo: AAP/Edge Photographics

Shane van Gisbergen has won back-to-back races at the NTI Townsville 500 after a chaotic finish that saw the Supercars star turned around on the final corner by rival driver Anton De Pasquale.

Van Gisbergen led his championship rival in a blistering final few laps, with De Pasquale throwing everything at the New Zealander in the dying stages.

As van Gisbergen’s Red Bull rounded the final corner, De Pasquale came roaring along the inside and collected the middle of his rival’s car.

De Pasquale attempted to redress the lead as van Gisbergen sat right behind him on the finish the line, going over in second place.

But race officials handed De Pasquale a five-second time penalty to give the race to reigning champion van Gisbergen.

Adding to the drama was van Gisbergen brushing off his rival when approached in pit lane after the race.

The second race result all but cements the Red Bull Ampol driver as next in line as king of the north, after wrapping up consecutive wins.

He now only trails former teammate Jamie Whincup (12) with 10 wins at the circuit.

Unlike Saturday’s race, van Gisbergen didn’t need to channel his inner cowboy and lasso his competitors one by one before roaring home to victory.

Starting fourth on the grid behind two Shell V-Power drivers and pole-sitter Cameron Waters, the New Zealander narrowly avoided some first-lap carnage before pitting just before De Pasquale.

Shell V-Power reacted immediately by bringing in De Pasquale, but it rued the mistake of taking too much fuel on as the pair went side by side down the straight and the Red Bull driver crisscrossed into the lead.

He grew his advantage enough before his second stop and shift to super soft tyres, before the carnage of the final corner.

The win caps off a stellar weekend for the championship leader after missing out in Darwin’s previous leg.

The Kiwi has now won seven of the past nine races at Townsville’s Reid Park circuit, with Triple Eight Racing winning their 22nd since 2009.

Cameron Waters rounded out the podium after an electric battle with Chaz Mostert that matched the one-two finishers for intensity.

But the drive of the day went to Will Davison after suffering a flat tyre on lap one before battling back from last to finish seventh.

-AAP 

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