Van Gisbergen Given All Clear for Bathurst

Shane van Gisbergen has been given the all-clear to compete in Round 2 of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS at Bathurst this weekend.

The 31-year-old New Zealander, who has won the opening five races of the Supercars championship, the last three coming while battling a broken collarbone from a mountain bike mishap, will team up with Prince Jefri Ibrahim in Triple Eight’s Mercedes Benz AMG GT3 Evo.

Fellow Supercars star Jamie Whincup filled in for van Gisbergen in the inaugural GTWC Australia weekend at Phillip Island.

“I’m really excited to get back into our GT car,” said van Gisbergen.

“Unfortunately I missed the first round in Phillip Island, but any time you get to drives laps around Bathurst is awesome, especially in a GT car which is always cool. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve been working a fair bit with Iman [Prince Jefri], especially on the simulator and track days at Norwell Motorplex, and even did some races with other cars on track so he can got a feel for everything.

“There’s nothing you can do to prepare yourself for Bathurst other than race laps, which is going to be the hardest thing.”

The No. 888 Mercedes is among a field of 18 GT3 cars entered for the second round of the championship.

Phillip Island dominators Garth Tander and Yasser Shahin, who won both races in their The Bend Motorsport Park-backed Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, currently hold a 17-point lead in the Pro-Am class championship over the Triple Eight Mercedes.

While the majority of the entrants in all classes have remained unchanged from Phillip Island, one new addition in the Pro-Am ranks is Carrera Cup regular David Wall, who joins Adrian Deitz in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.

Heading the GT Trophy Series class is Brett Hobson in his Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 after finishing third overall and first in class in Race 1.

Arthur Abrahams and Tony Quinn, meanwhile are locked on equal points in the GT Am class.

The series will again two one hour races this weekend, one each on Saturday and Sunday.