Shane van Gisbergen has sealed his third Supercars Championship title after claiming an unassailable championship lead in the opening race of the 2022 Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
 
The 2022 champion-elect went into the penultimate round of the 2022 season with a comfortable 557-point gap over his closest rival in Cameron Waters, who was the only driver in title contention
 
Needing only to score a points-finish in either one of the season’s four remaining races, van Gisbergen claimed the championship convincingly with a win by over 17 seconds from David Reynolds in the first race at Surfers Paradise.
 
With just 450 points now on offer for rest of the season, van Gisbergen’s new lead at the conclusion of the race makes it impossible for any other driver to surpass him at the top of the standings.
 
In winning his third title, the Triple Eight Race Engineering star joins compatriot Scott McLaughlin, Craig Lowndes and Peter Brock as three-time winners of Australia’s premier touring car category.
 
He also becomes just the 11th driver in Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars history to win three or more championships, and the 11th driver to secure titles in consecutive years. 
 
This year has proved to be van Gisbergen’s most commanding season since joining the championship more than a decade ago, with his win on the Gold Coast marking his 20th of the season and thus breaking the record of race wins in a single season. 
 
In addition to his record breaking run of 20 wins, van Gisbergen has also claimed a further six podiums in 2022, which puts his on the most equal most amount of podium finishes in a single season.
 
The two-time Bathurst 1000 winner is also one of eight drivers to finish every race this season, with all but two of his results being outside the top 10.  
 
Motorsport Australia President Andrew Fraser congratulated van Gisbergen on securing his title.
 
“On behalf of all those at Motorsport Australia, I congratulate Shane on his becoming the 2022 Champion Elect,” Fraser said. 
 
“To win the toughest motor racing category in Australia on one occasion is a difficult feat, but to do it three times in your career, two of which were in consecutive years, is a testament to his outstanding talent and hard work as he has relentlessly sought improvement every year. 
 
“It’s been an incredible year from Shane and I am sure I speak on behalf of many motorsport fans when I say how much in awe we are of his talent. I suspect he will continue break more records the longer he keeps racing in many forms of our sport.

While van Gisbergen was the major story of the race, Reynolds was the next best in second place after sensationally claiming pole position earlier on Saturday. It was a closer battle, with Chaz Mostert and Will Davison separated by barely one and a half seconds. van Gisbergen's nearest title rival Cam Waters was a further 30 seconds behind in fifth.
 
The Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 continues tomorrow with Race 32 to take place at 2:15pm AEST.