Supercars championship leader Shane van Gisbergen has punished his Ford rivals' mistakes and misfortune to claim his 12th win of a remarkable season at the Sydney SuperNight event on Sunday.
Van Gisbergen began the 32-lap race at Sydney Motorsport Park behind both Shell V-Power drivers Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison.
De Pasquale, the race winner on Saturday evening, had continued his perfect weekend by securing both pole positions for Sunday's races in qualifying but bogged his Mustang on the start line to fall to seventh place.
Starting from sixth, van Gisbergen pounced to climb through the field and was trailing De Pasquale's teammate Davison by three seconds at the front of the pack nearing the half-way mark.
Just as Davison appeared to be cruising to a win, however, an electrical failure in his Mustang forced him to do a restart of his car's power system during the mandatory pit-stop.
Van Gisbergen, who had been right on Davison's bumper as the pair went down pit lane, made the most of his chance to jump past the two-time Bathurst winner.
The Red Bull Ampol Racing star's pace was too hot for De Pasquale - who was running on significantly older tyres having pitted earlier in the race - who let van Gisbergen and Davison pass with under 10 laps remaining.
"We had a bit of luck obviously with whatever dramas they had but perfect pit-stop, Red Bull Ampol Racing boys, and got out in front," van Gisbergen told Fox Sports.
"We do have a big lead but it's not done yet. We have to make sure everyone knows we're here to win races and not just collect points ... I'm here to have a crack."
Frustrated Davison came home second with Holden's Nick Percat securing a third-place finish to continue his strong form in the first event for the championship since July due to a COVID-enforced hiatus.
"We lost all dash and comms on lap two," a gutted Davison said.
"When I came in for the stop with no lights, no gear position and it just sort of had a blackout in the pitlane.
"So I was just trundling down the pit lane with no electrics at all ... can't believe it.
"These things happen, it's just to be in that position ... I won't lie, I'm devastated."
Van Gisbergen's nearest championship rival, teammate Jamie Whincup, could only finish seventh ensuring the New Zealander's title lead has now extended to 348 points heading into Sunday's second 32-lap race.
De Pasquale will look for redemption in the day's second race when he starts from P1 at 4.25pm.
