SVG Gets A Cushy Ride For Sandown
The cabin of Shane van Gisbergen’s Commodore is being turned into a part-time recovery ward for the Sandown Supercars races.
As he battles to recover from surgery on a broken collarbone, the Red Bull Ampol crew has done all it can to ease his pain and discomfort ahead of the second leg of this year’s Supercars championship in Melbourne.
If their work is unsuccessful, or if van Gisbergen cannot cope with the pain and discomfort of driving, he will be replaced by Garth Tander.
“Ultimately, it’s down to him. He’ll assess things as he goes over the weekend,” a team spokesperson told Race News.
The problem is with SvG’s left arm.
The team will not go into details, but with a metal plate inserted into his broken bone there is likely to be considerable discomfort and pain from the injury despite an accelerated recovery program including time in a hyperbaric chamber, which uses a high-pressure environment to improve healing.
Inside the car, the Triple Eight crew have made two small but significant changes.
“There is some padding that we’re calling an armrest. And the load on the gear shifter has been lightened,” the spokesperson said.
“We want to make him as comfortable in the car as possible.”
Although Tander is on standby if van Gisbergen cannot complete his driving duties, the Supercars championship leader is still highly likely to make it through the weekend.
He stepped out of the Triple Eight car that competed last weekend in the GT World Challenge Australia events at Phillip Island, where his spot alongside Prince Jefri Ibrahim of Johore was taken by Jamie Whincup, because it could have threatened his Supercars comeback.
But no-one at The Bulls is pushing him.
“Ultimately, it’s down to him. He’ll assess it as he goes over the weekend,” the spokesperson said.
“His health and well-being is first and foremost. That’s not just in racing, that’s in everyday life.
“If at any point he decides he is not comfortable then we have to listen to him.”
If that happens, Tander will return to a main game sprint race for the first time since he was dropped by Garry Rogers Motorsport. But there is no official confirmation.
“We have a plan B. That might or might not be Garth Tander,” the spokesperson told Race News.
