12 Oct 2014

The Giz on pole at Bathurst

9:24 am on 12 October 2014

The New Zealand V8s driver Shane van Gisbergen has won pole position for today's Bathurst 1000, edging defending champion Mark Winterbottom and compatriot Scott McLaughlin.

Shane van Gisbergen roars around Mount Panorama

Shane van Gisbergen roars around Mount Panorama Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Van Gisbergen becomes the first New Zealand pole-sitter at Bathurst since his childhood hero Greg Murphy, taking pole in a reduced top-nine shootout at Mount Panorama, following the withdrawal of Garth Tander and Warren Luff's Holden Racing Team entry.

The aggressive Aucklander may not have beaten Murphy's 'lap of the gods' time but he used it as motivation to grab one of Australia's most cherished prizes - pole position at Bathurst.

Van Gisbergen revealed he watched Murphy's famous 2003 lap - he was 15 at that time - moments before setting out, to pump him up.

"I watched the lap of the gods before I got in the car and got pumped. I was pretty excited," Van Gisbergen said.

"It was one of my career highlights for sure - maybe not my best lap but certainly a pretty important one."

Murphy's shootout record remains despite the qualifying and practice times being smashed multiple times on the freshly resurfaced Mount Panorama.