'Chills': Awesome image exposes sad truth at Bathurst 1000

This year’s Bathurst 1000 was a special one for Holden and winner Garth Tander said the final image of Shane van Gisbergen flying the team flag around the track would remain in the memory of fans for a long time.

Van Gisbergen and Tander won the Bathurst 1000 in a huge battle of attrition against Cameron Waters and Will Davison, winning by less than one second in a thrilling contest.

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The safety car was deployed twice in the final 10 laps, with the second appearance coming after Zane Goddard hit the wall at Reid Park with just five laps left to race.

The flurry of late incidents compressed the field, handing Waters multiple chances to find a way past van Gisbergen after he started the race on pole position.

It took some time for track marshals to clear the debris from Goddard’s late wreck, leaving just four laps for Holden driver van Gisbergen to hold off Waters.

But after the memorable win, Tander revealed the special moment that will stick in the fans’ memory and his following the victory.

While only 4,000 spectators were able to attend Bathurst 1000, due to the restrictions in place for the coronavirus pandemic, many witnessed a landmark moment post-race.

Van Gisbergen’s lap of honour with Holden flag

Tander told The World Wide of Sports that the team were unaware where van Gisbergen was following the race, which is when he found out the champion had fetched the Holden flag from a fan.

"That was pretty cool, we were all waiting at the podium wondering where he was, then we found out later he'd stopped to pick up the Holden flag," Tander told the publication.

"It was an awesome image, and that will mean a lot to all the Holden supporters, obviously being the last official involvement for Holden at Bathurst.

"Holden fans have been so passionate over the journey about Bathurst, and it was great to be able to repay their support."

Images showed van Gisbergen stopping and a man handing the Holden flag to the champion.

Fans flocked to social media to share in the monumental and emotional moment for racing fans.

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