SVG a back-to-back Supercars champion

Shane van Gisbergen says media commentary spurred his motivation just that little bit more on his way to wrapping up back-to-back Supercars crowns with his 20th win of the season on the Gold Coast.

The New Zealander capped off a record-breaking 2022 with a masterclass on the Surfers Paradise circuit, passing pole-sitter David Reynolds early before racing to a second consecutive drivers' championship.

Speaking after his dominant win in the blistering Queensland heat, van Gisbergen said talk of 'what ifs' around Saturday's race helped keep him focused.

"All the talk of, 'He's going to finish 23rd' or whatever, I use that as motivation," he said.

"I never f***ing started a race to finish 23rd. I do my talking with the finish position."

Entering Saturday's race the New Zealander boasted a 567-point championship margin and needed just 33 points - awarded to the 24th-placed driver - to secure his third career title.

He surpassed that goal emphatically, with his fifth career victory at Surfers Paradise making him the 11th driver in Supercars history to win consecutive drivers' championships.

Starting second on the grid he, and the other top-10 drivers, began with no drama to kickstart the 85 lap, 250 kilometre race.

He hunted pole-sitter David Reynolds through the opening stages like a great white shark; his white and blue front splitter lurking in the rear of Reynolds' vision.

On lap 15 van Gisbergen took a dive down the inside on turn three but was blocked off. The next lap, in the exact same spot, he nailed him, slipping up the inside into first.

His first pit stop was timed perfectly to prevent an undercut by Reynolds and Penrite Racing, his next - on lap 56 - seamless and clean to keep him clear of the pack.

The 33-year-old was untroubled to the finish, securing the 74th win and 165th podium place of his career.

"It's been amazing this year and we've still got a fair way to go," van Gisbergen said.

"I don't want to relax. I want to keep keep doing the job tomorrow and in Adelaide (for the season's final round) as well. But it's been awesome."

With a record 20 wins, and victories in 11 of the last 13 races, van Gisbergen charged into Surfers Paradise with a near insurmountable margin.

Tickford driver Cam Waters was the only man capable of stopping him, but that required Waters winning Saturday's race and the New Zealander finishing 25th or not at all.

But like the rest of 2022, Red Bull's rampaging lead driver dominated to cap off the most dominant Supercars season in history with one round remaining.

Van Gisbergen started the year winning seven of the series' first 10 races, then two of the next eight as the championship toured Perth, Winton and Darwin.

When the Supercars convoy hit the streets of Townsville, he hit another gear, going on to win nine of the next 11 races, none more special than the final two to farewell Pukekohe Park Raceway in his native Auckland.

Then came the pinnacle of Australian motorsport at Mount Panorama.

Driving alongside Supercars legend Garth Tander, van Gisbergen heaved car 97 through driving rain to secure his third Bathurst title and Tander's fifth.

That win was his 19th of 2022, moving him one above Scott McLaughlin's record.

On Saturday he took the chequered flag with an 18 second margin to secure win number 20 from 31 races.