SVG "gutted" after starter motor failure

TEKNO Autosports has been left devastated after a starter motor drama when it looked like the small team would pull of a win at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Shane van Gisbergen nabbed the lead for the second time late in the race, setting lap records on 142 and 147, and was one of the first to peel into the pits for a 'splash and dash' to the 161-lap finish.

But when the Kiwi tried to pull away from the pit bay, he stalled the car - and couldn't get it started again.

Van Gisbergen lost valuable time, and the team ultimately had to garage the #97 that could have delivered the quick Kiwi his first Bathurst 1000 podium finish.

Post-race, van Gisbergen told v8supercars.com.au he was gutted, and even admitted the drama could have been his fault.

"We had a fantastic car at the end, so pretty gutted really," the 25-year old said.

"We just tried to get it going again - unfortunately the starter motor was dead, but the motor just overfuelled and stalled, so I think it was my doing.

"Just gutted it didn't start up and fire away like it should do when it stalls.

"The car was not very good at the start, we were in and amongst it, but it got better and better all day as we planned."

Van Gisbergen is often revered as one of the field's most naturally talented drivers, with a knack for leaving nothing on the table. At a time when cars were thought to conserve, he was knocking out qualifying-style laps around Mount Panorama.

"Our car was good. I just pushed as hard as I could and some good passes for the top positions - it was just a shame we couldn't pull it off.

"But that's this place, everyone has their story here. Hasn't bee a good place to me in the past, I just have to come back and come back next year."

He wasn't surprised to see such a chaotic race given the track surface and the feel of the cars coming into the weekend.

"I knew it was going to happen - practice the last few days was crazy, everyone's doing their best but there were some evil handling cars.

"A lot of crashes and mistakes out there which was going to happen, the cars were very hard to drive so credit to everyone who did well and stayed out of trouble all day, they deserved it."

Team boss and co-driver Jonathon Webb felt they had all the ingredients to win the race.

"From what I can see, we had it in the bag there at the end and somewhere there's always a 30 cent part that gives up way at the end just with the starter," Webb said.

"At the end of the day, something let us down and it's disappointing. Obviously, Shane's shattered now.

"He had great speed all day, worked his ass off the whole weekend - the car wasn't good at the start and it really wasn't great until we got to the race."

Webb felt starting from the front row - after van Gisbergen earned ARMOR ALL Pole Position - was a special moment for the team, and that in the end, "it just wasn't meant to be".

The team was able to get the car back out and finish in 16th three laps down.

In the Championship, van Gisbergen is tied in fourth with James Courtney, both with 2096 points and 451 away from leader Jamie Whincup.