Top Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen has endured another frustrating run in Australia’s ‘Great Race,’ the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

After setting the sixth fastest lap time in qualifying on Friday, then the third quickest lap in the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday van Gisbergen
and co-driver Luke Youlden looked looked like possible race winners.

However tyre problems and a miscalculation of the number of laps Youlden had to complete torpedoed the pair’s podium chances and though he set the fastest race lap as he stormed back through the field in his final stint, van Gisbergen could only make it back up to 12th place at the flag.

Shane van Gisbergen
“We had a fast car but we just weren’t able to do anything with it today, so I’m feeling a little disappointed. It was just one of those days where we just kept getting pushed back and stuff kept going wrong, but this place is never easy. Luke did a great job all weekend and I’m looking ahead now to Gold Coast and racing with my international co-driver, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and getting to use the soft tyres in that race.”

Luke Youlden
“Disappointment is probably a good word for how I’m feeling after the race. It’s a long day and Shane did an awesome job particularly in the first stint. There were probably a couple of other quicker guys out there in my first stint, then the safety car came out at probably the wrong time for us, it was probably 10 laps too short for us in terms of the driver time.

“We also had two tyre issues, one with Shane and one with me. With Shane we had to stop really early, with me it was at the end of my stint but we probably lost four or five seconds. That along with a mistake with driver laps and the timing of pit stops because of the safety car meant we couldn’t get back to the front.

“Overall I’m happy with the way I drove and the way Shane drove, but with Bathurst you need that luck thing as well and things just didn’t fall our way.”

In terms of the series itself the situation wasn’t quite as bad with van Gisbergen retaining fifth in the overall points standings behind long-time leader and this year’s Bathurst winner Jamie Whincup, his Vodafone teammate Craig Lowndes who finished third today, and FPR teammates Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison,
 
Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
Qualifying (Friday)
1. Jamie Whincup 2:07.7145*
2. Fabian Coulthard 2:07.7931
3. Mark Winterbottom 2:07.9231
4. Will Davison 2:07.9296
5. Craig Lowndes 2:07.9663
6. Shane Van Gisbergen (SP Tools Ford Falcon) 2:08.0799
7. Tim Slade 2:08.0912
8. Garth Tander 2:08.1045
9. Steve Owen 2:08.1386
10. David Reynolds 2:08.2312

Top 10 Shootout  (Sat)
1. Will Davison 2:08.0693*
2. Jamie Whincup 2:08.1008
3. Shane Van Gisbergen (SP Tools Ford Falcon) 2:08.1791
4. Mark Winterbottom 2:08.1963
5. Fabian Coulthard 2:08.3385
6. Garth Tander 2:08.4755
7. Tim Slade 2:08.5995
8. David Reynolds 2:08.8866
9. Craig Lowndes 2:09.0997
10. Steve Owen 2:10.0723

2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
1. J.Whincup/P.Dumbrell 06:16:01.3304
2. D.Reynolds/D.Canto 06:16:01.6433
3. C.Lowndes/W.Luff 06:16:10.1189
4. J.Courtney/C.McConville 06:16:10.8345
5. M.Caruso/G.Ritter 06:16:12.4332
6. J.Webb/S.McLaughlin 06:16:19.5156
7. T.Slade/A.Thompson 06:16:22.3738
8. L.Holdsworth/C.Baird 06:16:29.0058
9. R.Ingall/C.Klien 06:16:43.3869
10. J.Moffat/A.Davison 06:16:46.1079
11. M.Winterbottom/S.Richards 06:16:56.2806
12. S.Van Gisbergen/L.Youlden (SP Tools Ford Falcon) 06:16:58.6215
139 (Fastest race laps 2:09.5962)

Points after Rnd 21 of 29
1. Jamie Whincup 2772
2. Craig Lowndes 2611
3. Mark Winterbottom 2584
4. Will Davison 2302
5. Shane van Gisbergen (SP Tools Ford Falcon) 2020
6. Tim Slade 1854
7. Garth Tander 1824
8. David Reynolds 1680
9. Lee Holdsworth 1629
10. Fabian Coulthard 1613