Van Gisbergen 10 laps short of victory

Co-driver Paul Morris, right, and driver Chaz Mostert of the #6 Pepsi Max Crew Ford celebrate after winning the Bathurst 1000. Photo / Getty Images

A day that promised so much ended in nothing but pain for Kiwi driver Shane Van Gisbergen.

The New Zealander last night erred when an agonising 10 laps short of winning the Bathurst 1000 and becoming the first Kiwi since 2004 to lead his car to victory in the great race.

Van Gisbergen led the field around Mt Panorama for almost 30 laps as the race entered its closing stages but calamity struck when the podium was within touching distance. The 25-year-old was facing a real fight to hold off eventual winner Chaz Mostert and defending champion Jamie Whincup, but the expected showdown never eventuated after a pit lane error halted the Kiwi's flight.

Having taken on the last drop of fuel he needed to steer his Holden to the end of the 161-lap epic, Van Gisbergen stalled when he was set to speed away. The car failed to restart and, although he eventually re-entered the race, the damage was done.

It was an excruciating way to end what had been an impressive day. A successful fuel stop would have given the Kiwi a chance of taking the chequered flag but he was instead left to settle for 16th.

A win would have made Van Gisbergen the first lead driver from this country since Greg Murphy to win the premier event in Australian motorsport, with Steven Richards last year helping Winterbottom to victory.

Kiwi Scott McLaughlin also saw victory slip away, crashing out with 42 laps to go after leading for most of the race. The 21-year-old, with French co-driver Alex Premat, was in control when the race was stopped for an hour because of the poor road surface at turn two. They continued to dominate before McLaughlin hit the wall on lap 119 at The Cutting section of the course.

In the end it was a dramatic victory for Mostert, who passed Whincup late into the final lap as the four-time champion ran out of fuel.

The 22-year-old started from stone last in 25th place on the grid to finish four seconds ahead of Nissan's James Moffat, with Nick Percat of Holden in third.

It was just Mostert's second start in the endurance classic and the 22nd start for co-driver Paul Morris.

Whincup produced one of the greatest drives to get to the front from way back in 23rd on the grid, but he did not quite have enough fuel and could only coast across the line in fifth place.

Before Mostert's win yesterday, no driver had won the endurance classic from further back than 19th - a feat achieved by the late great Peter Brock, David Parsons and Peter McLead in 1987.

Van Gisbergen's error left last year's podium finishers Mark Winterbottom of Ford, Whincup and Craig Lowndes to fight it out for victory.

A clash between Lowndes and Winterbottom ended both their hopes of a win, though, with Lowndes penalised for clipping his rival in the dying stages.

The 161-lap epic ended nearly eight hours after it started, after the unprecedented one-hour stoppage to repair the damaged section of the track surface.

The incident-packed race forced a total of eight retirements and a record-equalling 10 safety car interventions.

- With AAP