'Pretty poor': SVG takes blame for early race dramas

Shane van Gisbergen has pointed the finger at himself has despite completing a remarkable comeback performance.

Van Gisbergen crossed the line sixth in the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight finale on Sunday.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver surrendered the points lead to Chaz Mostert, who won the race.

Sunday couldn’t have been more different for the reigning champion than his Saturday dominance.

Van Gisbergen qualified a lowly 21st for Sunday’s race after he recorded a kerb strike on his flying lap.

After making nine positions in the early laps, the 55-time race winner threw away his progress with an off at the final corner.

He managed to extract his car from the wet grass, and took on wet tyres; however, the rain subsided, and he was called back in for slicks.

It got even worse, with the #97 forced back up onto its jacks with the left rear not fully fastened.

All told, van Gisbergen dropped a lap and almost went two laps down.

His dramas began in qualifying, with van Gisbergen claiming he perhaps wouldn't have reached the shootout anyway.

"We struggled in the mixed conditions all weekend, and this morning’s qualifying was no different," he said.

"We were one of the first to cross the line, but I kerb-hopped and made a mistake.

"We probably weren’t much better than where we qualified which is a shame."

Van Gisbergen managed to recover his lap as the Safety Car made three appearances.

By the time of the chequered flag, he had somehow fought his way back to sixth.

The 32-year-old will now head into an event without the championship lead for the first time in 12 months.

"The first half of my race was pretty poor driving on my behalf," he said.

Van Gisbergen's muddied #97

"The car was really good in the dry, and then in the mixed wet-dry conditions, we weren’t very good.

"The team put a great strategy in place to get us back on the lead lap, then we had a chance to gain some spots.

"I made some better calls and the team did a good job putting on wet tyres at the right time.

"Sixth is an awesome result from 21st, but it doesn’t tell the story of how our day went as a whole."

Van Gisbergen is 27 points from championship leader Mostert heading to Symmons Plains.

The season will resume at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint. CLICK HERE to purchase your event tickets.