Starting from Pole position, Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood led the 2024 edition of Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama Circuit.
I warned you here, the Bathurst 1000 is a must-see race. A crushing victory and a crash at the end of the race that almost turned everything upside down, in short, if you missed the broadcast, here are the highlights to sum up what happened this weekend at Australia’s most mythical race in the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship.
Read more:
- These three drivers continued racing after Formula 1
- Bathurst 1000: Australia’s most legendary race returns this weekend
Crushing victory for Kostecki and Hazelwood
The two Erebus Motorsport drivers started on pole this weekend, at the wheel of their Chevrolet Camaro. It was an impressive display of strength as they flew through the race with total control, leaving their rivals no chance. The duo were perfectly synchronized and benefited from a relentless strategy that enabled them to maintain a comfortable lead over the other drivers. The win is Erebus Motorsport’s second at the Bathurst 1000, the first coming in 2017. Kostecki, proud and impressed by his teammate’s performance, said Hazelwood had been outstanding throughout the weekend, and the win was richly deserved.
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Rivals in trouble on Mount Panorama
While victory went to Erebus Motorsport and Triple Eight, the other teams had a much harder time of it this weekend. Jack Le Brox and Jayden Ojeda, also in an Erebus Camaro, saw their chances of a podium finish dashed by a catastrophic final pit stop. A tough blow for them. In addition, legend Craig Lowndes, who was driving a car entered as a Wildcard, had to take a penalty following a mistake by his team-mate, ruining any hope of a top 5 finish. 1000 km may seem a long distance, but every detail counts in an endurance race.
BRODIE KOSTECKI AND TODD HAZELWOOD WIN THE GREAT RACE!#RepcoSC #Supercars #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/o9IMZDrz9P
— Supercars (@supercars) October 13, 2024
Ford Mustang underachievement
Although a number of Ford teams showed signs of competitiveness, notably Cameron Waters and James Moffat, no Ford driver was able to reach the podium. Waters, despite a fine comeback from a mistake that cost him eight places, still managed to finish fourth, the best result for a Mustang. But it’s not just Ford that’s to blame, as numerous strategic and mechanical errors led to disappointing results. Dick Johnson Racing, for example, saw its hopes dashed by a laborious brake change that cost De Pasquale almost 30 seconds.
The crash that almost toppled everything
The race seemed to be running without interruption or major incident, but with 27 laps to go Matt Payne lost control of his Ford Mustang on a technical section of the Mount Panorama hill, triggering the intervention of the Safety Car. It was a stroke of luck for Feeney and Whincup of the Triple Eight team, who were hoping to catch up with the previously untouchable leadears. Don’t get me wrong: a crash in endurance racing with 27 laps to go completely changes the dynamics of the race, as the drivers set off as a group, aiming to go as fast as possible. “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon”, as Lewis Hamilton might say.
The final duel: Kostecki vs Feeney
After Payne’s accident, the race came down to a fierce duel between the two fastest drivers of the day. The two men quickly broke away from the pack, battling it out at every turn. Feeney tried everything to take the lead, but couldn’t find a way past Kostecki. As for him, bravo to him, because he kept his cool and resisted the pressure to finish just 1.349 seconds ahead. A great way to reward the patient spectators who stayed until the end of the Bathurst 1000!
An update on the championship standings:
Will Brown, who finished third in Bathurst, retains the championship lead with a 204-point advantage over Feeney, who moves up to second place. Chaz Mostert rounds off the top 3. The next race in the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship will take place at Surfer Paradise on October 27.
Source: V8 Supercars
