In a pulsating 2024 Repco Bathurst 1000, Brodie Kostecki and co-driver Todd Hazelwood claimed their maiden victory, outlasting Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup in a fierce two-horse race to deliver Erebus Motorsport’s second win at the Mountain. The race, defined by relentless speed and high drama, culminated in an edge-of-your-seat battle between two of Supercars’ brightest stars, as Kostecki held off Feeney in a record-breaking thriller that had fans captivated from start to finish.
The win was nothing short of a fairytale for Kostecki and Hazelwood, who fought off late-race pressure following a crucial Safety Car period to seal victory by a slender 1.3496 seconds. For Whincup, sharing the car with Feeney, the runner-up finish was his first Bathurst podium in 11 years, adding another chapter to his illustrious career.
From early on, it became clear the race would boil down to a duel between the #1 Erebus Chiko Camaro and the #88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro, with both Kostecki and Feeney setting a pace that left the rest of the field trailing in their wake. After 161 laps, the two were untouchable, delivering a masterclass in high-pressure racing on the sport’s biggest stage.
Kostecki, who missed the opening round of the season at Bathurst in February, was determined to leave his mark this time around. The Erebus star quickly showed his intent, taking control of the race and holding a comfortable lead for much of the latter half. However, a crash on lap 132 by Matt Payne brought out the bp pulse Safety Car, bunching the field and threatening to derail Kostecki’s hard-earned lead.
The race restart on lap 135 set the stage for an exhilarating final showdown. Feeney, handed the car by Whincup earlier in the race, was determined to close the gap on Kostecki, who had Hazelwood’s earlier stints to thank for putting him in such a strong position.
Despite the mounting pressure, Kostecki remained ice-cool, delivering a masterful performance over the remaining 27 laps. Both drivers pushed their Camaros to the absolute limit, exchanging fastest laps in a breathless display of precision driving.
“Honestly I can’t believe it, this guy here did a great job the whole weekend,” said Kostecki in an emotional post-race interview, praising his teammate Hazelwood. “George [Commins, Race Engineer] tuned it up for the end there, and we just had enough to stay in front of Broc.”
The defining moment came when Payne’s Penrite Ford slid into the wall at The Cutting on lap 132, triggering the only Safety Car of the race. Up until that point, Kostecki had built a lead of nearly 10 seconds, but the caution period brought Feeney back within striking distance. Both front-runners pitted under yellow, and when racing resumed, it was a pure sprint to the finish.
Feeney was relentless, narrowing the gap to just five seconds by lap 127, and inching closer with each passing lap. A tense battle unfolded as both drivers turned in personal bests—Kostecki managing a 2:07.9984 on lap 140, only for Feeney to immediately respond with a 2:07.9200. But as the laps wound down, Kostecki found another gear, gradually pulling away from Feeney, who couldn’t quite muster the pace to complete the overtake.
On lap 138, Kostecki laid down the fastest lap of the race, a blistering 2:08.1449, and followed it up with another rapid time, extending his lead slightly. Feeney pushed to stay in touch, clocking even faster times himself, but the sheer pace and focus of Kostecki ultimately proved insurmountable.
“I just can’t believe it, I’m just in awe at the moment,” Kostecki reflected after taking the chequered flag. “Big thank you to the whole team and Chiko, they came onboard for this round and I dare say they got their coverage.”
The 2024 Bathurst 1000 will go down as one of the fastest in history, with the total race time clocking in at five hours, 58 minutes, and three seconds, shaving more than three minutes off the previous record set by Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards in 2018. Additionally, with a remarkable 96.1% of the cars finishing, it was the highest finish percentage in the event’s history, surpassing the 92.3% mark set in the same 2018 race.
The incredible pace of the front-runners also saw 20 cars finish on the lead lap, another Bathurst record. Despite the intense pressure and high-stakes competition, both Kostecki and Feeney displayed remarkable consistency, turning in lap after lap of near-perfect times.
For Will Brown, who finished third alongside Scott Pye, the result extends his championship lead to 204 points over Feeney, with Chaz Mostert a further 225 points back. Brown ran a solid race, but was unable to match the outright speed of the two leading Camaros, ultimately settling for a distant podium finish.
Further down the order, Ford’s Cam Waters and James Moffat came home fourth, just ahead of the Mostert/Lee Holdsworth pairing. The top six was rounded out by James Golding and David Russell, who delivered a strong performance but were unable to capitalize on the late-race chaos.
The race wasn’t without drama for the rest of the field either. Jack Le Brocq, who had been running fourth before the Safety Car, lost significant ground after pitting just before the yellow flag was waved. This dropped the Erebus driver to eighth, though he and co-driver Jayden Ojeda still finished in the top 10, behind Anton De Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto, who crossed the line in seventh.
Further heartbreak was dealt to Richie Stanaway and Dale Wood, who had been running inside the top five before a pit lane penalty ruined their race. Stanaway was muscled out of position by Mostert during the closing stages, ultimately finishing ninth, with Cameron Hill and Cameron Crick rounding out the top 10 after a late incident for Ryan Wood at Hell Corner.
With 600 points still up for grabs, the championship fight is far from over, but Kostecki’s Bathurst triumph has injected fresh energy into the title race. Will Brown’s lead remains commanding, but Feeney’s second-place finish keeps him in striking distance as the series heads to the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 later this month.
As Kostecki basked in the glow of his hard-fought victory, the message was clear: Erebus is back, and the young Supercars star has no intention of slowing down. The win at Bathurst may have been his first, but with performances like this, it won’t be his last.
The 2024 Supercars Championship resumes at the Gold Coast on October 25-27
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