Bathurst 1000 results: road to redemption for Brodie Kostecki

In a victory branded a “redemption”, Erebus Motorsport driver and reigning Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki powered to his maiden Bathurst 1000 crown after finishing second in 2023.

The event also produced a record-breaking result, as the overall race clock stopped short of six hours for the first time in history as Kostecki crossed Mount Panorama’s famous finish line at the 05:58:03 mark.

A virtual lights-to-flag victory, Kostecki’s car No.1 Chevrolet Camaro started from pole position and only relinquished the lead during pit stops for fuel, tyres and driver changes.

The winning margin to second-place getting Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney, pairing with Jamie Whincup, was a mere 1.349 seconds.

Usually a war of attrition, the 2024 Bathurst 1000 was a bona fide sprint race for 161 laps.

Only one safety car was called on lap 132 as young Kiwi star Matt Payne hit the wall at The Cutting to become the sole DNF of the race.

“It’s been a quiet, strange day at the Mountain,” Supercars commentator Neil Crompton said in relation to the lack of safety-car appearances.

Speaking to the FOX Sports team of Jess Yates and Mark Skaife straight after the race, Brodie Kostecki couldn’t quite comprehend what he’d just achieved.

“The last lap I swear I could hear people screaming. Seeing the whole crowd this weekend has been fantastic.

“What a last 30 laps… 30 shootout laps. It’s unbelievable!” Kostecki said.

Delving further into the weekend, Kostecki felt like the win was a form of redemption for last year’s 1000, a race he also started from pole but eventually conceded to Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway.

“It was a strange weekend for us [this year]. It was like we went into the weekend and we knew we were going to win it… we just knew if we didn’t make any mistakes we could do it.

“We fought hard out there. Triple Eight were breathing down our neck the entire day and this guy [Todd Hazelwood] did a stellar effort against all the main drivers.

“I can’t believe I’ve won The Great Race!” Kostecki beamed.

It was not only a first-time Bathurst 1000 win for Hazelwood, but his first Supercars victory altogether.

Also speaking with Jess Yates and Mark Skaife, Hazelwood couldn’t help but reflect on his year and his decision to become a co-driver instead of a main-game pilot.

“It’s a dream come true… the only thing I wanted to achieve in my life was to win a Supercar race – a bonus would be Bathurst or the Adelaide 500.

“And here we are, we’ve won the greatest race of the year. And to do it with my great mate … it’s unbelievable.

“I’m delaying my flight [home] for sure,” an elated Hazelwood said.

The win is also sweet reward for Erebus Motorsport (the reigning Team Champion) after enduring a tumultuous season that started without its star driver, Kostecki, behind the wheel of the Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro.

The 2024 success is the second Bathurst 1000 victory for Erebus Motorsport, headed by team principal Betty Klimenko and team manager Barry Ryan.

Kostecki has already announced that he is leaving Erebus Motorsport at the end of the year after signing with Ford outfit Shell V-Power Racing Team for 2025.

It was a tough day at the Mountain for Blue Oval fans with Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Will Brown and Scott Pye claiming third place to create a Camaro podium lockout.

The first Mustang finished fourth with the Monster Castrol Racing pair of Cameron Waters and James Moffat.

Overall, the four-day crowd attendance was 193,219.

In terms of the Supercars championship, a third-place finish is an important result for the 2024 series leader.

Brown’s gap in the championship race has extended to 204 points ahead of teammate Feeney, with Chaz Mostert slipping to third.

2024 Repco Bathurst 1000 top 10 race results:

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