Kostecki, Waters suffer Bathurst 1000 blow in rain
Joanna Guelas |
Brodie Kostecki will need a miracle at Mount Panorama to pull off back-to-back wins at the Bathurst 1000 after being hit with a pit-lane penalty.
Pole-sitter Kostecki locked his front wheels on the way to the first turn in Sunday’s 161-lap race and slammed straight into the back of Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen.
It was Kostecki’s first lap in the rain after swapping seats in a lengthy pit-stop with co-driver Todd Hazelwood on lap 96.
The Dick Johnson Racing driver rejoined the contest in 15th place after serving the drive-through penalty.
With less than 60 laps remaining, Walkinshaw Andretti United young gun Ryan Wood led the 1000km classic after a superb stint from co-driver Jayden Ojeda.
Blanchard Racing Team driver Aaron Cameron was second, followed by Jobe Stewart – co-driver for Erebus rookie Cooper Murray.
PremiAir Nulon underdog James Golding was fourth, and championship leader Broc Feeney fifth.
Tickford star Cam Waters also suffered a huge setback after a crash by co-driver Mark Winterbottom in the rain.
Waters had traded blows for the lead with Kostecki in an enthralling wet-weather duel before handing over the No.6 car on lap 66.
Winterbottom had veered into the tyre wall at Forrest’s Elbow on lap 71.
The 2013 Bathurst 1000 winner was able to drive the Ford Mustang back to pit lane, but the damage was done.
Winterbottom dropped a lap behind the pack, with a battery-powered saw needed to hack parts of the car’s right-hand side off as Waters watched from the garage.
The Tickford pair were 23rd past the halfway mark.
Hazelwood started the race for Kostecki and lost the front-running when Feeney jumped him using the undercut on lap 26.
A crash by co-driver Tony D’Alberto in DJR teammate Will Davison’s car momentarily restored Kostecki to top spot.
D’Alberto caused the first safety car on Sunday after ricocheting off the inside corner wall at Forrest’s Elbow and slamming into the opposing concrete barrier on lap 55.
Walkinshaw Andretti United star Chaz Mostert was next to suffer heartache, with his Ford Mustang suffering an engine failure on lap 59.
Mostert, who won the great race in 2014 and 2021, jumped out of the car and wasted no time in cracking open a beer with spectators.
Nick Percat and co-driver Tim Slade, in the No.10 Matt Stone Racing car, were also out of contention after losing a cylinder.
There was plenty of contact early, with Bathurst legends Garth Tander and Craig Lowndes winding back the clock after a close call down pit straight.
Tander – in the No.100 Grove Racing car – had tried to overtake Russell, but was not aware Lowndes was on the inside and almost went into the wall.
Lowndes, starting in his 32nd Bathurst 1000, is in the No.888 car with Zach Bates.
The seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner was 17th, with Tander eighth.
AAP
