Kostecki soars to pole in Bathurst 1000 Shootout

EVEN a wild moment at the first corner could not stop Brodie Kostecki from taking pole position for the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Driving the #99 Erebus Chevrolet Camaro that has appeared the car to beat all week, Kostecki was the final driver to run in the Top 10 Shootout.

The benchmark time was an impressive 2:04.7549s set by sixth-runner Broc Feeney, and Kostecki appeared vulnerable when he had to catch a big slide on the exit of Hell Corner.

Kostecki was 0.034s down at the end of the first sector, but turned that into a 0.396s advantage across the top of the hill.

He then stopped the clock at 2:04.2719s – 0.483s clear of Triple Eight driver Feeney and more than enough to secure a maiden Bathurst pole.

“I had a bit of a crappy start to the lap, the sun got in my eyes and the tear-off was a bit dirty, so I made a mistake and had to make up for it,” said Kostecki, who shares the car with David Russell.

“I just want to thank the whole team and the Coca-Cola Racing Team; we’ve got the guys from Shaw & Partners here this weekend.

“It has been a faultless weekend so far so hopefully we have a good day tomorrow.”

Will Davison had been the first out on track in the Shootout but could only manage 2:06.4174s, having locked a tyre and run wide at Turn 1 amid ongoing braking woes.

The time to beat reduced rapidly from there as the following runners Chaz Mostert (2:05.8309s), Matt Payne (2:05.2696s) and Shane van Gisbergen (2:04.9971s) went faster.

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David Reynolds was out next and slotted into a temporary second, 0.1541s slower than van Gisbergen, before Feeney upped the ante.

Cam Waters then laid down a committed lap, setting the fastest middle sector of the week to date, but ultimately falling 0.0226s short of Feeney.

Neither Anton De Pasquale nor James Golding could do anything about Feeney and Waters, the Shell Ford going third-fastest, before the PremiAir Camaro immediately took that spot.

It set the scene for the week’s pacesetter Kostecki to do his thing; the championship leader delivering Erebus its second Bathurst 1000 pole.

Despite missing out on pole, 20-year-old Feeney was pleased with his maiden Shootout performance.

“I’ve dreamed of doing this and watched this for so long, so to get the track to myself and nail the first corner – I go the best first corner of the weekend!” he beamed.

“Look, I got smoked by four-and-a-half tenths in the end, but I felt like I did a really good lap, so congrats to those guys, but pretty chuffed to be starting off the front-row.”

Behind Kostecki and Feeney, the final order read: Waters, Golding, De Pasquale, van Gisbergen, Reynolds, Payne, Mostert and Davison.

RESULTS: Supercars Top 10 Shootout, Repco Bathurst 1000