Van Gisbergen runs down Kostecki in Perth thriller

SHANE van Gisbergen has won a thrilling opening race at the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint after running down Brodie Kostecki in the closing stages.

The duo engaged in an aggressive exchange in the battle for victory, Kostecki throwing everything at retaining the race lead.

Armed with nine-lap fresher tyres, van Gisbergen was relentless in his attack and eventually got by with a vigorous Turn 6 move on the penultimate lap.

Kostecki had already controversially been shown the bad sportsmanship flag for blocking.

In the end, a delighted van Gisbergen took the chequered flag with 0.5949s in hand, while Kostecki narrowly held off David Reynolds for second and Todd Hazelwood took a fine fourth.

Kostecki made a blinding getaway from the outside of the front-row to clear polesitter van Gisbergen before Turn 1.

It was otherwise a relatively tame start to proceedings, besides light first-corner contact between Will Davison and James Courtney.

Kostecki and van Gisbergen gradually broke free from third-placed Reynolds, who quickly came under pressure from Jack Le Brocq.

Nick Percat was the first of the stoppers at the end of Lap 7, with no one else following suit until Tim Slade on Lap 11 and both Davison and Courtney the following time around.

Davison and Courtney managed to undercut Matt Payne, but Grove Racing did at least get David Reynolds out in front of those early stoppers.

That was crucial, with a fast stop and out-lap helping Reynolds take the net lead when Kostecki popped out behind him after visiting the lane.

Kostecki and van Gisbergen had just twice swapped position on Lap 18, the Erebus Motorsport driver retaking first at Turn 7 before immediately pitting.

It wasn’t until another move at Turn 7 that Kostecki got back ahead of Reynolds, giving him the chance to build an advantage for when van Gisbergen inevitably pitted.

When the three-time champion did so, he came out in fourth behind Kostecki, Reynolds and Courtney.

Van Gisbergen got Courtney and Reynolds on Laps 30 and 32, respectively, before reeling in Kostecki.

Hazelwood was the other driver to watch in the closing stages, returning from a Lap 28 stop in net ninth before surging forward.

Courtney hung on for fifth from Payne, Slade, Davison, Thomas Randle and Broc Feeney.

Chaz Mostert was 11th; he is still second in the championship but now 76 points behind leader Kostecki.

A slow stop cruelled Le Brocq, who finished 12th.

Percat slid to 17th, just ahead of Mark Winterbottom in his 600th race, and Cam Waters was 22nd having been spun while attempting to pit.

Jack Smith wound up three laps down after losing his left-rear wheel in pitlane.

RESULTS: Race 1, 2023 Perth SuperSprint