Stanaway beats Kostecki, Waters in Pocono All Stars thriller

Richie Stanaway has pipped Brodie Kostecki and Cameron Waters at Pocono to win his second Cash Converters Supercars Eseries race.

Stanaway, who won last week’s Pro Series race in Charlotte, backed it up on Wednesday in an enthralling 23-lapper.

The Kiwi crossed the line just 0.01s ahead of Kostecki, with Waters 0.04s from victory.

Kostecki, who earlier claimed his second Swyftx Pole Position in as many weeks, led early.

Stanaway claimed the lead on lap 3, with Chaz Mostert moving into third past James Golding on the previous lap.

Golding demoted Mostert on lap 4, with Dylan O’Keeffe moving between them into fourth.

The race’s first incident occurred on lap 5, with Jayden Ojeda tipping Matthew Payne - who finished second in Charlotte - into a spin.

Payne spun into the path of Matt McLean, with Will Davison and Todd Hazelwood also caught up in the melee.

Mostert stopped on lap 7, with Scott Pye and O’Keeffe leading a group into the lane on lap 8.

Kostecki reclaimed the lead from Stanaway on lap 8, with Waters pitting behind them.

The leaders stopped on lap 10, before the BP Ultimate Safety Car was deployed.

The race restarted on lap 13 with Mostert leading Waters, Justin Ruggier, Stanaway, Kostecki and Pye.

Stanaway worked into the lead on lap 15, with the six-car breakaway becoming a 10-car pack on lap 20.

With three laps remaining, Stanaway had bolted to a 0.7s lead, but was reeled in on the final lap.

Ruggier attempted to take the lead on the final tour, but Stanaway would emerge with Kostecki and Waters behind him out of the final turn.

The three cars crossed the line three abreast, Stanaway taking a second win in as many starts in 2021.

“That was pretty intense,” Stanaway said.

“I nearly got away there with a few laps to go, but the guys behind stopped fighting a bit and caught back up.

“I was having to look as far as I could on my left monitor crossing the line to see if it was enough to get the win.

“It was good fun.”

Kostecki was disappointed to miss out on victory, but was pleased to race cleanly to the end after disappointment in Charlotte.

“It was a lot of fun, definitely a lot of opportunities for everyone to fence each other,” Kostecki said.

“It was good clean racing to the finish.

“Close to Richie in the end there… got shuffled with about five laps to go, and Richie got away.

“Unfortunately a bit too late in the end."