How a Kostecki title would stack up in youngest ever records

Brodie Kostecki has already made waves in the motorsport world, and could join an illustrious group of drivers to win a Supercars title in their 20s.

The Erebus Motorsport driver, who recently turned 26, is in the box seat to win the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship with one round to go.

Kostecki holds a 131-point lead over Shane van Gisbergen heading to the VAILO Adelaide 500, with 300 points left to win.

The #99 Coca-Cola Camaro driver has been the class of the field this season, taking six wins, 18 podiums and eight pole positions. Kostecki will be aged 26 years and 25 days when the chequered flag flies on the Sunday in Adelaide.

If he gets it done, Erebus star Kostecki would be the seventh-youngest first-time champion, and ninth-youngest overall.

The 'youngest ever' record will stand for some time at least, with Craig Lowndes the tender age of 21 years, 11 months and 11 days when he won the 1996 championship as a rookie.

Broc Feeney entered 2023 as a chance to break Lowndes’ record, but dropped out of title contention at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

Lowndes, now a Supercars Hall of Fame, won all three of his championships in his 20s. Of 63 championships won, 21 have been won by drivers in their 20s.

Rick Kelly comes in second, aged 23 years, 10 months and 23 days when he controversially beat Lowndes to the 2006 title at Phillip Island.

Lowndes’ fellow Hall of Fame and current commentator Mark Skaife won the first of his five titles at 25 years, two months and 18 days in 1992. Skaife won again aged 27 in 1994.

The late Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan won five titles, four of them in his 20s, the first in 1964 coming at age 25 years and three months. Geoghegan’s first four titles came when championships were contested over a single race.

Two modern greats, Scott McLaughlin and Jamie Whincup, both won their first championships at 25. McLaughlin was age 25 years, five months and 15 days when he won the 2018 title. A decade earlier, Whincup was age 25 years, 10 months and one day.

Van Gisbergen (2016), Marcos Ambrose (2003-04), and Glenn Seton (1993) also won championships in their 20s. Van Gisbergen added two more after turning 30, with Seton aged 32 when he won his second in 1997 — the year Kostecki was born.

Youngest first-time ATCC/Supercars champions