Golding/Russell shock leader as rain tips Bathurst on its head
PremiAir Racing shock leaders of the Bathurst 1000
Rain wreaks havoc on Mount Panorama, scrambles the running order
Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters both out of contention after engine failure, crash
The James Golding/David Russell Camaro is the leader of the 2025 Repco Bathurst 1000 at the halfway stage as the rain arrived at Mount Panorama.
Key contenders dropped out, there was an unforgettable stoush for the race lead, and the running order was completely scrambled as some teams read the conditions better than others in a crazy second quarter of the race.
The Feeney/Whincup Camaro took the lead in the pits, with Feeney sprinting away from Hazelwood in the second stint. Brown mowed down the margin and picked off Hazelwood to form a Triple Eight 1-2 on lap 41. Behind them, Wood battled to demote Stewart, putting on a bold move into The Cutting.
Feeney's lead blew out to 12.7s over his teammate once Brown was brought in on lap 46. Randle and Hill also stopped, the former serving his five-second penalty over earlier contact with Le Brocq.
The leader handed over to Whincup on lap 47, as Wood handed over to Ojeda. A worse fate loomed for Ojeda's teammate Coulthard, who was nursing a suspected engine issue and stopped for a driver change on lap 49.
Kostecki got into the car for the first time on lap 50, handing the lead back to Whincup, who was 8.4s ahead of Pye. Kostecki rejoined just behind Pye, with Murray five seconds back. Through two rounds of stops, Whincup led Pye and Kostecki, with Murray, Ojeda, Waters, Russell, Mostert, Holdsworth and Lowndes rounding out the top 10.
On lap 55, Tony D'Alberto clipped the inside wall at Forrest's Elbow, sending the #17 Shell V-Power Ford into the outside wall. The end result was the first Safety Car of the day, Kostecki taking the lead as both Triple Eight opted to stop. It revealed Kostecki, Ojeda, Waters, Holdsworth, Lowndes, Whincup, Murray, Pye, Mostert and Crick as the new 10, with Mostert taking on a splash of fuel under yellow.
Kostecki led Ojeda to green on lap 59, only for Waters to jump down the inside at Hell Corner. However, cars barely made it around the lap before the Safety Car was delivered back out onto the track for the stricken #25 of Mostert, who was welcomed with a beer by fans after his day ended.
The rain well and truly arrived on the second Safety Car restart, and with the field stranded on slicks, Kostecki fired off at The Chase, promoting Waters to the lead.
That triggered one of the more remarkable sequences ever seen at Mount Panorama, as the Ford pair engaged in one of the most extraordinary duels for the lead.
Waters put the squeeze on Kostecki on Pit Straight, with the pair rubbing in the braking zone, before Kostecki then launched an audacious move around the outside of The Cutting.
The reigning Bathurst champion somehow got the move done, however Waters fought back, with the pair going side-by-side through Reid Park, Kostecki lighting up with wheelspin.
As the rain intensified Waters, Kostecki, Murray, Boys, Fraser and Pye reacted and pitted, revealing Holdsworth as the leader ahead of Whincup, Ojeda, Lowndes and Tander.
For Pye, the stop was fortuitous, with the front left tyre of the #1 Camaro going flat on his in lap.
Nash Morris had a wild couple of minutes, when he was first spun by Cameron McLeod at The Cutting - landing the latter a 15-second penalty - before beaching the PremiAir Camaro at Murray's Corner, leading to the third Safety Car.
Tickford then attempted a brave gamble on the #6, as Waters jumped out and Winterbottom jumped back in, putting slicks on the car.
With track position already heavily compromised, Winterbottom then locked up at Forrest's Elbow, and dribbled into the tyre wall, pushing the front bar back onto the front left tyre.
The 2013 Bathurst winner was able to bring the car back to pit lane, however they fell off the lead lap as a result
Through all the mayhem, it revealed a jumbled order, with shock leader Russell bolting at the front of the field, from Ojeda, Zak Best, and Garth Tander.
The #31 Camaro of Russell started in 13th, Best's #3 Mustang started in 20th, and Tander's #100 Mustang started in 18th, showing just how much the race has turned in the wet conditions.
Erebus young guns Jarrod Hughes and Jobe Stewart were running in fifth and sixth as of the halfway mark, ahead of Jack Perkins, Hazelwood, James Moffat, and Pye.
Championship leader Broc Feeney's Camaro is back in 14th with Jamie Whincup at the helm, whilst Winterbottom currently runs 23rd.
