Wood/Ojeda in the box seat, shock Feeney crash sets up grandstand finish
Ryan Wood and Jayden Ojeda are in the box seat to take the biggest win of their careers at the Repco Bathurst 1000, holding a commanding lead as the race enters its fourth Safety Car period.
The #2 Mustang has been the class of the field in the wet conditions, however a rare crash for Broc Feeney has evaporated the Kiwi's 12-second lead.
Feeney slid into the wall at Forrest's Elbow all by himself on Lap 124 from third on the road, potentially leaving Matt Payne in position to take the championship lead.
Russell fell into the clutches of Ojeda and was picked off at The Chase on lap 84, with Best getting by at Hell Corner. Within two laps, Ojeda was 3.3s clear, and continued to pull away.
The race evolved as the conditions worsened; Perkins had a moment at Forrest's Elbow and dropped behind Pye. Best handed over to Cameron on lap 87, with Hughes, Russell and Perkins serviced on the following lap. On warm tyres, Cameron rounded up Golding at Murray's Corner.
As the stops approached, DJR prepared an alternator for the #38, with the team also looking to undertake a battery change. Ojeda continued to pull away, leading Tander by 18.4s, with Hazelwood, Pye and Whincup bunching together. Whincup attacked Pye into Murray's Corner, but couldn't get the job done.
Tander peeled off on lap 94 as Pye and Whincup shadowed Hazelwood. Ojeda, Hazelwood and Pye all stopped on lap 95, with Whincup pressing on. The changes for the #38 dropped Kostecki down the order, with Brown returning to the race 17.5s behind Wood.
Wood returned to the lead, with Feeney 7.9s behind. Cameron was 1.3s behind the championship leader, and got by on lap 97. Behind them, the #38's race continued to unravel, Kostecki drilling Allen into Hell Corner. Both cars went down the escape road, with Kostecki slapped with a drive-through penalty.
Kostecki's day didn't improve from there, with the #38 Mustang having a huge off at The Chase after pitting once again, this time to rectify damage to his front bar following the Allen hit. The car would soon find itself in the garage.
James Golding maintained the #31 Camaro's strong position after Russell's stint in the lead of the race, moving by Broc Feeney, Jobe Stewart, and Aaron Cameron in quick succession before starting to chew into Wood's lead.
Stewart jumped out of the #99 Chiko Camaro on lap 109 after another sterling performance against the primary drivers, making a bold pass on Feeney during his stint.
Zach Bates nearly brought out the Safety Car twice in as many laps, running long at Murray's Corner on both occasions, however the #888 Camaro was able to find reverse on both occasions.
The battle for the last Finals berths exploded into focus when Anton De Pasquale made hard contact with the outside wall at The Esses, heavily damaging both the left front and left rear corner.
With Team 18 working frantically to get the #18 back on track, Andre Heimgartner and Kai Allen have also been in battle on the track, with whoever finishes ahead set to claim the 10th and final post-season berth.
Thomas Randle found himself in the thick of plenty of action, getting a tap from Matt Payne at Forrest's Elbow, and then making an unforced error on his out lap, allowing Aaron Cameron by.
Will Brown then made an unforced error at Hell Corner, gifting the BRT Mustang another free position. The reigning champion also finds himself under a post race investigation following an alleged pit stop breach.
