Kostecki makes admission on rollercoaster first DJR round
Brodie Kostecki eighth overall after finishes of sixth, 14th and fourth
"You always want to come in and blow everyone’s doors off," says Kostecki
2023 champion "pretty happy" with charge to fourth in Race 3
It was a rollercoaster, action-packed first weekend in Shell V-Power colours for Brodie Kostecki, who left Sydney feeling upbeat on a weekend his engineer termed a "real challenge.”
2023 Supercars champion Kostecki recorded finishes of sixth, 14th and fourth at the Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round, and sits eighth in the points standings.
Dick Johnson Racing’s new recruit had to grind his way through the weekend, but it finished on a high with P4 in Race 3, a result that was capped by a remarkable overtake on Broc Feeney.
It was a stark contrast to Race 2, when Kostecki finished 14th and 34 seconds behind the stunning fight for victory at the front of the race.
Ahead of Sunday’s race, Kostecki’s #38 Ford underwent an engine change, and he rewarded his team with a sterling run to fourth amid late rain.
Speaking after Sunday’s race, Kostecki admitted he wanted to come in and dominate, and while he believes the car speed is there, there’s work to be done.
“You always want to come in and blow everyone’s doors off,” the 2024 Bathurst winner told the broadcast.
“I think Cam [Waters] did that this weekend. He was really, really quick, so kudos to those guys.
“The car speed was there, we just didn’t quite get the strategy right. But everyone at the Shell V-Power Racing Team did a fantastic job.
“We were pretty horrible yesterday and everyone was here pretty late last night doing an engine change on my car and tuning up [our] cars.
“It was a lot better day today, so pretty happy with that. We can work with that.”
After a big test day on Wednesday, Kostecki and Race Engineer George Commins had it all to do to be competitive, and the signs were there from the outset.
Crucially, the #38 crew made a big step forward from a “woeful” Saturday, something Commins was “reasonably happy” with.
“It’s been a challenge, if I’m honest. A real challenge,” Commins told the broadcast.
“But today’s result was really good.
“In the test days, it’s hard — everybody’s on different tyres, so you done really get a read on where you are. And then you basically get about 12, maybe 12 set-up changes this whole weekend to make it work. It’s difficult.
“We made a big step forward from [Saturday], it was pretty woeful. So to come away fourth, we’re reasonably happy with that.”
Kostecki and Will Davison are eighth and 15th, and DJR fifth, heading to the next round in Melbourne.
The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Melbourne SuperSprint, which will feature at the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025 on March 13-16.
