Kostecki adamant on Hazelwood’s full-time potential
Todd Hazelwood's fairytale co-driver run continued with Bend 500 win
Hazelwood now a winner in his past two starts, having gone winless in his first 194
Co-driver Brodie Kostecki convinced Hazelwood can be a full-time force
A Repco Bathurst 1000 win last October, and victory in Sunday's AirTouch 500 at The Bend.
Safe to say, it's been a heck of a run for Todd Hazelwood since his full-time Supercars exit at the end of 2023.
Hazelwood was a popular presence on the grid in the back end of the 2010's through the 2023, though never had the opportunity to drive consistent race-winning machinery.
Stints with Matt Stone Racing, Brad Jones Racing, and a final full-time year with Blanchard Racing Team yielded little more than a podium in Sydney and a pole at Townsville with BJR in 2020.
However, despite the full-time Supercars chapter closing at just 28 years old, the reinvention of Hazelwood as the gold standard of the co-driver crop has been nothing short of spectacular.
The winner of the past two Supercars enduros with different makes, it had led to calls for Hazelwood to return to full-time driving in a frontline operation, something that co-driver and good friend Brodie Kostecki fully supports.
"I've known Todd for a long time, since when we were first teammates at MSR doing Super2 together,” Kostecki said on the Cool Down Lap presented by Moza Racing.
"I've seen the way his work ethic is, he’s a true professional and puts a lot into his racing and obviously didn't quite get the full-time run that he deserved to show his true talent.
"I'm super proud to be sharing a car with him and to be part of his first win, and now his second win on home soil is really special.”
When asked if Hazelwood could slot onto the grid in 2026, Kostecki replied: “Definitely. He proved that today.
“Obviously he didn't get quite the start that he wanted and then just managed the race.
“He didn’t panic, just got set into a rhythm and just absolutely put down great consistent laps, made clean passes and basically put us in the spot to win the race."
Hazelwood once again starred in Tailem Bend, starting third and dispatching both Cameron McLeod and Jamie Whincup in the opening stint to establish a dominant lead that Kostecki maintained, despite having Cam Waters apply the blowtorch.
Kostecki further talked up the 2017 Super2 champion's stocks on he and Will Brown's Lucky Dogs Podcast, quipping: "I've actually got him tied up here in the corner, he's only allowed to play for enduros at the moment.
"He's a Super2 champion, right? And he never got given that good opportunity. The tide was starting to change a bit when we were in Super2 of find a young driver, and it probably goes in cycles.
"He was probably in that off cycle where he couldn't probably get the drive he deserved in a top team to really show his talents.
"I've said in all of my things that he won us that race really, he did a great job. He was only a tenth or two tenths off me, which for a co-driver that's like a dream come true for me.
"He always does a great job, he's raced all year, races with the TFH boys in Trans Am, he stays really sharp and race fit, he's coaching, he's always driving something.
"I'm a little bit surprised as well that his name hasn't been thrown around a little bit, it's pretty interesting. I don't know how long his deal is for, but I hope it's for a while."
