Experts cast 2025 Repco Bathurst 1000 predictions
It's that time of year again: Bathurst. The big one. The Holy Grail. The Great Race.
Who will win? Who will light up the Shootout? And who's the dark horse?
On the eve of the 2025 Great Race, Supercars.com has tapped a range of experts to get their takes on the 2025 edition of the Repco Bathurst 1000.
Who will claim pole position?
Mark Skaife, six-time Bathurst winner: I can't go past Broc Feeney. His qualifying performances this year have been extraordinary. He's been the pace-setter, and some of his laps this year have been very impressive.
Jess Yates, Fox Sports host: Broc Feeney. He’s too good.
Greg Rust, Triple M host: Broc Feeney. His form this year has been incredible! You have to admire the commitment and the dedication to the craft. It makes it very hard to go past the Sprint Cup winner.
Scott Sinclair, Supercars data analyst: I'm tipping Brodie Kostecki to do the three-peat. He's very fast around the Mountain, and his recent form at Bathurst has been exceptional.
Riana Crehan, Supercars pit reporter: Broc Feeney has just been a cut above everybody this year. I know how hungry he is for Bathurst, and I think that he'll be exceptional in qualifying.
Chad Neylon, Supercars pit reporter: Everything for me points to Brodie Kostecki getting a hat-trick of Bathurst poles. You give that guy six hours of practice and he'll figure it out. He's also got a really good co-driver who can help set-up the car.
Rebecca Williams, News Corp journalist: I’m going to go with Brodie Kostecki for the pole. He knows how to get it done there.
James Pavey, Supercars.com news editor: Broc Feeney has been on one this year. He didn’t throw many punches before the Shootout at The Bend, but when the time came, he was flawless. Second in '23 and '24, I expect him to nail '25.
Zac Dowdell, Supercars.com journalist: It's hard to see anyone other than Broc Feeney given his incredible qualifying form. With 14 poles to his name, and eight races remaining in the season, Scott McLaughlin's record of 16 poles in a single season that has stood since 2017 is under serious threat. Let's not forget, that campaign also included one of the most unforgettable pole laps in Bathurst history. Feeney is undoubtedly in a place to do the same.
Who will win the race?
Skaife: There are five standout combinations, but I think the winner will be Cam Waters and Mark Winterbottom. Cam's got some unfinished business. He has been so fast and so competitive for so long, but hasn’t won the ultimate prize. Frosty is freshly out of full-time duties, and he drove very well at The Bend, and I think he will be especially good at the Mountain.
Yates: Cameron Waters and Mark Winterbottom are going to win. Frosty is a proven winner on the Mountain, he comes into this campaign with so much experience, but also I think he has a little bit of a point to prove. Cameron has come so close, and I think they're knocking on the door. It's time to take the next step.
Rust: A colleague went to a tarot card reader or crystal ball gazer once for this question (for a gag) because with all the Bathurst variables it’s so hard to answer. And that means the fans trackside and the viewers watching are the real winners because each year it tends to produce something unexpected as the 1000k’s plays out. Heart says DJR with Brodie and Todd after their combined performance at the 500. Head says Triple Eight. I can’t see them having a sub par weekend like Tailem Bend. Scott Pye drove very well there and if Will Brown’s name gets etched on the Peter Brock trophy it’ll erase some of the frustrating moments of the season so far.
Sinclair: Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup will have a bee in their bonnet after The Bend. Broc has had a few cracks at it and hasn't won it. He'll come out firing.
Crehan: It's very difficult to go past Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup. Broc has been a class act all year, and I think the heartbreak after The Bend will fire them up.
Neylon: Car 6, Cam Waters and Mark Winterbottom. I've been backing Car 6 for everything lately. I backed them for the championship, I backed them for The Bend and they finished second, and now I'm backing them to win Bathurst. It would be a pretty cool story.
Williams: I’m tipping Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup for the win. Broc has been the benchmark all year, and the fire will be burning after what happened at The Bend, and also falling short last year.
Pavey: I'm firmly on the back-to-back train. Brodie and Todd were superb last year, and superb at The Bend. It’s a formidable combination, and the performance at The Bend proves Dick Johnson Racing can make it work when the planets align. It's been a long time coming for Ford, and DJR would love a Great Race win to shove it up their rivals after a few tough seasons.
Dowdell: Cam Waters just has to win Bathurst at some point, and this could be his best shot. Momentum is slowly beginning to build with four podiums in the last four rounds, and the addition of Mark Winterbottom alongside could be the ultimate trump card. It really would cap off the ultimate fairytale for Frosty on return to Tickford, whist a Bathurst win for Waters would also be the perfect platform to build a Finals charge. Tantalising stuff...
Who's the dark horse?
Skaife: Well, this might not seem like a dark horse, but I like Ryan Wood and Jayden Ojeda. Woody's got a lot to play for, he’s been super quick, and he got his first career win in Perth. As long as they stay out of trouble, which is easier said than done there, they should be up there.
Yates: Zach Bates and Craig Lowndes. Lowndesy is unbelievable when it comes to Bathurst. No one knows the Mountain better than him. Zach has shown us that he can have speed, and he cannot have a better mentor in his corner. So if he's measured and calm and focused, which we know he is, they could well upset everyone.
Rust: Why is it that when this question comes up the first thing that pops into my head is Barry Sheene’s voice? The former two-time 500cc World Motorcycle Champion and much loved member of the Supercars paddock would always say ‘Black Beauty’ (after the famous novel about a horse with the same name) and then laugh in his cockney accent about the Dad joke he’d just made! I feel funny putting former Bathurst winners or Supercars champions in this category so I’m going to suggest some youngsters who are both fast and talented. Ryan Wood and Jayden Ojeda. Their result last time out was solid and WAU will put some framework around them to encourage them to have a go while thinking about being there at the end.
Sinclair: Watch out for Thomas Randle and James Moffat. Moff's been on the podium before and Randle is a dark horse. I think that's a strong combination, and the best combination of the outside of the top six guys.
Crehan: Nick Percat and Tim Slade were fast at The Bend, and Nick has a point to prove given the situation that's potentially happening at Matt Stone Racing. Those cars have been fast this year, so I expect them to be in the mix.
Neylon: Anton De Pasquale was the first name that came to mind, but can Team 18 do it all day? Cam Hill also comes to mind. But, Ryan Wood's the obvious one. It's got to be him. It's almost unfair to call him a dark horse because he's so good at the moment.
Williams: Ryan Wood. He's somewhat of a dark horse, but he's in decent machinery, and is a genuine chance of getting the job done.
Pavey: Anton De Pasquale is a Great Race podium-finisher, and has been a standout this season. Rookie Harri Jones is an unknown, but should Team 18 get it right on race day, there's no reason they can't throw some punches.
Dowdell: I picked the Chiko Camaro last year, so why not do it again? Cooper Murray and Jobe Stewart starred at The Bend, with the latter especially impressive on debut. Car and drivers are rapid at Bathurst; Cooper should've got a top five last year, Jobe smashed the Super2 field in the opening support race, and we all know what Erebus did. Another strong drive for Stewart will surely guarantee his full-time graduation in 2026 alongside Murray.
