Feeney/Whincup take early Bathurst lead as weather threatens
Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup take early Bathurst lead as rain looms
Todd Hazelwood led opening stint from pole before first round of stops
Opening hour runs green despite energised racing down the order
The weather is closing in on Mount Panorama after an energised start to the 2025 Repco Bathurst 1000, with the race lead changing in the pit lane.
The pole-sitting #38 Shell V-Power Ford led to the first stops at the hands of Todd Hazelwood, before a charge by Jamie Whincup and shorter stop propelled the #88 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet into the lead through the first hour.
Erebus Motorsport played the strategy game once again to start Cooper Murray out of position six in the #99 Chiko entry, the same play that saw them benefit at The Bend. Jack Le Brocq (17th) and James Courtney (22nd) were the only other full-timers to start the race.
As lights went out, Hazelwood launched into an early lead, with Mark Winterbottom slotting in behind.
Down the order, Brad Vaughan was left stranded on the grid, with fast-reacting officials managing to clear the #14 Automotive Superstore Chevrolet before the field arrived. Vaughan was forced back into the lane, having lost second and fourth gear.
On lap 2, officials advised the circuit had been declared wet. Hazelwood reported oil as he tried to keep Winterbottom at bay, as the racy Murray picked off Jayden Ojeda. A slide at McPhillamy for Murray helped Ojeda get back past on lap 6, before Murray returned serve at Griffins Bend on the following lap.
As clouds closed in, it was on down the order. Garth Tander was a regular amongst the drama, with several co-drivers boxing on to get track position. Notably, Tander tripped over Craig Lowndes on the run to Hell Corner on lap 8, and made an error at the same corner 10 laps later.
On lap 10, Whincup picked off Fabian Coulthard at Griffins Bend for fifth, before clearing Ojeda for fourth on the next lap.
Teammate Scott Pye was also on the charge having started from 12th, picking his way through a mad scramble. Lap after lap, Pye peeled off moves on Harri Jones, Tim Slade, James Moffat and Cameron McLeod into Murray's Corner.
A number of cars nursed damage through the opening laps; notably, the Courtney/Jack Perkins and Andre Heimgartner/Declan Fraser entries had rear damage, the former undergoing repairs at its first stop.
The stops began with Le Brocq on lap 11, with Slade handing over to Nick Percat on lap 15. On lap 17, Hazelwood had 1.2 seconds over Winterbottom as Murray ranged in, the Erebus driver making the move stick into The Chase. Moffat and McLeod handed over to Thomas Randle and Cameron Hill respectively on laps 19 and 20.
Hazelwood enjoyed a two-second lead over Murray at lap 20 as Winterbottom fell into the clutches of Whincup, who made the pass stick through The Chase.
Ojeda was first of the leaders to stop on lap 22, followed by Pye, Holdsworth and Morris on the following lap. Winterbottom and Coulthard followed suit, Winterbottom staying in, with several others also diving in.
Winterbottom had to defend from a racy Wood on rejoin, as Hazelwood, Murray and Whincup came in. As Wood powered through at The Chase, Feeney was revealed in front of Hazelwood in an effective lead change. Through the stops, Feeney led Hazelwood, Jobe Stewart, Ryan Wood, Will Brown, Winterbottom, Coulthard, Percat, Le Brocq and Randle.
Mistakes began to creep in after the stops. Aaron Cameron seemingly escaped race-ending damage after being escorted into the wall at Griffins Bend, while an error at McPhillamy for Winterbottom helped Coulthard by.
The big mover remained the #1 Red Bull Ampol Camaro, Brown picking off Wood and Stewart before closing on Hazelwood. Behind them, Randle was pinged five seconds over a clash with Le Brocq at Murray's Corner.
