Kostecki hunts Mostert, fuel issue smashes Feeney/Whincup

Brodie Kostecki was hunting down the undercutting Chaz Mostert as the AirTouch 500 at The Bend passed the halfway mark, with the pole-sitting Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup undone by a botched pit stop and two offs.

Kostecki's co-driver Todd Hazelwood picked off Whincup for the race lead on lap 15, before the championship-leading #88 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet was dumped down the order with a poor fuel delivery. As the main drivers took over their cars, Whincup made a mistake of his own, running off at Turn 8.

Kostecki took over from Hazelwood through the second round of stops and set about extending the margin, with the defending Bathurst champions putting Ford in the box seat for its first enduro race win since 2019.

An undercut propelled Mostert in the lead, amid the threat of needing a fourth stop. Kostecki was 4.3s behind as the race hit the halfway mark, as Cam Waters/Mark Winterbottom and Matt Payne/Garth Tander formed an all-Ford top four. Nick Percat/Tim Slade was the lead Chevrolet ahead of Will Brown/Scott Pye.

As lights went out, Whincup launched away and led Matt Stone Racing rising star Cameron McLeod at Turn 1, with James Moffat firing down the inside of Hazelwood and Tickford Racing teammate Winterbottom. Hazelwood passed Moffat for third on lap 2, with Winterbottom moving past his teammate three laps later.

Whincup's lead over McLeod breached one second by lap 3, as Hazelwood picked off Moffat for third. Three laps later, Winterbottom moved past his teammate, who later dropped behind Erebus Motorsport's Cooper Murray, who was the only full-time driver to start the race.

Down the order, Nash Morris was forced into pit lane with a right rear puncture, with PremiAir Racing teammate David Russell hit with a five-second penalty over a clash with Brad Jones Racing's Jordan Boys.

Later, MSR wildcard Cameron Crick was sent around at Turn 8 by Craig Lowndes, just two corners after colliding with BJR's Declan Fraser. While both incidents were cleared by stewards, both cars sustained steering damage, with Fraser ruled out of contention.

On lap 6, Hazelwood cleared McLeod for second and set off after Whincup, who enjoyed a 1.4s lead. Four laps later, the pressure got to McLeod, who fired off through Turn 8 and rejoined in 13th.

On lap 15, Hazelwood finally made his move, picking off Whincup into Turn 1 before opening up a 1.2s lead within three laps. Winterbottom was clear in third, and was 1.6s behind his old rival Whincup.

Penrite Racing and Walkinshaw Andretti United were first to blink, stopping Dale Wood and Fabian Coulthard on laps 15 and 16. Both drivers quickly set fastest laps in clean air. Garth Tander and Lee Holdsworth stopped five laps later, and Harri Jones on the next lap. By that stage, Hazelwood's lead approached three seconds.

Winterbottom was the first of the leaders to stop on lap 24, with MSR's Tim Slade and WAU's Jayden Ojeda also pitting. Whincup stopped in response to the undercut, as did Moffat, Erebus's Jarrod Hughes and McLeod.

As the others rejoined, Whincup was heavily delayed on fuel delivery, and rejoined buried in the pack.

DJR extended Hazelwood to lap 26, with the #38 brought in. Hazelwood emerged 1.6s ahead of Coulthard, who was picked off by Winterbottom and Tander. All the while, Murray handed over to Jobe Stewart.

With the first stops complete, Hazelwood, Winterbottom, Tander, Coulthard, Moffat, Dale Wood and Ojeda formed an all-Ford top seven, with Stewart, Slade and Harri Jones the 10. Whincup was 13th, 20 seconds from the lead.

As Hazelwood streaked away to a 4.6s lead by lap 34, the ailing Dale Wood was picked off by Stewart, Slade and Pye, as Moffat cleared Coulthard for fourth. On lap 35, Triple Eight brought the #88 back in, as Moffat sailed off at Turn 8 and dropped from fourth to ninth.

On lap 39, WAU and Penrite Racing pulled the pin, with Mostert and Allen taking over from Coulthard and Dale Wood. Allen wasted no time in picking off Whincup, with Moffat handing over to Randle two laps later.

All the while, the second DJR Ford was smashed by two penalties; one for a clash with Holdsworth, and another for a pit lane speed breach.

Waters took over from Winterbottom before Hazelwood came into the lane on lap 47. Kostecki was released behind Mostert, but set about regaining the lead as Whincup flew off at Turn 8 for the first time, before doing it again 10 laps later.