How 270km/h scare helped Hazelwood execute Whincup ambush
Todd Hazelwood charged past Jamie Whincup to claim lead at The Bend
DJR co-driver clashed with Whincup at Sandown last year, copped a puncture
Hazelwood won AirTouch 500 at The Bend with Brodie Kostecki on Sunday
At Sandown last year, it was a case of ’not again’ for Todd Hazelwood as he sailed towards the wall at Turn 6.
This year, he made sure he kept his cool, and as a result, he added an AirTouch 500 at The Bend win to his Repco Bathurst 1000 victory.
The history books will show Hazelwood as a winner alongside Brodie Kostecki at The Bend, yet both drivers had big jobs to do to secure victory.
For Kostecki, it was a matter of keeping his head with Cam Waters behind. For Hazelwood, it was making amends for a tardy start, and passing a driver he clashed with 12 months ago.
Hazelwood avoided an incident similar to his horrific 2017 crash, yet was out of contention. Fighting back, Kostecki later suffered a terminal engine failure, ending their day.
However, another clash with Whincup at The Bend could have delivered a nasty case of deja vu for Hazelwood, who absorbed the lessons of last year to pick his moment.
“It was cool, I learnt from my mistakes last year at the Sandown 500,” Hazelwood said.
“We clashed horns there and I came off second best.
“I knew I had a great car underneath me, the Shell V-Power Mustang was pretty hooked up, so I just had to bide my time, making sure I didn’t cook my tyres in the process.
“Just tried to pick the right moment to get the job done. It was cool, I had a fast car in this opening stints, it was a joy to drive.”
It was yet another sign that Hazelwood was pick of the co-drivers, having stormed back through to second before picking off Whincup and setting about creating a gap for Kostecki.
The South Aussie’s full-time stint ended in 2023 after a single season with Blanchard Racing Team, following stints at Matt Stone Racing (2018-19, 2022) and Brad Jones Racing (2020-21).
Kostecki insisted Hazelwood could slot back into the full-time fold. However, when asked if he wanted to come back full-time, though, Hazelwood quipped: “The track record as a co-driver is good as opposed to my full-time career.
“It makes a massive difference to me, prioritising to have an opportunity to a have a real hot shot of winning two races.
“Previously I’ve had a tough environment where I personally haven’t been able to show what I can do."
Kostecki and Hazelwood will attempt to win consecutive Great Races on October 9-12.
