Will Brown leads Bathurst 1000 after first round of stops
Strategy play vaults #888 Ford from fifth to first
Aaron Seton starred leading first 25 laps from pole
Clever strategy from Red Bull Ampol Racing has launched Will Brown into an early lead in the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000, following a smart stint from Scott Pye.
Co-driver Pye started from fifth on the grid, and was able to save fuel while also maintaining pace at the start of the race, allowing Triple Eight to make a track position play early.
Brown led Brodie Kostecki after the first round of stops, with pole sitter Zach Bates third, and Jack Le Brocq and Anton De Pasquale rounding out the top five.
For the first time since 1996, the Seton name was on pole at Bathurst, Aaron Seton handed the reigns of the Camaro Bates put on pole on Saturday, and didn't put a foot wrong.
Kai Allen in 11th and Jobe Stewart in 17th were the only full-timers starting the race, Penrite Racing and Erebus Motorsport looking to gain ground early against the co-drivers.
Seton converted his pole position, holding the inside line to Hell Corner after an even launch alongside Todd Hazelwood off the front row.
Richie Stanaway and David Russell made slight contact at the back end of the top 10 at the first corner, while there was more trouble further back in the pack at The Cutting.
The day was also over before it truly began for the Objective Racing Ford of Jackson Walls/Jack Perkins, which pulled in at the end of the formation lap needing a power steering pump replaced, and losing several laps.
Hazelwood briefly put the pressure on Seton, but the #10 Bendix Camaro held strong through the opening laps, the third-generation racer looking comfortable out in front.
Penrite's call to install Allen for the start worked dividends, as he had worked his way forward to eighth in the opening 10 laps, but found the #4 Sherrin Rentals Camaro of Harri Jones a more difficult prospect to pass, as they got bottled up behind James Courtney.
On lap 10, Allen made his move with a decisive dive at Murray's Corner, which allowed his teammate Will Davison in the sister #19 Penrite Ford to also get by Jones into Hell Corner. Allen made another move on lap 14, this time getting past Courtney after the 2010 Supercars champion made a little mistake at the exit of Murray's Corner.
Two distinct breakaways had formed at the front of the field, with Seton, Hazelwood, and Lee Holdsworth separated by a second throughout the first stint, and Lochie Dalton and Pye also in close quarters for fourth.
Courtney's #48 Snowy River Caravans Camaro began to drop away as the first stint wore on, Courtney complaining of heavy steering, potentially as a result of leaking power fluid on his rear tyres. Courtney was brought in on lap 21, with Russell following in behind. David Reynolds was installed, with severely blistered rear tyres revealed to be the cause of Courtney's struggle.
Stewart and Allen were the earliest stoppers on laps 17 and 18 respectively, with Allen's co-driver Tim Slade delayed as he struggled to do up his belts.
Seton fell back into the clutches of Hazelwood as he prepared to make his first stop, but maintained his lead as he made his stop on lap 25, handing over to Bates.
Hazelwood and Pye reacted on the following lap, and being stuck in the train allowed them to save fuel and vault ahead of Bates, whose Matt Stone Racing teammate Le Brocq had also launched forward after an earlier stop from co-driver Jones.
Matt Payne was also on the move early, nearly tipping Jayden Ojeda out at Hell Corner in a wild moment, before an even wilder moment mere minutes later when he pushed Reynolds onto the grass on Conrod Straight.
The defending Bathurst winner was handed the first penalty of the day, a five second time penalty to be served at his next stop for a driving infringement.
