Kostecki reacts to first laps in new #17 DJR Ford Mustang
Brodie Kostecki drives the famous #17 Ford for the first time
Kostecki completes new car shakedown in chassis DJRS-09-MR
2023 champion finished ninth last season, won three races
Just 65 days after crossing the line in Adelaide, Brodie Kostecki has cut his first laps of 2026 aboard a new Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Mustang at Queensland Raceway.
The 2023 Supercars champion got behind the wheel of chassis DJRS-09-MR on Tuesday, in what was a new car shakedown.
The chassis was originally built by Erebus Motorsport fabricator James White for the Blanchard Racing Team, which onsold the chassis to Dick Johnson Racing having never raced the car.
DJRS-09-MR becomes Kostecki’s third DJR chassis, after he changed cars following his heavy Gold Coast qualifying crash last October.
Kostecki raced DJR’s first Erebus-built chassis, DJRS-07-MR, from Round 1 in Sydney to Round 11. After the crash, he moved into DJRS-08-MR, which had been Will Davison’s car it was benched before Bathurst.
" It was a nice shakedown in the new number 17," Kostecki said.
"Pretty cruisy, just running through the motions, procedures, doing the 19 laps on the car and just making sure that everything's right to go for the test day in Sydney."
While Tuesday’s maximum 60 kilometres of running was a chance to get DJRS-09-MR up to speed, it marked a ceremonial moment for Kostecki, who drove the famous #17 for the first time.
Revealed at the team's 2026 launch on Sunday, Kostecki — who signed on with DJR until 2030 — will race with the #17 from 2026.
New teammate Rylan Gray has assumed the #38, and will make his full-time Supercars debut in Sydney on February 20-22.
"It was pretty special. Getting in, pulling the door handle, seeing the number 17 on the door was pretty special, but once you're inside you can't see what number of the car is," Kostecki said.
"It was just down to doing my job and doing the best job I can inside the car.
"Definitely excited to hit the track of the test day at Sydney for the pre-season test. It's been a long off-season and just excited to get back behind the wheel again at the Shell V-Power Ford Mustang
"Hopefully we can have a good weekend at Sydney."
Tuesday’s running was the first of a series of new car shakedowns and tests before all cars hit the track in Sydney for the Destination NSW Test Day on Wednesday February 18.
Notably, all three new Triple Eight-built Ford Mustangs will hit the track next week, as will Chaz Mostert’s first Walkinshaw TWG Racing Toyota GR Supra.
