Dick Johnson reduced to tears by remarkable Bathurst finish
Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood poached win after Anton De Pasquale ran out of fuel
DJR CEO Megan Foster proud of team's resilience in trying week
When someone of the ilk of Dick Johnson is reduced to tears, you know that something truly special has happened at Mount Panorama.
And so it was on Sunday, as the #17 Ford he made so famous swooped into the lead on the last lap as Anton De Pasquale ran out of fuel, just the second final lap lead change in Bathurst 1000 history.
Amid scenes of utter euphoria and disbelief, TV cameras cut to the three-time Bathurst winner with hands on his head, and tears welling up.
As Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood joined the club of multiple Bathurst winners, the 81-year-old Supercars Hall of Famer delivered a trademark one-liner, proving that his competitive fire isn't burning out.
"That's amazing, I tell you," said five-time Australian Touring Car Champion Johnson post-race.
"I tell you, I want a couple more before I fall off the perch.
"Look he deserves it you know, after all the drama. The perfect day, except for one bit of a mistake."
Whilst Johnson has been coming to Bathurst as a driver since 1973, for team CEO Megan Foster, it was an unforgettable start to life in the inner sanctum of a team at Bathurst.
Foster, who joined DJR as CEO in a historic appointment over the off-season, was also in a state of shock. When asked if she was still wondering what had just happened on the Equip Super Cool Down Lap, Foster quipped: "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying.
"That was a rollercoaster, but incredible. Absolutely so proud of the team, so proud of obviously Todd, but Brodie is an absolute animal out there. Like, how incredible.
"We came back, we're at sort of fifth, he's pulling his way through, got to second. That was unbelievable. The clash with Will and him was incredible.
"And then obviously to have him come through on the last lap was just, you would've heard the garage. It was just incredible, to have Dick and Jillie here.
"The emotion in the team is outstanding. I've been coming here a long time, I've been coming here since I was four. But I'd say that's the most incredible Bathurst, obviously being in the team, but that was incredible. So hopefully also for the fans."
The first Bathurst win for the iconic #17 Ford since Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat's controversial 2019 win was achieved through a whole range of trying circumstances.
First, Kostecki's regular engineer George Commins was sidelined after a mountain biking accident, whilst the crew had to complete a full rebuild of the sister #38 Ford on Friday after Tony D'Alberto crashed in Practice 3.
The weekend wasn't completely smooth for the #17 either, with an engine change before qualifying, a transaxle change before the Top Ten Shootout, and then the fumbled brake change on lap 125 that appeared to have sunk their hopes.
Yet, each and every time, they rose from the canvas. And when the chips were down, no one was going to stand in the way of Kostecki, as he had telegraphed on Saturday evening.
"We never give up. So, you know, we could've made a choice not to do some things, but we didn't wanna leave today, and the team did not wanna not put everything on the line," Foster added.
"So, we put everything on the line, and it was incredible. It was a dream come true because we had a great start to the race, obviously, had a little bit of an issue, which is racing, and to come back like that. Absolute fairytale for the team."
Kostecki claimed his eighth win of the season at Bathurst, and will enter the opening round of the Repco Supercars Finals at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 as one of the key contenders.
Tickets for the event, from October 23-25, are on sale now.
