DJR explains snap call behind 'aggressive' Kostecki gamble

A gamble “didn’t quite pay off” for Brodie Kostecki in the ITM Taupō Super 440 finale, which saw the Ford star’s points lead trimmed.

Kostecki crossed the line sixth in Race 9, which was won by Walkinshaw TWG Racing Toyota driver Ryan Wood.

Crucially, Broc Feeney finished second — and claimed fastest lap bonus points — to slash Kostecki’s lead from 60 to 18 points heading to Christchurch.

After starting fourth for the 200km race, Race 8 winner Kostecki ran long twice, with his second stop pushed out as sprinkles of rain were reported around the circuit.

The rain didn’t intensify, forcing Kostecki’s engineer George Commins to pull the pin on lap 48, and bring the #17 Shell V-Power Ford into the lane.

Speaking on Supercars’ Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast, Commins said: “We took a bit of a gamble, went pretty aggressive with it and didn't quite pay off, waiting for the rain that never came.

“When it started raining on the lap we were going to pit, it would’ve cost us one or two spots, so that’s how it goes.”

Chasing the Red Bull Ampol Fords in the first stint, Commins decided to offset Kostecki to his rivals. As Commins advised his driver that the “tyres are killed”, Kostecki stopped on lap 28, seven laps after Wood.

The changing weather could have played into Kostecki’s hands, but instead, he ended up dropping points to his key rivals on a day he crushed them in the first race.

“We realised pretty early on that if we were going to get in front of Broc, then we needed to offset ourselves some way,” Commins added.

“We weren't going to pass them on track or very unlikely to, we saw everybody sort of evened out in the hot air there.

“We tried to commit ourselves to four or five laps longer. We came in probably two laps later than we planned on the last stop, just because as it started sprinkling and threw a bit of a curve ball, that's how it played out.”

Kostecki is fourth in the Jason Richards Trophy standings heading to Christchurch.