Hazelwood's rare feat in Bathurst breakthrough
Todd Hazelwood recorded first career win in Bathurst
Hazelwood's win came in 195th Supercars race start
South Aussie the fourth driver to record first win at Bathurst 1000
In his 195th start, Todd Hazelwood finally broke through to claim a Supercars win, and it was in the biggest race of them all.
On Sunday, the 29-year-old combined with Brodie Kostecki to complete a dominant victory at Mount Panorama, the duo leading 157 of 161 laps.
It was a long-awaited first victory for Hazelwood, who raced full-time in Supercars between 2018 and 2023 for Matt Stone Racing, Brad Jones Racing and Blanchard Racing Team.
In that spell he claimed a single podium in Sydney and single pole in Townsville, both coming in 2020.
"To be honest, I look back at my Supercars program as a full-time driver and it was a pretty frustrating term," Hazelwood told Supercars.com's Schick Cool Down Lap podcast after Sunday's race.
"Seven years that I had only one pole position and one podium and no wins was something that really frustrated me, for the amount of effort and work that I put in and the amount of people that supported me to get to that moment.
"This place rips your heart out at the best of times, but this time it's fully fulfilled my heart."
Remarkably, Hazelwood became just the fourth driver to record his first ATCC/Supercars Championship win at the Bathurst 1000, which notable to this story, became a championship round in 1999.
So, who are the rest?
Rick Kelly
After debuting as a teenager in 2001, Rick Kelly completed the 2002 season for the Holden Young Lions, before partnering Greg Murphy at the Kmart team for 2003. At 20, Kelly won the Great Race a day after Murphy's 'Lap of the Gods' heroics. Victory in the biggest race was Kelly's first victory in his 47th career race start.
Nick Percat
In his third Supercars race start, following the 2010 and 2011 Phillip Island enduros, a 23-year-old Nick Percat broke through with Garth Tander and the Holden Racing Team on what was his Bathurst debut. Percat is something of a Bathurst specialist, adding podiums in 2014 and 2016 for James Rosenberg Racing and Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.
Luke Youlden
A gun co-driver-for-hire, Luke Youlden claimed enduro podiums for Steven Ellery Racing, Ford Performance Racing and Brad Jones Racing between 2001 and 2016. Heading into 2017, Youlden had come up short in 17 attempts at the Great Race, and joined David Reynolds and Erebus Motorsport. On a wet and miserable day, Reynolds and Youlden shone brighter than the rest when it mattered, Reynolds taking the lead in a dramatic final stanza to race away to a famous victory.
