'Unbeatable' Kostecki's pole margin biggest since 'Lap of the Gods'

Brodie Kostecki claimed pole by 0.4830s in Bathurst Shootout
Biggest Shootout pole margin since Greg Murphy’s 'Lap of the Gods'
Kostecki pole time 15th fastest Shootout lap despite downforce reduction

Erebus Motorsport race engineer George Commins has hailed Brodie Kostecki’s "unbeatable" Bathurst Shootout effort, which delivered the biggest margin since Greg Murphy’s famous 'Lap of the Gods'.

Championship leader Kostecki was near untouchable over one lap at last weekend’s Repco Bathurst 1000, claiming provisional pole and Shootout pole.

The 25-year-old soared to pole in the ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout by a whopping 0.4830s on Saturday, beating Red Bull Ampol Racing driver Broc Feeney.

Such was Kostecki’s speed, that he recorded the biggest dry-weather margin in a Shootout since Murphy put over a second on the field in 2003.

Remarkably, veteran engineer Commins believes Kostecki could have put his car into the 2:03s, had he not suffered a slide at Hell Corner.

Had Kostecki converted at Turn 1, the margin would have been over 0.7s — pushing him into untouchable territory.

The Perth-born driver’s lap time is more impressive given the downforce reduction with the Gen3 cars, with Supercars running Dunlop Soft tyres for the first time at the Mountain.

While disappointed to miss out on Sunday, with the #99 Coca-Cola Camaro coming home second behind Shane van Gisbergen/Richie Stanaway, Commins was in awe of his driver’s efforts.

"To have that much margin on the field, even with the little mistake, you think what could’ve been," Commins told the Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.

"It could’ve been a ‘three' without that little mistake, just amazing. A real shame we couldn’t convert in the race, but next year."

On Kostecki’s performance, Commins: "It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it, to be perfectly honest.

"Over one lap, he’s absolutely unbeatable, certainly at the moment, anyway."

Commins’ comments reflect those of Richard Childress Racing crew chief Justin Alexander, who skippered Kostecki’s efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Indianapolis.

"His feedback is phenomenal and incredible," Alexander told Supercars.com earlier this year.

"On par with the best I have ever worked with as far as road racers go, if not the best."

Kostecki holds a 131-point lead over van Gisbergen with two rounds remaining, with the season to resume at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 27-29.

Biggest dry-weather Bathurst Shootout margins since 2003