Sharon Hicks

2023 Great Race: All-Chevrolet Front Row, Brodie Kostecki Shines

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Great Race at Mount Panorama, the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000 is set to feature an exciting all-Chevrolet front row.

Brodie Kostecki, displaying remarkable dominance, secured his place at the forefront during the Bathurst Shootout with an impressive lead of nearly 0.5 seconds. This achievement positions him and co-driver David Russell with the prestigious honor of leading the pack for the first Bathurst 1000 of the Gen3 era.

On Sunday, October 8, the heart-pounding action will kick off at 11:15am AEDT, as 15 Chevrolet Camaros and 13 Ford Mustangs prepare to tackle the challenging Mount Panorama circuit during the 161-lap race.

For motorsport enthusiasts, there are multiple ways to catch all the action. Foxtel’s Fox Sports 506 will broadcast the race live, and for those preferring to stream, Kayo offers a convenient option. Additionally, the Seven Network will provide live free-to-air coverage of this thrilling event. Don’t miss out on this electrifying showdown on the iconic Mount Panorama track.

Starting Grid for 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000

• Brodie Kostecki/David Russell (#99 Coca-Cola Chevrolet)
• Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup (#88 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet)
• Cam Waters/James Moffat (#6 Monster Energy Ford)
• James Golding/Dylan O’Keeffe (#31 Nulon Chevrolet)
• Anton De Pasquale/Tony D’Alberto (#11 Shell V-Power Ford)
• Shane van Gisbergen/Richie Stanaway (#97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro)
• David Reynolds/Garth Tander (#26 Penrite Ford)
• Matt Payne/Kevin Estre (#19 Penrite Ford)
• Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Ford)
• Will Davison/Alex Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Ford)
• Thomas Randle/Garry Jacobson (#55 Castrol Ford)
• Scott Pye/Warren Luff (#20 Toyota Forklifts Chevrolet)
• Andre Heimgartner/Dale Wood (#8 R&J Batteries Chevrolet)
• Cameron Hill/Jaylyn Robotham (#35 Truck Assist Chevrolet)
• Jack Le Brocq/Jayden Ojeda (#34 Truck Assist Chevrolet)
• James Courtney/Zak Best (#5 Snowy River Caravans Ford)
• Will Brown/Jack Perkins (#9 Coca-Cola Chevrolet)
• Tim Slade/Jonathon Webb (#23 Nulon Chevrolet)
• Mark Winterbottom/Michael Caruso (#18 DEWALT Chevrolet)
• Craig Lowndes/Zane Goddard (#888 Supercheap Auto Chevrolet)
• Bryce Fullwood/Dean Fiore (#14 Middy’s Electrical Chevrolet)
• Todd Hazelwood/Tim Blanchard (#3 CoolDrive Ford)
• Nick Percat/Fabian Coulthard (#2 Mobil 1 NTI Ford)
• Macauley Jones/Jordan Boys (#96 Pizza Hut Chevrolet)
• Kai Allen/Simona De Silvestro (#98 Shell V-Power Ford)
• Aaron Love/Jake Kostecki (#7 Petronas Ford)
• Jack Smith/Jaxon Evans (#4 SCT Logistics Chevrolet)
• Declan Fraser/Tyler Everingham (#56 TRADIE Beer Ford)

Throughout the year, Supercars and our teams have diligently followed and administered the Parity Review System for the Repco Supercars Championship. This system is the established process for evaluating and executing parity adjustments in accordance with the category’s rules and regulations.

The Parity Review System is designed to identify potential parity imbalances, and it is triggered when such an imbalance is demonstrated in five consecutive races or five out of eight consecutive races.

As of now, the prescribed number of parity triggers, as defined by the system, has not been met. Therefore, there is no basis for a parity adjustment to be made for the upcoming Bathurst 1000 race under the Parity Review System.

RELATED: Bathurst 1000 Practice: Brown Holds Off Payne in Thrilling Session

Supercars did receive a request from the Ford Homologation Team to implement a parity adjustment ahead of the Repco Bathurst 1000, outside the scope of the Parity Review System.

In accordance with the terms outlined in the Teams Racing Charter and the Supercars rules and regulations, which stipulate that the consent of all Supercars Teams is required for implementing requested parity adjustment changes, Supercars thoroughly considered this request.

Following numerous meetings involving all teams and key stakeholders, it has been determined that the necessary consent from the Supercars Teams has not been obtained to support the requested parity adjustment for the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000.

We highly value the input and perspectives of all parties involved in our sport. Our commitment is to continue working in a manner that upholds the integrity of our sport and the rules and regulations that govern it.

In the opening hour-long practice session of the Bathurst 1000, the leading drivers wasted no time in setting the pace, with a flurry of impressive improvements emerging within the first 10 minutes.

Initially, it was Will Brown who established the benchmark with a lap time of 2m07.665s. However, Anton De Pasquale quickly eclipsed this with a slightly faster time of 2m07.373s.

Brown briefly returned to the top spot with a 2m07-dead lap, only to see Brodie Kostecki surge ahead, putting a full second between himself and the rest of the field with a rapid 2m06.072s lap.

As the session settled into a rhythm, the gap gradually closed. Drivers like De Pasquale and Scott Pye dipped into the 2m06s range. Brown once again challenged his competitors, coming within three-tenths of his teammate with a lap time of 2m07.344s.

RELATED: Supercars Pays Tribute to Legends at the Milestone Bathurst 1000 Celebration

However, Brown wasn’t finished. At the midway point of the session, he became the first driver to break into the 2m05s, setting an impressive time of 2m05.965s.

This remarkable lap proved too formidable for anyone to surpass in the remaining half of the session. Nevertheless, Matt Payne of Grove Racing came tantalizingly close, falling just 0.007s short of Brown’s best lap time.

Kostecki’s early pace secured him the third position, with his co-driver David Russell taking over for the latter part of the session. Chaz Mostert, on his final lap, jumped to fourth, ahead of David Reynolds, Scott Pye, and Sandown 500 victor Broc Feeney.

De Pasquale found himself shuffled back to eighth place as the session progressed, followed by Andre Heimgartner and Craig Lowndes.

Notably, Shane van Gisbergen posted the 15th fastest time, enduring a challenging session that included a brief excursion down the escape road at Hell Corner.

The Supercars action continues with a second one-hour practice session, exclusively for co-drivers, scheduled for 4:50pm local time.

In honor of the 60th anniversary edition of the Repco Bathurst 1000 in October, the Repco Supercars Championship is gearing up to pay homage to legendary drivers and iconic vehicles with a series of exhibitions at this year’s Great Race.

The inaugural endurance race at Mount Panorama took place in 1963 as a 500-miler, and it saw Harry Firth and Bob Jane clinch victory in a Ford Cortina GT. The race’s distance was later extended to 1000 kilometers in 1973, transforming the regional New South Wales town into the focal point of the Australian racing world every October during the Great Race.

For the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000, a special demonstration featuring some of the race’s most illustrious cars will be a centerpiece, paying tribute to the event’s rich history. Among the featured vehicles will be the 1993-winning VP Holden Commodore of Larry Perkins and Greg Hansford, the iconic Betta Electrical BA Falcon driven by Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup during their memorable 2006 triumph, and many more that fans will have the opportunity to witness on the track at this significant milestone event.

The list of participating drivers in the demonstrations reads like a who’s who of winning drivers, including Lowndes, Perkins, Whincup, Mark Skaife, and others. Their presence, both on and off the track, will be part of the celebrations, evoking cherished memories for fans of all ages.

Related News: Brad Jones Racing’s Quest for a Fifth Consecutive PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge

Furthermore, the 2023 event marks the 45th anniversary of the first Top Ten Shootout at Mount Panorama, which was predictably topped by Peter Brock in 1978. Several iconic Shootout cars will be on display in the Harris Park precinct along pit straight, including Marcos Ambrose’s 2001 Pirtek Ford Falcon, the 1990 pole-winning Allan Moffat Enterprises ANZ Ford Sierra, and more.

Supercars CEO Shane Howard expressed excitement about the commemoration, stating, “We are thrilled to be bringing some of Bathurst’s most storied drivers and cars together in commemoration of an incredible six decades of history at Mount Panorama.” He added, “Celebrating an iconic milestone at such an iconic event, with so many prized pieces of its history will make for a truly memorable occasion. These very special displays with some of Bathurst’s most beloved cars and names are a tremendous way to celebrate over 60 years of history at the Repco Bathurst 1000, and we cannot wait to write another chapter in its history in just a few short weeks.”

The Repco Supercars Championship is set to descend upon Mount Panorama for the 60th anniversary edition of the Repco Bathurst 1000 from October 5-8. Tickets for this historic running of the Great Race are available for purchase via Supercars.com and Ticketek.

In a bid to secure their fifth consecutive PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge title, Brad Jones Racing (BJR) will be facing off at Mount Panorama, with the 2023 finals scheduled to take place at the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Following the preliminary rounds, both BJR teams achieved impressive results, landing in the top three of the standings by the end of the regular season at the OTR SuperSprint.

In terms of prize money, BJR collected a total of $7500. The R&J Batteries Racing & Middy’s Racing crew secured the top spot and a prize of $5500, while the SCT Logistics & Pizza Hut Racing crew claimed third place and a $2000 reward.

Red Bull Ampol Racing, competing against the BJR teams, walked away with $3500 and now has a shot at claiming their first-ever Pit Stop Challenge title.

Penrite Racing finished fourth but still holds a chance to win the coveted $20,000 prize along with the prestigious Golden Rattle Gun.

The finals are scheduled for Thursday, October 5, at the Repco Bathurst 1000, just before the commencement of Practice 1 during the landmark Great Race weekend of 2023. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Great Race at Mount Panorama.

The first semi-final of this year’s PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge is set to begin at 11:50 am local time, followed by the second semi at 12:10 pm. The two fastest teams from the semi-finals will advance to the final, which is slated to commence at 12:25 pm.

The PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge serves as an ideal platform to showcase the exceptional skills of each crew, with BJR aiming for their fifth title in seven attempts. While DJR Team Penske claimed the first two editions of the Challenge in 2017 and 2018, BJR has remained undefeated since.

Save the date for the 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000, taking place from October 5 to 8. Tickets are currently available for purchase on Ticketek.com and Supercars.com.

For the latest updates, here are the preliminary standings for the 2023 PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge:

Rank	Driver 1	Driver 2	Team	Points
1	Heimgartner	Fullwood	BJR	150
2	van Gisbergen	Feeney	Triple Eight	144
3	Jones	Smith	BJR	136
4	Payne	Reynolds	Penrite	105
5	Brown	Kostecki	Erebus	101
6	Mostert	Percat	WAU	94
7	Randle	Fraser	Tickford	89
8	Davison	De Pasquale	DJR	84
9	Slade	Golding	Nulon	73
10	Waters	Courtney	Tickford	71
11	Hill	Le Brocq	MSR	65
12	Winterbottom	Pye	Team 18	44
13	Hazelwood	–	CoolDrive	26