Brodie Kostecki has secured a significant victory at the NTI Townsville 500, revitalizing the Shell V-Power Racing Team after a challenging season. This triumph marks not only Kostecki’s first win of the 2023 Supercars season but also his inaugural victory with Ford. The race, held on July 7, 2023, showcased Kostecki’s talent as he started from pole position and maintained control over the competition, particularly against rival Cam Waters.
Kostecki’s win ended a notable drought for Dick Johnson Racing, which had not seen victory since the previous Townsville 500. The event highlighted Kostecki’s skill, as he fended off challenges from Waters throughout the race, ultimately crossing the finish line with a comfortable lead of 4.3 seconds. Anton De Pasquale from Team 18 secured third place, rounding out a competitive podium.
In the championship standings, Matt Payne’s fourth-place finish allowed him to leapfrog Will Brown by a narrow margin of five points. Brown, who started the race in 20th position, showed remarkable resilience by finishing 10th, while Broc Feeney also made a strong recovery from 14th to eighth place.
Reflecting on his win, Kostecki expressed his excitement, stating, “That felt awesome, the Shell V-Power Mustang was on fire today. I had Cam breathing down my neck the whole race; I knew I couldn’t make a mistake. What an awesome feeling to get the monkey off the back is just absolutely unreal.” This victory represents a significant milestone for Kostecki, as it is only his third win since becoming the 2023 champion and follows a turbulent period with Erebus in which he missed the first two races of the season.
The race began with Kostecki and Waters battling fiercely through the initial turns, with Kostecki quickly asserting his lead. Behind them, De Pasquale moved past Payne to secure fourth place early on. Jaxon Evans faced an unfortunate incident, requiring a pit stop due to front-end damage sustained in a collision with teammate Macauley Jones.
As the race progressed, Kostecki extended his lead to 1.5 seconds by lap 10, while various drivers engaged in strategic moves, including a significant battle between James Courtney and Aaron Cameron, which resulted in a dramatic incident at Turn 6. Meanwhile, Kostecki continued to distance himself from the field, demonstrating the strength of his car and his driving skill.
In the strategic pit stops that followed, Kostecki’s team executed a timely stop, allowing him to maintain his lead over Waters. Despite Waters’ efforts to close the gap, Kostecki’s consistent performance kept him ahead. The race concluded with Kostecki securing his ninth career victory, further solidifying his status among the top drivers in the championship.
Supercars action continues with the Boost Mobile Qualifying scheduled for July 8, 2023, at 10:00 AM AEST, followed by the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout at 12:05 PM. The first race of the weekend, Race 21, will commence at 3:00 PM, promising more excitement for fans and competitors alike. This article originally appeared on Supercars.com and has been republished with permission.
