Bathurst 1000: Shane van Gisbergen wins back-to-back titles at Mount Panorama
Three-time Bathurst champion Shane van Gisbergen has defended his Mount Panorama crown in what he described as the ‘perfect goodbye’. But have we seen the last of SVG?
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Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has defended his Mount Panorama crown to become a three-time Bathurst 1000 champion in a “perfect way to say goodbye” to the Great Race before the Triple Eight star’s move Stateside.
In his final campaign at the mountain before he makes the switch to NASCAR in 2024, van Gisbergen underlined his status as a champion of the sport to become the first driver in 15 years to claim consecutive Bathurst wins after triumphing with fellow Kiwi Richie Stanaway.
Upstaging the pole sitter and race favourite Brodie Kostecki, van Gisbergen became the first driver since Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup completed their famous three-peat in 2008 to take consecutive wins in the endurance classic.
In another slice of Mount Panorama history, it gave the New Zealand ace the first win of the Gen3 era for the Chevrolet Camaro.
After his scorching top-10 shootout performance on Saturday, Kostecki secured his second Bathurst 1000 podium after he and co-driver David Russell finished second behind van Gisbergen, who is hunting him in the Supercars championship.
Dick Johnson Racing driver Anton De Pasquale defied a week of Ford parity drama to put his Mustang on the podium in third place after late heartbreak for Triple Eight young gun Broc Feeney.
The 20-year-old Sandown 500 winner had been on track for a podium behind teammate van Gisbergen before suffering a gear shift lever issue with less than 25 laps to go, which forced him back to the garage for repairs and left him “gutted” after the race.
Van Gisbergen defied his own late car niggles to add to his Bathurst wins in 2020 and last year - both alongside Garth Tander.
The victory gave his co-driver Stanaway his first Bathurst 1000 victory as he prepares to make a full-time return to Supercars next year for Grove Racing.
As he prepares to embark on a new racing career in the United States, 34-year-old van Gisbergen said it was the “perfect goodbye” to Mount Panorama, but vowed he would be back one day.
“It’s amazing, we weren’t the fastest car all week but we worked on the race car, what a feeling,” van Gisbergen said.
“Richie did just a stellar job all day, the team was good. I’m really gutted for Broc and Jamie, the 88 boys.
“Thanks to all these fans, I’m really going to miss it, I’ll be back.
“I wouldn’t say (it’s my) last, I’ll be back one day probably. But, for now, this is the perfect way to say goodbye.”
Van Gisbergen celebrated his Bathurst win, which gave Triple Eight its 10th win at Mount Panorama, with his famous epic burnouts, blowing his rear tyres.
Starting from sixth on the grid, van Gisbergen won the race by a margin of 19 seconds over Kostecki, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
Van Gisbergen revealed he had to overcome a string of issues with his Camaro to get to the finish line.
“I had so many problems with the car at the end there, I had the (steering) rack, clutch, and the last set of brakes wasn’t very good,” van Gisbergen said.
“Then rubber kept falling out of the splitter. They kept saying that they were pulling footballs out of the splitter every pit stop.
“I just hoped the thing held together.”
Van Gisbergen and Stanaway became just the second all-New Zealand combination to win the Bathurst 1000 since Greg Murphy and Steven Richards won in 1999.
Stanaway, who has not raced full-time in Supercars since 2019, said the win was a dream come true.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, it’s a childhood dream of mine to win this race, so I just can’t believe it,” Stanaway said.
“It’s been incredible to be a part of this team and teaming up with Shane, I knew we had a good shot, but you never know at this place.
“The last 60 laps were probably the longest two hours of my life. I just can’t describe the feeling, I couldn’t be happier.
“It’s so surreal to be a part of such an iconic team and it’s everything I could have hoped for. I’ve been quietly hoping of getting this result all year so for it to come true is an unbelievable feeling.”
Van Gisbergen, who stunned the motorsport world when he won his NASCAR debut race in July, said he had told Triple Eight he would be back for the enduros next year if his US schedule allowed.
“I like this place and love the series still, I want it to be successful, but I don’t have a schedule for next year yet,” van Gisbergen said.
“I said to Triple Eight I will do the enduros with them if it allows, but I want to be a Cup Series driver.
“Next year I am going to fully immerse myself in NASCAR and XFinity, Truck and some Cup stuff …. if (the schedule) allows I will come back here. But I want to be in the Cups series so I am doing everything I can to get there.”
Thrilled to share the win with his fellow Kiwi, van Gisbergen revealed he had hoped Stanaway would fill his seat at Triple Eight next year, which has gone to Will Brown.
“In some ways I wish he was replacing me in that car,” he said.
“I know they have got a capable driver (Brown) replacing (me), but I was secretly hoping Richie would get the drive.”
Van Gisbergen now trails Kostecki by 131 points in the championship and has not given up hope of catching him.
“Brodie is doing very well and doesn’t make many mistakes and as you have to be on bad days, he is still in the top five,” the defending Supercars champion said.
“He’s an awesome driver and his raw speed is definitely better than ours.
“Gold Coast is one of my better tracks and Adelaide is OK. Hopefully we can put some pressure on him.”
Dual Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert and Grove Racing’s David Reynolds finished fourth and fifth to put three Fords in the top-five.
While this year’s race avoided the carnage that hit Mount Panorama early in the 2022 race, there were still casualties, but only three safety cars.
Matt Payne’s Grove Racing co-driver Kevin Estre prompted the first safety car of the race on lap 27 when he ran wide off the track at turn one and into the tyre barrier.
But his Mustang was able to be retrieved from the kitty litter so he could rejoin the race.
There was no such luck for leading Ford qualifier Cam Waters, whose race came to an end on lap 71 after his co-driver James Moffat hit the wall at the Dipper.
The race of Brad Jones Racing duo Andre Heimgartner and Dale Wood also came to an early end after an engine failure on lap 70.
Seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes’ campaign in his Triple Eight wildcard with Zane Goddard was also cruelled after suffering early gear shift lever issues.
A total crowd of 204,069 attended the four days of the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama - the third highest crowd in history.
Re-live all the action in the blog below
5.30PM: VAN GISBERGEN SEALS THIRD BATHURST TITLE
That was something! Shane van Gisbergen has romped it in, sealing back-to-back Bathurst titles - and he will soon be handed the Peter Brock Trophy for a third time, including his 2020 triumph.
Co-driver Richie Stanaway has never finished on the podium at Mount Panorama, and is now a champion.
Brodie Kostecki and Dave Russell come through in second, another Bathurst podium, and in third Anton de Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto round out the podium.
5.20PM: IT’S ALL BUT OVER - SVG IN THE BAG
You can start engraving the trophy. The only thing stopping Shane van Gisbergen from back to back titles would be the wheels falling off - or perhaps a gearbox drama.
But he is cruising to the finish line after a relatively drama-free race. The mechanical failures - and occasionally the walls around Mount Panarama - have hit his rivals instead.
It’s been a sensational drive from he and Richie Stanaway, after starting the day sixth on the grid.
5.10PM: FINAL PIT STOPS DONE - SVG’S RACE TO LOSE
Let the shootout begin. Shane van Gisbergen has had his last stop of the day, a clean pit-stop after pulling in with a near 90-second lead on second-placed Brodie Kostecki.
He returns with 13 laps to race, and one hand on another Peter Brock Trophy.
Kostecki, too, has had his final pit of the day but after complaining of steering issues he’s nursed his way back into the race.
Has he got anything left in the tank to push the leader and deny van Gisbergen from back-to-back Bathurst triumphs?
4.50PM: BATHURST CARNAGE ROCKS RACE FAVOURITES
There is also drama for the Brodie Kostecki and Dave Russell in the Erebus Racing car with a steering rack issue.
Erebus Racing team principal Barry Ryan said he wasn’t clear how serious the issue was with the team preparing to just put tyres and fuel in the car and see how it races to the end.
It’s unclear if the steering rack will survive until the end of the race.
Absolutely heartbreaking for Broc Feeney 💔#7Motorsport#RepcoSCpic.twitter.com/CyhDyjYSWv
— 7Sport (@7Sport) October 8, 2023
4.40PM: EMOTIONS RUN HOT IN HUGE RETIREMENT
There has been a problem with the Triple 888 car of Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup with 25 laps to go in the Bathurst 1000.
The car, second on the road, slowed out of Forrest Elbow and went into pit lane.
It is a gearbox issue with the shifter unable to change gears.
Feeney is devastated the team’s chances are over, he was in tears as the team tried to fix the issue.
4.30PM: VAN GISBERGEN SETS UP GRANDSTAND FINISH
Triple 888 Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway lead with 30 laps to go as the Bathurst 1000 heats up.
The duo led throughout the last 40 laps, except for when Grove Racing’s David Reynolds and Garth Tander briefly moved out in front, but the duo were out of racing order as the team needed another pit stop.
The reigning Bathurst champion leads by around 5 seconds over his teammate Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup with Erebus Racing’s Brodie Kostecki and Dave Russell in third.
All top drivers still need to do one more stop before the race finish.
Racing has been under green conditions for 60 laps since the last safety car came out on lap 70, which was for the crash involving Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters and James Moffat.
4.10PM: DRAMA HITS SVG PUSH
Coming out of his last pit stop, and the normally cool, calm and collected Shane van Gisbergen had some concerns about his brakes.
“Just let me know if there’s an issue,” van Gisbergen told his team over the radio.
However he remains in first place, as we approach the finishing stages.
4.05PM: FINAL SHOOTOUT BECOMES CLEARER
With the pivotal pit stops having taken place, we know more about how this race is due to play out.
And it means good things for Shane van Gisbergen.
Van Gisbergen has dropped back to second, behind Dave Reynolds - but the latter is yet to pit, leaving the Kiwi star in the box seat for back to back titles.
Van Gisbergen’s lead had grown to over a minute before he pitted for a big refuel and set of fresh tyres that should take him near to the finish line.
Behind him is the Feeney-Whincup tandem, and effectively in third is Brodie Kostecki.
3.35PM: COULD SVG WRITE HIMSELF INTO BATHURST HISTORY?
With 50 laps to go, the stars are aligning for Shane van Gisbergen to write himself into Bathurst history once again.
The two-time champion at Mount Panorama holds a slim lead over pre-race favourite Brodie Kostecki, but the wily Kiwi has craftily managed to put himself in the box seat for back-to-back Bathurst conquests after triumphing last year alongside Garth Tander.
Kostecki was the fastest in qualifying, and will have confidence he can find the speed to make a difference over the final 50 laps - but there are few better than van Gisbergen when it comes to managing tyres at the end of the Great Race.
3.10PM: SVG TAKES SHOCK BATHURST LEAD
By Shane Jones
Triple 888 racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway lead after 100 laps of the Bathurst 1000 after using clever strategy to work their way to the front.
Polesitter, Erebus’ Brodie Kostecki and Dave Russell led until lap 91 when the duo pitted with Russell handing the car to Kostecki to finish the race.
A few laps later Stanaway handed the car over to Van Gisbergen to finish the race with the Triple 888 duo coming out in front after stopping earlier, during a safety car, when Russell didn’t, allowing them to short fill the car with fuel.
The safety car came out after one of the Ford favourites for the race, Cameron Waters and James Moffat were eliminated after a crash at the Dipper.
Waters hit the inside wall, causing significant damage to the car, and ending their chances of a first victory for the duo at the Mountain.
The other retirement for the race was Andre Heimgartner and Dale Wood for Brad Jones Racing who had an engine failure.
2.45PM: STAR’S SUBTLE SLEDGE AFTER BRUTAL BATHURST END
Tickford Racing’s James Moffat has opened up on the crash that ended his race today, taking ownership for the mistake - while saying he and co-driver Cam Waters were ‘fighting with both hands tied behind our backs today’.
“I just clipped the inside wall there at the dipper and that just fired me into the outside wall,” Moffat said of the race-ending crash.
“I’m hugely disappointed, but I know I’m not the first person to do that and I won’t be the last.
“Disappointed in myself, I pride myself on not making errors like that. Sorry for all the team and all the guys.
“We were fighting with one, or maybe both hands tied behind our backs today. It was tough out there but that’s no excuse for what I did.”
James Moffat opening up about what led to the crash that took him out of the Great Race.
— 7Sport (@7Sport) October 8, 2023
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2.30PM: RACE FAVOURITES HOLD FIRM AT HALFWAY MARK
We’ve passed the halfway mark of this year’s race, and it’s the powerhouse duo of Brodie Kostecki and David Russell who have asserted themselves as the car to beat.
After ceding power to Jamie Whincup in the early laps, the Erebus Motorsport team has clearly been the fastest car flying around Mount Panorama.
After 82 laps, Russell leads Richie Stanaway/Shane van Gisbergen at the front of the pack, while Tony D’Alberto sits in third for co-driver Anton de Pasquale.
Veterans Garth Tander and Jamie Whincup round out the top five.
2.15PM: LATEST RETIREMENT CAUSES PIT LANE MADNESS
One of the Ford favourites is out of the race after James Moffat in the Tickford Racing Mustang hit the wall hard at the Dipper.
Moffat hit the inside of the corner hard after losing control of the car after picking up the throttle to get through the corners.
He tried to get the car to pit lane but it stopped as the car got to the pit in - causing cars to bank up behind him, and forced off the track to get around.
A safety car has come out on lap 70.
James Moffat SLAMS into the wall at The Dipper!
— Supercars (@supercars) October 8, 2023
The third BP Ultimate Safety Car is triggered for the Great Race.
Follow every moment of the @RepcoAustralia Bathurst 1000 LIVE in RaceHQ: https://t.co/dwVWgm3juW#RepcoSC#Supercars#Bathurst1000pic.twitter.com/w3h2GJzyWv
2.00PM: BATHURST 1000 CLAIMS FIRST VICTIM
The first retirement has happened in the Bathurst 1000 with Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner and Dale Wood out of the race.
The BJR number eight car had an engine failure down Conrod Straight with smoke billowing from the back of the car.
Wood, in the car, got to pit lane but his car stopped before he got to their pit boom.
“We got an oil pressure alarm earlier on for a couple of laps but thought it was a temperature thing,” he said.
“On Conrod it gave a massive bang and the day was done. I’m so gutted, it’s just not working at the moment.
“I’m so spewing for the team, it’s a frigging awesome joint and the results in this car should have come today.”
1.40PM: FAVOURITES TAKE CONTROL AT BATHURST
By Shane Jones
Erebus Racing’s Brodie Kostecki is the race leader almost a third through the Bathurst 1000.
The pole sitter, with co-driver Dave Russell, who started, lost the lead at turn one with Triple 888’s Jamie Whincup taking the lead for the first few 26 laps of the race.
Following the first safety car on lap 27, which came out as a result of Grove Racing’s Kevin Estre being stuck in the sandtrap, PremiAir Racing’s Dylan O’Keefe led before Triple 888 racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen took over after the restart.
He led until the second safety car came out after Brad Jones Racing’s Dale Wood went into the sandtrap at the final turn.
Kostecki took the lead following a bunch of pit stops and has held the lead from the lap 42 restart.
Shane Van Gisbergen/Richie Stanaway are currently second with Dick Johnson Racing’s Anton De Pasquale in third.
1.05PM: SAFTEY CARS START TO IMPACT RACE
By Shane Jones
The second safety car has come out after the Brad Jones Racing car of Andre Heimgartner and Dale Wood got stuck in the sandtrap at the final corner.
Wood made contact with the back right of Team 18 driver Scott Pye’s car, with his left front, which sent him straight into the tyre wall.
It caused Wood to be stuck in the sand trap, causing the safety car.
The BJR car has lost one lap for the incident but the team is still running.
The contact between the two cars is being investigated by stewards.
The safety car caused almost everyone to pit with Broc Feeney moving from second to 16th after being double stacked behind Shane Van Gisbergen, his teammate, in the pits.
Jamie Whincup, Feeney’s co-driver, is now in the car.
The race went back under green conditions on lap 42.
12.45PM: FORMER BATHURST CHAMP DIALLED IN
He might have gone stateside in recent years to dominate the IndyCar series, but former Bathurst champion Scott McLaughlin knows where his heart really lies.
The three-time Supercars champion was glued to the Great Race... even while at a wedding.
McLaughlin won the Great Race in 2019 and spent one more year in Supercars before heading to the US to embark on an IndyCar career.
Locked in at the wedding..! #bathurst1000pic.twitter.com/SjEjTwQxmf
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) October 8, 2023
12.40PM: FORD STAR HAMMERED WITH HUGE PENALTY
By Shane Jones
One of the Ford favourites has been heavily penalised after the first safety car of the day.
Grove Racing’s David Reynolds and Garth Tander have been given a drive through penalty after overtaking Triple 888’s Broc Feeney while the field was under safety car.
Reynolds came out of turn 1 and went past Feeney after the Triple 888 driver completed their first stop.
It was the second blow for Grove Racing in the space of a couple of laps after his teammate, Kevin Estre, caused the safety car after getting stuck in the sand trap at turn one.
The Grove Racing driver was second at the time of completing the drive through.
The team now has a challenge to get back to the front of the field, losing a stack of time.
12.30PM: LOWNDES’ PRAYERS AS SAFETY CAR EMERGES
Craig Lowndes knows he needs a miracle after losing three laps due to a broken gear lever mount.
And the Bathurst gods might already be listening to his prayers.
“When I went down a gear into the Cutting the whole lever went forward and I went this is not good,” Lowndes said.
“We’re praying for a couple of safety cars and a couple of lucky dogs.
“The car was nice.”
The prayers have been answered, with the safety car making its first appearance shortly after.
We have our first Safety Car of the #Bathurst1000 ... any early tips for how many we'll get today?
— Fox Motorsport (@Fox_Motorsport) October 8, 2023
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Grove Racing co-driver Kevin Estre has prompted the first safety car of the Bathurst 1000.
Just four laps after jumping into the car to relieve lead driver Matt Payne, Estre ran wide off the track at turn one and into the tyre barrier on lap 27, bringing out the yellow flags.
The safety car prompted a flurry of pit stops while Estre’s car was retrieved.
Frenchman Estre is one of the international drivers in the Bathurst field along with Swiss Dick Johnson Racing wildcard Simona De Silvestro.
Meanwhile, Will Brown is showing why Triple Eight splashed the cash to bring him across next year - he moved up to 3rd after starting the day in 17th on the grid. A smart call to give him the opening drive.
12.20PM: SUPERCARS STAR BASHES ‘EMBARRASSING’ FLAW
Tickford Racing star Cam Waters lamented his Ford Mustang was no match for their Camaro rivals down the straights at Mount Panorama, labelling it “embarrassing”.
Waters started the race in his Monster Mustang, handing the car over to co-driver James Moffat on lap 23.
Asked to rate his start to the race, Waters said he was a “sitting duck” down the straights.
“Got a not bad start, not a great start, but sat in behind Jimmy (Golding) and used the slip stream for as long as I could,” Waters said.
“We blew the rear tyre a little bit towards the end there.
“We are a sitting duck down the straights, it’s actually embarrassing how bad it is.
“It was just a gremlin or something wrong with the fuel pot or something.
“I think the boys have reset it anyway in the pit stop so hopefully that is the end of that.”
Parity has been a hot topic in the lead-in to Bathurst with Ford’s push for aerodynamic changes to the Mustangs rejected because the parity trigger had not been hit.
12.00PM: LOWNDES STRUCK BY BIG DRAMA
By Shane Jones
A broken gear lever mount has ruined Craig Lowndes’ chances of winning an eighth Bathurst 1000.
The issue happened on lap 17 of the race, which saw the Supercheap Auto Racing wildcard limp around the track after struggling to get the right gear heading up to turn two, Griffins Bend.
Lowndes had enjoyed a terrific opening to the race, moving up from 20th to 14th to give a hint that something special might be brewing, before disaster struck
He lost three laps while in pit lane with the team fixing the mount, with co-driver Zane Goddard taking over after the problem was fixed.
Lowndes wasn’t the only driver in the wars, with Jonathon Webb in Car No.23 narrowly avoiding the wall after running off the track to slide back to 17th.
11.45AM: BROWN MAKES MONSTER IMPACT AFTER 15 LAPS
This has been some drive from Will Brown so far - after the chaos of yesterday and that frightening crash on turn two, he’s powering his way around the mountain today.
The crash knocked him out of the Top-10 shootout, and the all-important grid placements, but it hasn’t mattered.
He’s gobbled up 11 spots through the first 15 laps - most recently whipping past veteran Garth Tander - to be sixth in the early stages of the Great Race.
11.35AM: BROWN AVOIDS CARANGE TO CARVE UP GRID
By Rebecca Williams
Erebus Motorsport’s Will Brown has been a big early mover at the start of the Bathurst 1000.
Starting from 17th on the grid, Brown had moved up to seventh position after the opening nine laps at Mount Panorama.
The Toowoomba pilot missed a place in the top-10 shootout after having his qualifying session hampered when he smashed his Camaro into the tyre barrier on Friday.
Brown’s move up the order came as seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup got the jump on Brodie Kostecki’s co-driver David Russell off the start line to take the early race lead.
Brown will make the move to Triple Eight next year to replace NASCAR-bound Shane van Gisbergen.
Seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes was also a big early mover, working his way from 20th on the starting grid to 14th.
11.20AM: WHINCUP’S BLAZING START - 161 LAPS TO GO
The formation lap is done, and the hills are packed in anticipation of another Bathurst classic.
All eyes will be on the powerful Erebus Motorsport car being steered by Brodie Kostecki and David Russell, with the latter starting behind the wheel in pole position.
But it is Jamie Whincup who gets the jump at the start, moving past Russell and into the lead by the first turn of a dramatic opening lap.
In glorious, warm conditions in Bathurst a quick opening lap avoided the carnage of years gone by - with Will Brown, who crashed heavily in qualifying yesterday, jumping five places in the opening lap.
11AM: BATHURST STARTERS CONFIRMED
By Rebecca Williams
Brodie Kostecki’s co-driver David Russell will start behind the wheel from pole position for Erebus Motorsport for the Bathurst 1000.
And Broc Feeney’s co-driver, seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup, will also start the race for Triple Eight’s No.88 Camaro alongside him on the front row.
A four-time winner at Bathurst, Whincup teamed with 20-year-old Feeney to win last start at the Sandown 500.
But on the second row, Tickford Racing has opted to start its main driver Cam Waters, who has finished on the podium the last three years at Mount Panorama.
PremiAir Racing will also start its main driver James Golding on the second row.
Defending Bathurst 1000 champion Shane van Gisbergen’s co-driver Richie Stanaway will start for Triple Eight’s No.97 Camaro.
Grove Racing rookie Matt Payne, Tickford Racing’s Thomas Randle and James Courtney, Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner and Matt Stone Racing’s Jack Le Brocq are also among the main drivers to be starting the race.
Kostecki claimed his first Bathurst pole with a blistering top-10 shootout lap around Mount Panorama on Saturday.
10.30AM: DISASTER STRIKES DJR
The race is still an hour away, but the dramas have already hit Mount Panorama for Dick Johnson racing.
The warm-up session was anything but smooth this morning, with Car 11 - driven by Anton de Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto - facing braking troubles that could ‘ruin your race’.
The pair will start in fifth on the grid, but DJR are enduring enormous troubles with their brake-change procedures, noting that all teams must make at least one brake change to each of its cars during the 161-lap race.
So it was a worrying sign as Car 11 was wheeling back into the garage with brake issues.
“We’re continuously seeing issues with this whole system and how they’re going about it,” Fox Sports commentator Greg Murphy said.
“Some teams have seem to have got it nailed; it looks like there’s work to do [for DJR] obviously.
“This is going to ruin your race if this goes wrong.
“I feel for the mechanics that are working on these cars and having to set up, getting ready for that car to come in — during the biggest race of the year — and knowing that they’ve had issues through practice.”
This could be make or brake come race time!
— Supercars (@supercars) October 7, 2023
Car #11 sits in the pits whilst the team struggle to complete their brake changes.
Follow every moment LIVE in RaceHQ: https://t.co/dwVWgm3juW
#RepcoSC#Supercars#Bathurst1000pic.twitter.com/j3CEGZsKPp
9.30AM: EXPERT PREDICTIONS
REBECCA WILLIAMS
1. Broc Feeney + Jamie Whincup
Showed their strength as a combination at Sandown and Whincup is a force as a co-driver.
2. Brodie Kostecki + David Russell
A podium is there for the taking for the series leader in his Erebus “rocket ship”.
3. Shane van Gisbergen + Richie Stanaway
Doesn’t matter where the defending champ starts, this guy knows how to hunt on track.
JESS YATES – FOX SPORTS
1. Broc Feeney + Jamie Whincup
Fresh off their win from the Sandown 500, BF + JW are one of the strongest pairings. JW experience will serve them well.
2. Brodie Kostecki + David Russell
Fast car and total commitment, Brodie will be on a mission in the sprint to the end.
3. David Reynolds + Garth Tander
Their winning experience of this duo and their race pace will put them on the podium
MARK SKAIFE - FOX SPORTS
1. Brodie Kostecki + David Russell
They have been fastest all week and will take some beating.
2. Shane van Gisbergen + Richie Stanaway
Looks like their race pace is good based on tyre life.
3. Chaz Mostert + Lee Holdsworth
The winning duo is back together and they have a great track record on the mountain.
SHANE JONES - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
1. Brodie Kostecki + David Russell
The quickest car all weekend and clear favourite.
2. Broc Feeney + Jamie Whincup
The best co-driver combines with the most improved driver in the field. If Whincup gives Feeney the lead when finishes his stint, the young gun can win the Great Race.
3. Shane van Gisbergen + Richie Stanaway
A clear challenger for the crown, but they will fall short. No reigning Bathust champion has gone back-to-back since 2008
RACING FANS ARE HYPED!
'There's some people wearing some weird s*** out here' 🤣
— Fox Motorsport (@Fox_Motorsport) October 7, 2023
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8AM: Lowndes’ shrewd plot to ‘fly under the radar’
By Rebecca Williams
Seven-time Bathurst 1000 champion Craig Lowndes is aiming to “fly under the radar” in Sunday’s battle at Mount Panorama as he suits up for his 30th start in the Great Race.
Lining up in a Triple Eight wildcard three decades after his first appearance in the endurance classic, Lowndes confirmed he would be behind the wheel for the start of the race but said it was yet to be determined whether he or co-driver Zane Goddard would finish.
Lowndes and Goddard will start from 20th on the grid for Sunday’s 1000km race as both of Triple Eight’s main cars booked spots in the top 10.
But the triple Supercars champion, who won the last of his seven wins at Mount Panorama in 2018, is planning on a stealthy attack to push up the order.
“I’m going to start …. we talked about the strategy, there’s two strategies and the beauty about Zane and I is that we are both very similar in lap time,” Lowndes said.
“Depending on how the race unfolds in the sense of safety cars and everything else, we can go either way and that is either Zane finishes or I finish, we don’t know yet.
“We just need to stay out of trouble and that’s the key point to run under the radar for the first half of the race, be in the lead bunch, but not necessarily have to be at the front of the field.
“And then chase the track and if we can have a really strong car at the end – regardless of whether Zane or I are in at the end – is to make sure that we are in that top six cars with a fighting chance.”
Lowndes finished eighth in a wildcard alongside Declan Fraser – now at Tickford Racing – at Bathurst last year after sharing a car with his famous three-peat teammate Jamie Whincup the previous three years.
The V8 great has set his sights on improving on last year’s result on Sunday.
“I’ve already said to him (Goddard) that we want to beat last year’s result, which was eighth and that was the best wildcard result,” Lowndes said.
“If we could get eighth or better, knowing that we started 16th last year and got eighth – we start 20th – but we’ve still got a strong combination of a team car and our pit stops have been pretty good.
“I’m really confident, I think that there’s a strong result that we can have as a collective team … we are a small little group, but obviously our big brother down the road we (can) learn set-up wise and that side of it off them.”
While there has been plenty of discussion about how the new Gen3 cars would hold up over 1000 km at Mount Panorama, Lowndes said the Sandown 500 had been a good test.
“I think the cars will hold up OK, mechanically I think they’ve been reliable enough and it proved that at Sandown because that is quite a brutal track,” Lowndes said.
“Over the course of the race what is going to happen over the course of the race is that the track will evolve …. as the day goes on and the rubber that comes down, we are probably going to see a lot of teams under cars, making adjustments in pit stops, trying to keep in front of the track.
“That’s something that’s going to be really important to make sure that you’ve got a good fast car for the last hour and a half to go.”
Having raced over three decades in the biggest race of the year, Lowndes said the way the new Gen3 cars handled over the mountain reminded him of the “old days”.
“To be honest these feel like the old days like the late 90s, like the VT (Commodore),” Lowndes said.
“You get a little bit of wheel spin over Mountain Strait (with the) light fuel, bad tyres. Over McPhillamy, the cars lift and actually rotate a little bit, so all that it just reminds me of back in the olds days.
“It’s funny hearing some of the drivers complain about all the instabilities, but it’s like it was back in the late 90s.”
Lowndes had a trip down memory lane on Saturday when he jumped behind the wheel of his 2006 Bathurst-winning Ford Falcon, which he shared with Whincup, for a legends’ parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Bathurst 1000.
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Originally published as Bathurst 1000: Shane van Gisbergen wins back-to-back titles at Mount Panorama
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