Supercars News: Kostecki Claims Provisional Pole in Thrilling Bathurst 1000 Qualifying

Reigning Repco Bathurst 1000 champion Brodie Kostecki stormed to provisional pole at Mount Panorama, setting a blistering 2m04.0307 in Friday’s Boost Mobile Qualifying session. The Erebus driver smashed his own Gen3 lap record by over two-tenths, edging out championship leader Broc Feeney by a mere 0.0064 seconds in a heart-pounding session.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The top 10 drivers were separated by just two-tenths, with Kiwi Ryan Wood (third), Chevrolet’s Anton De Pasquale (fourth), rookie Cooper Murray (fifth), and two-time Bathurst winner Chaz Mostert (sixth) all within a tenth of Kostecki’s time. Cam Waters, Cam Hill, Nick Percat, and Thomas Randle also secured spots in Saturday’s Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout, while Macauley Jones and Will Brown narrowly missed out.

The session was electric from the start in sunny but cool conditions. Kostecki set the pace early with a 2m04.7793, three-tenths clear of Murray, the only driver within half a second on the first lap.

Feeney closed the gap to 0.3024s but couldn’t break into the 2m04s. As the session progressed, drivers traded purple sectors, with De Pasquale and Murray briefly topping the times before Feeney’s 2m04.0371 set a new benchmark. Kostecki, however, had the final say, delivering a committed final lap to snatch provisional pole.

Incidents added drama: Will Davison grazed the wall at the grate with minimal damage, while rookie Gray skillfully recovered from a wild moment at Griffin’s Bend. The relentless pace kept the field tight, with Jones missing the Shootout by just 0.055s and Brown settling for 12th.

Kostecki, starting last in Saturday’s Shootout at 5:05 p.m. AEDT, aims to claim his third consecutive Bathurst pole, a feat only achieved by legends Peter Brock and Allan Moffat. Two practice sessions (10:05 a.m. and 1:10 p.m.) precede the Shootout, setting the stage for an electrifying battle.

2025 Bathurst 1000 Qualifying Results (Top 10 will compete for final pole)