BRODIE Kostecki will pursue a record-breaking fourth consecutive pole position in the Repco Bathurst 1000 after setting the fifth fastest time in Friday’s qualifying session.
The lap booked a spot for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 polesitter in Saturday afternoon’s Top 10 Shootout session.
Brodie’s lap came on his penultimate run of the 40-minute session; his final run, which was shaping up to be his best lap of the session, was interrupted by yellow flags after a car ahead of him hit the wall exiting Griffins Bend.
That he was running in the session at all was a testament to the Shell V-Power Racing Team crew, which completed an engine change in almost exactly two hours prior to qualifying. The change was prompted by a straightline speed deficiency on Car 17 during Practice 4.
Car 17 was the team’s sole representative in qualifying following an incident for Car 38 during Practice 3 on Friday morning.
Tony D’Alberto crashed on the exit of the Dipper during the closing moments of the session. D’Alberto was unhurt in the incident, while the right-front corner of the car bore the brunt of the impact.
The damage ruled the car out of the remainder of the day, and the repair job is expected to see the Shell V-Power Racing Team crew working until the early hours of Saturday morning.
Saturday’s Repco Bathurst 1000 schedule will get underway with a pair of two hour-long practice sessions and culminates in the Top 10 Shootout at 5:05pm AEDT.
