Shell V-Power Racing Team’s Brodie Kostecki has clinched the opening 120km race at the ITM Taupo Super440 in commanding fashion, converting a flawless lights-to-flag victory to strengthen his stranglehold at the top of the championship.
Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Will Brown and Mobil1 Truck Assist Racing’s Ryan Wood, rounded out the podium in a final lap battle, which saw the 2024 Repco Supercars Champion claim second place, but the pair were unable to match the speed of Kostecki at the front.
Kostecki converted his pole position to an early lead in the 37-lap affair, holding off rivals Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney and Penrite Racing’s Matt Payne at the start, with Brown close behind.
Erebus Motorsport’s Jobe Stewart and Penrite Racing’s Kai Allen were victims of the early mayhem as the latter collected steering damage following a fierce lap 1 ordeal. Allen with the damage, attempted to battle through, but collided and spun Blanchard Racing Team’s Aaron Cameron, collecting an innocent Stewart at the Turn 14 hairpin.
Monster Castrol Racing’s Cameron Waters and DeWALT Racing’s Anton De Pasquale fought back early from their qualifying woes as the pair sliced through the lower half of the top 10 in the opening laps of the race.
Broc Feeney had nightmare flashbacks to his 2025 Adelaide Grand Final woes as his engine fluttered before the opening pitstops, which dropped the 23-year-old to sixth.
This created a late fightback for Feeney, despite a front lockup and mistake at turn 15, decisively passed the Mobil1 Optus Racing’s Supra of Chaz Mostert as the pair bumped several times down the back straight.
The squabble allowed Mostert’s teammate, Ryan Wood to overtake Feeney the following lap as the failing throttle body on the Red Bull Ampol Mustang struck again, allowing the home hero with a handful of laps remaining to challenge Will Brown for second place.
Despite early speed, Penrite Racing’s Matt Payne slipped to fourth before the first set of pit stops. Payne would drop further back as a slow pitstop and undercut from his rivals, leaving the Kiwi down the order.
The repercussions of the slow pit-stop negatively affected pit-lane neighbours Tickford Racing, leaving their leading runner Cameron Waters, who was entering his pit box, delayed by over five seconds and placed him back down the order.
The woes continued for Waters after receiving a 15-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, was flicked into a spin by the charging PremiAir Racing’s Jayden Ojeda at Turn 11, leaving both outside the top 10. The incident left Waters in a lowly 21st place finish despite the signs of speed throughout the race. Ojeda would later receive a 15-second penalty for his actions in the incident.
Kostecki’s fourth victory of the season extends his Repco Sprint Cup lead to 61 points ahead of the final race of the ITM Taupo Super440, which gets underway at 3.30pm local time, 1.30pm AEST. Due to impending Cyclone Vaianu, Supercars has cancelled all Sunday track activity.