Brodie Kostecki is on for the perfect score at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix after taking victory in Race 2 at Albert Park.
Matt Payne started the Penrite Racing Ford Mustang from pole and made the most of it to take a considerable lead during the only stages.
However, Payne was unable to withstand the growing pressure from Kostecki and the Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang completed a successful overtake heading into Turn 11 on lap 5.
From there, Kostecki held sway until the end to complete his second victory on the weekend from Payne and Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing’s Ryan Wood, who gave the Toyota GR Supra Supercar its maiden podium finish in just five races.
There was plenty of action behind the leaders starting with Zach bates and Macauley Jones rotating at Turn 3, then Will Brown pushed Cooper Murray at Turn 11 to earn a 15s penalty as it compounded his poor start to the season.
Brown’s Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate Broc Feeney struggled for pace as he battled Chaz Mostert for fourth, but pushed the Mobil 1 Optus Racing Supra wide allowing the LIQUIMOLY Blahst Racing’s Aaron Cameron to slide through.
Cameron was a comfortable fourth until a quick Kai Allen began to bear down on Feeney and Cameron, while led to last year’s series runner up putting the pressure on.
Contact was made at the penultimate corner by Feeney on Cameron, which continued into the final corner allowing Allen an opportunity to slide through. But Cameron moved across and collided with Allen, spinning the duo as Feeney continued unabated.
Allen continued, but Cameron finished two laps down after fumes from a bent exhaust caused by the contact with Feeney led to him pitting.
The battle for the lower positions in the top 10 was close also led by Brown from Brad Jones Racing’s Cam Hill and Andre Heimgartner in addition to DEWALT Racing’s Anton De Pasquale as well as a recovering Mostert.
A frustrated Hill had been blocked by Brown and attempted to make a passing move at the final corner, but the pair interlocked allowing Heimgartner and De Pasquale through.
Kostecki is the frontrunner in the chase for the Larry Perkins Trophy after his two race victories, with Payne still a chance following his second in Race 2.
Behind Wood in third was a charging Monster Castrol Racing Mustang of Cam Waters, the recovering Allen, Matt Stone Racing’s Jack Le Brocq, Feeney, Thomas Randle, Heimgartner and De Pasquale.
Saturday’s Albert Park action begins at 9:00am AEDT for two qualifying sessions to decide the grid for the remaining races before the third event of the round is due to commence at 5:40pm AEDT.