It was triple delight for Repco Supercars Championship leader Brodie Kostecki at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park as the Coca-Cola Racing by Erebus driver took all three race wins.
South Australia’s first Supercars round of the year may define the title chase as Kostecki’s rivals all encountered trouble including teammate Will Brown spun on the way to 11th, a team points penalty came as a result of a disastrous Shane van Gisbergen pit stop and a trip to the sand trap for Broc Feeney.
Starting from pole in the final race, Kostecki was able to defend an early challenge from Nick Percat for Mobil 1 NTI Racing as Cameron Waters went backwards off the start in the Monster Energy Racing Mustang.
Waters dropped back behind teammate Thomas Randle into fourth, but this didn’t last long as the title contender passed the Castrol Racing Mustang at Turn 6 on lap 1. Further progressing, Waters completed a move for second at Turn 1 on lap 2, but Kostecki held a significant margin ahead.
Rookie Matt Payne had qualified strongly in fifth, but a cross threaded wheel nut put his impressive performance to an end as he finished 18th for Penrite Racing.
Percat was further demoted courtesy of Randle passing him at Turn 6 on lap 6, but attempted to undercut the Tickford driver during the pit stops, though this failed to come to fruition.
It was another missed opportunity for van Gisbergen as he builds a late title charge. Dropped while the rattle gun was still locked on the right-rear wheel and ended in a Team Championship points penalty. The New Zealand took the finish in fifth.
Kostecki continued to extend his lead until the pit stops as Waters again tried to undercut the championship leader, but Erebus responded a lap later.
Feeney was 10th once the pit stops had been completed and he encountered a strong defence from Chaz Mostert almost immediately, before on the penultimate lap the young gun was tipped into a spin by David Reynolds at the final corner. Feeney dropped to last and a 15s penalty was applied to Reynolds resulting in 20th.
Kostecki’s margin to Waters closed continuously throughout the final stages, but this is the way it stayed as Randle finished 6s in arrears to take his third podium finish of the weekend.
Percat finished fourth from van Gisbergen, Shell V-Power Racing Team pair Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale, Snowy River Racing’s James Courtney, Mostert, and Jack Le Brocq for Truck Assist Racing.
The Repco Supercars Championship enters the season of endurance at the Penrite Sandown 500 on September 15-17.