Latest news with #Kostecki
West Australian
2 days ago
- Automotive
- West Australian
V8 Supercars: Supercars sophomore Ryan Wood claims maiden win at Perth Super 440, Brodie Kostecki improves
Supercars sophomore Ryan Wood has sparked emotional celebrations with his maiden race victory as local boy Brodie Kostecki showed signs he may be able to steal his first win of the year in Perth. Australia's premier motorsport championship made a well-behaved start to the Perth Super 440 at Raceway in Wanneroo, with not a single flag flown or safety car deployed. Wood barely put a foot wrong after starting second on the grid, capturing the lead 10 laps in before fending off a roaring finish from reigning champion Will Brown in the final five laps to salute in front of the West Australian faithful. Kostecki fell two places from his third-place start but showed major improvements after only managing 18th fastest in practice on Friday, a huge boost to his hopes across the weekend. Wood made the most of the outside line off the starting grid but was outmaneuvered into the first turn as pole-sitter Chaz Mostert held onto the lead. Kostecki left too much room for championship leader Broc Feeney on the inside to slip out of the podium places off the line. It forced the Perth boy to settle in behind him, and he steadily lost time in the dirty air while also fending off Will Brown and Matt Payne as they battled behind him. Mostert's lead evaporated on lap ten of 50, Wood side-by-side with him on the inside through turn seven before making the most of a better exit to capture the lead through turn one. Feeney was the first to pull the trigger on a pit stop, taking two new tyres in an impressive 3.6-second change on lap 22 and forcing Wood to react. The move worked perfectly for Feeney, Wood's rear tyres forcing a slow stop to leave the young gun on the race leader's bumper after his rejoin. The call to leave Mostert out past the halfway mark cost the Mobil1 driver; a slow pit stop dumping him out behind Kostecki in fifth. However, it was the best possible result for the fans as Mostert and the hometown hero renewed hostilities, going bumper-to-bumper and crisscrossing into and out of turns seven and one. In the end, Mostert's new set of tyres made the difference, Kostecki unable to win his spot back a second time. Red Bull teammates Feeney and Will Brown rubbed shoulders as the race reached the pointy end. And the reigning champion was given the green light to race Feeney, grabbing second with 12 laps to go before making a run at Wood that came up narrowly short.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Supercars sophomore claims maiden win, Kostecki shows fight
Supercars sophomore Ryan Wood has sparked emotional celebrations with his maiden race victory as local boy Brodie Kostecki showed signs he may be able to steal his first win of the year in Perth. Australia's premier motorsport championship made a well-behaved start to the Perth Super 440 at Raceway in Wanneroo, with not a single flag flown or safety car deployed. Wood barely put a foot wrong after starting second on the grid, capturing the lead 10 laps in before fending off a roaring finish from reigning champion Will Brown in the final five laps to salute in front of the West Australian faithful. Kostecki fell two places from his third-place start but showed major improvements after only managing 18th fastest in practice on Friday, a huge boost to his hopes across the weekend. Wood made the most of the outside line off the starting grid but was outmaneuvered into the first turn as pole-sitter Chaz Mostert held onto the lead. Kostecki left too much room for championship leader Broc Feeney on the inside to slip out of the podium places off the line. It forced the Perth boy to settle in behind him, and he steadily lost time in the dirty air while also fending off Will Brown and Matt Payne as they battled behind him. Mostert's lead evaporated on lap ten of 50, Wood side-by-side with him on the inside through turn seven before making the most of a better exit to capture the lead through turn one. Feeney was the first to pull the trigger on a pit stop, taking two new tyres in an impressive 3.6-second change on lap 22 and forcing Wood to react. The move worked perfectly for Feeney, Wood's rear tyres forcing a slow stop to leave the young gun on the race leader's bumper after his rejoin. The call to leave Mostert out past the halfway mark cost the Mobil1 driver; a slow pit stop dumping him out behind Kostecki in fifth. However, it was the best possible result for the fans as Mostert and the hometown hero renewed hostilities, going bumper-to-bumper and crisscrossing into and out of turns seven and one. In the end, Mostert's new set of tyres made the difference, Kostecki unable to win his spot back a second time. Red Bull teammates Feeney and Will Brown rubbed shoulders as the race reached the pointy end. And the reigning champion was given the green light to race Feeney, grabbing second with 12 laps to go before making a run at Wood that came up narrowly short.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Automotive
- West Australian
V8 Supercars: Six drivers to watch during Perth Super 440
The Perth Super 440 is building as an early championship shaper as the V8 Supercars complete their first day in Wanneroo. The grid had two practice sessions on Friday, ahead of the circuit reaching its 100th race on Sunday, and there was barely more than a second separating the fastest from the slowest. Hometown hero Brodie Kostecki left his best for last on Friday but was slower than expected while some of the grid's younger racers strutted their stuff atop the time sheets. Championship leader Broc Feeney showed his strong form and will be one of the drivers to watch. Broc Feeney Feeney enters the fifth round of the Championship with his first-ever driver's standings lead, having leapfrogged Red Bull teammate Will Brown with a tremendous weekend in Tasmania last month. The 22-year-old was handed one of the toughest tasks in Australian motorsport when he entered the Supercars in 2022, replacing legend Jamie Whincup while also partnering Shane Van Gisbergen. However, the youngster embraced the challenge, walking in his predecessor's shoes with a sixth-placed rookie season before being pipped at the post for the Championship last year by Brown. He has also started in style in 2025, winning three races and claiming six podiums. And he made a bright start in Perth, tiptoeing through the early laps while the field layed down rubber after the circuit was scoured by rain during the week, before putting the foot down to finish in the top five in both 30-minute practise sessions. Will Brown Fellow Red Bull racer Brown put the disappointment of Tasmania behind him on Friday, finding consistent pace to claim lap times inside the top 10. However, those laps are unlikely to satisfy the reigning champion, who became the first driver in 40 years to podium at every round during his first year with Triple Eight. Brown has been a regular inside the top five to start the season but has just one win among his six podiums and would love to knock Feeney back down to second with a win or two in Perth. There is no doubt the 28-year-old from Toowoomba is the hunted this year and will be under intense pressure again in Wanneroo. Brodie Kostecki Hometown hero Kostecki will be hopeful that he can be the one applying the pressure as he adjusts to his new team. Kostecki won the title in 2023, but a turbulent year off the track ruined his hopes last year before he made the switch to Dick Johnson Racing. The 27-year-old has yet to break through in the Shell V-Power Mustang and looked to be on struggle street in first practice, finishing 21st. The Ballajura product saved his best for last, recording his best two times on his last two laps, but could only go 18th fastest. The increase in pace offers Kostecki hope, and he will be eager to fight towards the top of the grid in qualifying on Saturday. Matthew Payne A man who had no issues in practice was 22-year-old Kiwi Matthew Payne. Payne has the weight of expectations on his shoulders, touted as the next big thing out of New Zealand after Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen. But that weight did nothing to stop him in Perth on Friday, topping the second practice time charts. The youngster has showed wisdom and patience beyond his years so far in 2025. Chaz Mostert Chaz Mostert was one of only a handful of drivers who found consistency during practice, going seventh and sixth fastest. Consistency has been a feature of the 33-year-old's campaign to date, with the two-time Bathurst winner claiming one win. However, he will be hoping to grab his first pole position of the season, with Perth always a friendly track for those at the front. Should he fall into the middle of the pack, though, he has the skills and hunger to put on a show for the fans. Cam Waters Always a divisive driver, Cam Waters will undoubtedly put his Monster Energy car in the thick of the action as the weekend progresses. He sits fourth in the championship hunt with three wins and having earned three pole positions. Practise will have left the two-time Supercars runner-up and three-time Bathurst podium-finisher wanting, however. He managed to crack the top 10 with the eighth fastest time in practice one but fell outside of the 10 in the eleventh the second time around. But as he has shown this year already, qualifying is where his competitive juices flow strongest. And if anyone needed a reminder of how well Waters can perform in the spotlight, just remember how he earned his start in 2011. At just 17, he tackled Mount Panorama in a Kelly Racing Commodore with Grant Denyer as his prize for winning the inaugural Supercar Showdown TV series.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Wanneroo Raceway to host historic 100th Supercars race
The Wanneroo Raceway will make Australian motorsport history this weekend as it hosts its 100th Supercars championship race, the first circuit in the nation to reach the milestone. A field of 26 V8 Supercar drivers and 12 teams will take on the new Super 440 format, a combination of sprint and endurance races over the weekend. After two 30-minute practice sessions on Friday, drivers will face back-to-back qualifying sessions on Saturday before racing two 120km sprints, followed by a 200km refuelling race on Sunday. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Treating fans to a thrilling build-up ahead of the main event on Sunday, drivers will compete in a two-part knockout qualifying session and a top-10 shootout to determine their starting positions for the 200km race. Eyeing off a win in front of his home crowd is reigning Bathurst 1000 champion Brodie Kostecki, who is set to race a Ford Mustang GT alongside teammate and veteran Will Davison for Dick Johnson Racing for the first time in Perth this weekend. Kostecki, who is originally from Ballajura, said he's thrilled to return to the Wanneroo raceway, where his passion for racing first started, just like many young racers from Perth's northern suburbs who started out at the Tiger Kart Club. 'It's always a great turnout at the Wanneroo raceway and racing in front of friends and family is always great as well,' he said. 'My first ever memories of being on a racetrack were at the Wanneroo, way back when I was four years old.' Reigning Bathurst 1000 champion Brodie Kostecki. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian Despite his sentimental attachment to Wanneroo raceway, Kostecki has thrown his support behind the State Government's planned Perth motorsport street circuit in Burswood, which is expected to host V8 Supercars from 2027 — making this weekend's event one of the last V8 Supercar races at Wanneroo. Kostecki said he contributed to the design of the recently announced Burswood circuit, which he described as a 'privilege' to be a part of. 'I think it could be great for everyone here in WA,' he said. 'It's going to bring a lot of new people into our sport, and it's going to be right in the heart of Perth city, which is going to be fantastic as well.' Supercars veteran Will Davison said he considered Perth a second home since his wife is from here, and although he has been a 'huge supporter of supporting local motorsport circuits', he also threw his support behind the Burswood circuit plan. 'There's so much going on at street events that are good for the kids, good for the family. There's entertainment everywhere you look,' Davison said. 'Until you sort of feel that around a street track experience, the atmosphere that it creates . . . it's probably impossible to explain it to people.' The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship, at the Wanneroo Raceway. Credit: Kass Brumley/EDGE Photographics / Kass Brumley/EDGE Photographics This week's event marks the 46th time the Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars Championship has been held at Wanneroo. Over this 52-year history, eight manufacturers have stood atop of the podium at the track. Holden, which is now defunct and hasn't raced in the series since 2022, still stands well clear with 50 victories ahead of Ford with 36 wins, followed by Nissan and Chevrolet with three apiece. The legendary Craig Lowndes holds the record for most wins at Wanneroo with 16, ahead of Mark Skaife with eight. Cam Waters won the 2024 Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint. Credit: Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographics / Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographics Supporting the Supercars across the three days will be the V8 SuperUtes, Trans Am/TA2 (Muscle Car Series), WA Historic Touring Cars, and the Aussie Racing Cars championship. WA Tourism and Sports Minister Rita Saffioti said ticket sales for this year's event were again strong, and called on fans to support the new racing format. 'We encourage all Western Australians to go along and watch motorsport racing at its best,' Ms Saffioti said. 'These types of events very much support our growing economy.' SUPERCARS TRACK TIMES FRIDAY, June 6 Practice 1 — 12.05pm Practice 2 — 1.55pm SATURDAY, June 7 Race 14 Qualifying — 9.45am Race 15 Qualifying — 10.35am Race 14 — 12.55pm (120km sprint, 50 laps) Race 15 — 4.10pm (120km sprint, 50 laps) SUNDAY, June 8 Race 16 Qualifying — 11am Race 16 Top Ten Shootout — 1.05pm Race 16 — 3.15pm (200km, 83 laps)
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Masterful Mostert fends off Kostecki for Supercars win
Supercars championship contender Chaz Mostert has pulled off a masterful drive in New Zealand to outpace a red-hot Brodie Kostecki and claim the second Taupo 440 sprint. Left smarting after finishing a frustrating 13th earlier on Saturday, Walkinshaw Andretti United ace Mostert got the jump on pole-sitter Kostecki in the second 120km race of the day on his way to career win No.25. But his win did not come easy. Kostecki remained dogged throughout the 37-lap race, trading leads with Mostert before a brief dip off-track late in the sprint eventually forced him to give up top spot. "I raced as hard as I could," Mostert said. "I knew he had the better pace, so I had to be super aggressive ... or I wasn't going to have a chance to sit here (on top) today." Kostecki gave up even more ground after suffering damage as a result of his run-ins with Mostert, but recovered to finish third. Dick Johnson Racing teammate Will Davison was second, as Triple Eight heavyweight Broc Feeney, battling to master the new soft tyre compound, tumbled out of the top three. It is Supercars veteran Davison's first podium finish in a year, last finishing in the top three in the inaugural Taupo race last season. He said his Saturday outing with Kostecki is only a glimpse of what is to come from the pair. "It's real," Davison said. "At certain times of every weekend this year, I've felt, like, mega glimmers with the car and its potential. "Such a big drive by Brodie. Such an amazing teammate, such an amazing driver for me now to keep digging deep, keep me on my toes as the old boy." KOSTECKI AND MOSTERT TRADE BLOWS 🥊💥Follow along this weekend with our Live Feed and new Live Insights feature 👉 #Supercars — Supercars (@supercars) April 12, 2025 Feeney finished fifth after qualifying in third. His teammate and defending champion Will Brown also struggled with the new tyre, finishing seventh. Brown at least returned to the top of the series standings, with Tickford rival Cam Waters finishing 14th. New Zealand's Matt Payne, after claiming a first win on home soil in the opening sprint of the weekend, crossed the finish line in fourth. He had earlier on Saturday led from start to finish in the opening sprint race to claim his third career win from his third career pole. Waters was the beneficiary of pit-lane chaos and finished second to momentarily return to the top of the competition. Young Kiwi driver Ryan Wood overtook Team 18's Anton De Pasquale in the penultimate lap to finish third and secure his first Supercars podium. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Supercars (@supercarschampionship) Qualifying for Sunday's race starts at 8.35am (AEST), followed by the top-10 shootout at 10.50am, before lights out at 1.05pm. RACE EIGHT RESULTS: 1. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) 2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 3. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 4. Anton De Pasquale (Team 18) 5. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering) RACE NINE RESULTS: 1. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 2. Will Davison (Dick Johnson Racing) 3. Brodie Kostecki (DJR) 4. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) 5. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 2. Cam Waters (Tickford) 3. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 4. Matt Payne (Grove) 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU)
