After a fiercely contested Friday, Brodie Kostecki captured his 17th career win for Dick Johnson Racing, handing a dominant 32‑lap command to the Sunshine Coast podium.
Street‑car showdown begins on a low‑key front row
Cam Waters stole the original pole in Friday’s session, but the new favourite launched from second, luring Ryan Wood into an early stall before hurling off the line and heading straight for his first pitstop.
Kostecki’s swift lap times flattened the early gap, allowing him to attack the lead when the trio slotted into their stints and the multiple‑setup race steered clear of danger.
Tyre strategy becomes the secret weapon
The driver’s 32‑lap middle run ran almost at textbook pace, a lesson in tyre preservation that transitioned into an eight‑second buffer over the rest of the field when the other cars were fresh on rubber.
When the checkered flag fell, the 2023 champion’s Three‑Tribe field was in tow, holding a 9.34‑second lead at the finish.
On‑track drama and the 17th win milestone
Despite a heavy concrete wall duster later, Kostecki was upbeat: “Speed was locked in all weekend, only the race kitchen didn’t deliver the fuel.”
He added that the car had a seam of “stored power” that would have carried but for the final pit. “It must have been a cool night out there.”
Second‑place jockeys make strategic moves
Matt Payne of Grove Racing shepherded his Mustang through a calm final stint where Ryan Wood’s high‑point breakaway cut the advantage, a near‑miss for Waters’ 6th‑grid position after a delayed fuel fill and heavier fuel load heading back to the track.
Waters, who finished a respectable third, later admitted the car was light on fuel, causing the late‑night economy squeeze.
Other Ford and Toyota performances
Triple Eight’s Chaz Mostert turned his 200th race into a fourth by starting from sixth. Meanwhile, Ryan Wood slipped back to fifth, and Will Brown’s disastrous start made an “extra round of tyre touch” the only bright side of his weekend.
Valuable sevenret took the podium, while Garrison Allen stalled on a second stop and was taken to the penalty jurisdiction where the team braved a five‑second shuffle.
Support race and points tally
Matt Stone Racing’s J. Le Brocq claimed the Camaro Cup for ninth place, with the local junior Jayden Ojeda trailing. The points spreadsheet shows Payne now leads the championship by 92 above, while Kostecki sits third 187 points back.
Outlook for the next round in Western Australia
The championship will head to Wanneroo Raceway on 31 July‑2 August, where teams will line up with fresh fortunes in sights. The unmistakable roar of the Ford Mustang S650 and the Toyota GR Supra continues, but this weekend’s shout of triumph by the Dick Johnson crew will echo down the street.
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