Brodie Kostecki surged to the start‑line lead and crossed the line first in race one, while Will Brown – after a technical hiccup – refocused his Mustang to seize the win in race two, both triumphs arriving at Queensland Raceway in Queensland.
Queensland Raceway’s two‑race day delivers a split victory
Race one opened with Kostecki in a fresh Makeraire‑spare Dick Johnson Racing Mustang, out‑pacing Grove Racing’s Matt Payne and Triple Eight’s Will Brown. After a mandatory pit stop, Kostecki had pit‑stopped for three Dunlop Soft tyres – a tactical load that helped him stay ahead of the Ford hopefuls. He finished 2.16 seconds before Payne, marking his first win at the track and his seventh for the season.
In the easier‑going race two, Brown reset the stolen‑momentum. A new body fitted with a proper air‑restrictor ended a 12‑month winless streak, giving the driver a clean, equitable weapon to counter Kostecki’s Mustang. Brown’s win was retorted with a sharp quote: “Give us the same equipment and see what happens!” – a sentiment that came after a car-rental club to a sub‑standard part was rejected.
Race two drama: pit stops, safety cars and a sharp‑edge finish
Following his opening‑lap penchant, Kostecki again over‑took the Kiwi runner, yet both drivers’ four‑tyre revieves created a competitive standoff until a pair of safety cars dismantled the field. Kai Allen, the Grove Racing Ford, briefly inherited the green flag but was hampered by a two‑tyre pit stop. When the field restarted, Brown catapulted from the back‑up area, countering Kostecki’s attempt to regain the top spot. The Mustang clawed away from a dirty patch of track, only to give Broc Feeney a fleeting pass and a split‑second Triple Eight 1‑2 stutter.
Despite his valiant counter‑attack, Kostecki could only muster second place, ahead of Feeney, Allen and Chaz Mostert of Walkinshaw TWG Racing.
Penalties, points and the road to the finals
Allen accepted a five‑second infringement, demoting him from a temporary 4th to 5th in the final standings. Meanwhile, Matt Payne kept pace with his points lead; however, the Sprint Cup title – which would normally have granted the champion a direct entry into the Supercars finals series – remained unreachable for him.
Next stop: a 200‑km showdown on Sunday
Over the weekend’s racing, the weekend’s rhythm has been set: three‑lap bursts of intensity will be examined in the longer 200‑km race Sunday, which will establish the final field for the Supercars finals.
With the final sprint staged in the coming 200‑km clash, the two‑race day already carved out the most decisive race leaders in the season—offering the Supercars championship a front‑row fight for the title spot.
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