Erebus Motorsport pair, Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood, have won a historic Bathurst 1000 in thrilling fashion.

This year’s edition at Mount Panorama was the fastest in history as the drivers completed 161 laps in under six hours.

Kostecki started the race from pole position but despite getting a clean start, was put under pressure from Broc Feeney in the Triple Eight. Feeney’s lightning start saw the two go wheel-to-wheel down the straight before Kostecki edged ahead into turn one, holding the race lead.

Through a rapid opening 27 laps, Kostecki held steady. Feeney on the other hand briefly lost second to last year’s winner Richie Stanaway, before taking the place back and going in pursuit of the Erebus.

The top two were able to build a gap to hold track position by the time a driver swap came on lap 28. Hazelwood replacing Kostecki and Whincup replacing Feeney.

Further back in the field, another Triple Eight car was flying through the first quarter of the race, as Craig Lowndes and Cooper Murray made up 18 positions to climb to sixth.

By the time of the second driver switch on lap 57, Kostecki was back in the Erebus however Triple Eight left Whincup in the car. The gap grew from five seconds all the way out to 16 before Feeney switched with Whincup for the rest of the race.

The race, having settled into a rhythm, came back to life just under 30 laps from the finish. Matt Payne crashed at the top of the mountain, bringing out the race’s first safety car after 131 laps.

With the field now bunched back up, Kostecki’s gap was the smallest it had been since the start of the race. A blistering 27-lap sprint later, it was the Erebus driver who got over the line first.

Feeney finished close by in second and the pairing of Will Brown and Scott Pye rounded out the podium.

The win was Erebus’ first at Bathurst since 2017 and the second in their history.

Photo: PA131318.jpg by Craig Murphy is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.