Supercars champion Kostecki gets 'monkey off the back'
Starting on pole in Townsville, Kostecki converted his qualifying dominance in the 35-lap sprint race to win for Shell V-Power Racing.
It was the 20th race of the season, the first time Supercars have raced on a Friday at the northern Queensland circuit.
Kostecki's victory ended a five-race run by championship leader Broc Feeney, who drove superbly during the recent rounds in Perth and Darwin.
The 27-year-old held off Ford rival Cam Waters and former Shell V-Power driver Anton De Pasquale.
"That felt awesome," Kostecki said.
"The Shell V-Power Mustang was on fire.
"I had Cam breathing down my neck the whole race so I knew you I couldn't make a mistake.
"An awesome feeling to get the monkey off the back, it's just absolutely unreal. I've been pretty fortunate to win some pretty cool races, but this feels real special.
"There's relief for the whole team. We've been putting in a lot of effort, everyone works really hard up and down the pit lane."
By winning, Kostecki may have just created a new superstition.
"We had a team lunch on Monday, and I joked and said 'if this works, we're going to do this every round.
"So we're going to get the spatula out, we're going to be cooking Wagyu burgers every Monday."
Defending champion Will Brown had a horrendous qualifying session, starting the race 20th.
But he managed to make up 10 spots in the race in an important stint for his season.
Feeney finished eighth.
A 70-lap race will take place in Townsville on Saturday and Sunday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- AU Financial Review
Liontown reveals slower lithium growth as Ford shaves supply contract
American car giant Ford has reduced its lithium purchase order from Liontown Resources, as the slowdown in electric vehicle sales in North America adds to pressure on the cash-burning West Australian miner. Liontown's cash balance declined by a further 10 per cent over the past three months as weak lithium prices ensured revenues could not cover the ongoing cost of building an underground mine at Kathleen Valley, about 800 kilometres north-east of Perth.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Labor says the $217m Burswood racetrack will drive an ‘economic boost'. So, will it?
A community group lobbying for an end to plans for a $217 million racetrack and amphitheatre on the Burswood peninsula has hit back at claims the development would be a boon to the local economy, pointing to similar developments in other states they say proved the opposite. Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods was among the latest to jump on board with the plans, following the thumbs-up from Crown Perth chair John Van Der Wielen. In an opinion piece in The West Australian, Woods claimed the proposed track would bring with it 'significant benefits' to the economy, and critics had 'resorted to caricatures and stereotypes to undermine the initiative'. But Save Burswood Park Alliance co-chair Robin Harvey said while 'the roar of V8 Supercars may thrill motorsport fans', the aftermath was 'far from exhilarating'. 'The legacy of these events is not one of prosperity but of disruption, disillusionment, and economic disappointment,' she said. 'As the Cook government moves to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to host a V8 Supercars event in Burswood Park, we must learn from the hard lessons of other cities.' Harvey said the events shifted economic activity, rather than created it, giving the example of a 2017 Supercars event in Newcastle, NSW, which was hailed as a success with a $36 million boost to the local economy. However, a separate independent review found the real figure was less than half that amount. She also said there had been a proposal to bring Supercars back to Canberra in 2023, after the original Canberra 400 racetrack was abandoned after two years in the early 2000s.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Labor says the $217m Burswood racetrack will drive an ‘economic boost'. So, will it?
A community group lobbying for an end to plans for a $217 million racetrack and amphitheatre on the Burswood peninsula has hit back at claims the development would be a boon to the local economy, pointing to similar developments in other states they say proved the opposite. Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods was among the latest to jump on board with the plans, following the thumbs-up from Crown Perth chair John Van Der Wielen. In an opinion piece in The West Australian, Woods claimed the proposed track would bring with it 'significant benefits' to the economy, and critics had 'resorted to caricatures and stereotypes to undermine the initiative'. But Save Burswood Park Alliance co-chair Robin Harvey said while 'the roar of V8 Supercars may thrill motorsport fans', the aftermath was 'far from exhilarating'. 'The legacy of these events is not one of prosperity but of disruption, disillusionment, and economic disappointment,' she said. 'As the Cook government moves to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to host a V8 Supercars event in Burswood Park, we must learn from the hard lessons of other cities.' Harvey said the events shifted economic activity, rather than created it, giving the example of a 2017 Supercars event in Newcastle, NSW, which was hailed as a success with a $36 million boost to the local economy. However, a separate independent review found the real figure was less than half that amount. She also said there had been a proposal to bring Supercars back to Canberra in 2023, after the original Canberra 400 racetrack was abandoned after two years in the early 2000s.
