In the 2026 Bathurst 1000 race, Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood of Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) were leading until lap 125 when a critical pit stop error dropped them to fifth place. Despite this setback, DJR managed to recover dramatically in the final laps. Meanwhile, Team 18 used strategic pit stops to take the lead from Matt Stone Racing’s Zach Bates with only a few laps left, securing a tense victory despite the narrowing gap between De Pasquale and his competitor.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
The faces of Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood as they stood atop their Ford Mustang at Mount Panorama said it all — stunned.
asserted
they → stand → it
The Dick Johnson Racing duo had the 2026 Bathurst 1000 at their mercy, then one bad pit stop seemingly ended all hope.
However, Kostecki proved why he is one of the great Supercar drivers, not just of his generation, but ever, and the motorsport gods smiled down on DJR in a wild and chaotic finish.
Here are the major moments from a drama-filled final 36 laps that decided the Bathurst 1000.
asserted
that → have → Bathurst
Lap 125: Slow pit stop sinks Kostecki from first to fifth
Through 125 laps of the Great Race, the number 17 was outstanding.
asserted
number → sink → Race
Starting second on the grid, Kostecki and Hazelwood drove a near flawless race to establish a healthy lead with 36 laps to go.
asserted
Kostecki → start → laps
That is when the DJR team called in Kostecki for what would be his second-to-last stop for the race — and disaster struck.
asserted
disaster → call → race
The team elected to change brakes, which had been an issue across many teams due to the warm temperatures and relentless pace of the race at Mount Panorama.
asserted
which → elect → Panorama
The number 17 car should have come out of the pits and retained the lead of the race.
However, Kostecki drove his Mustang back onto the mountain in fifth position, with the leads out of sight, out of reach, and the win seemingly out of the question.
asserted
win → come → question
Lap 139–140: Team 18 play their ace as De Pasquale pits
asserted
Pasquale → play → ace
As lap after lap of green flag racing passed, the race appeared to be a battle bletween Zach Bates (Matt Stone Racing, number 10) and Anton De Pasquale (Team 18, number 18).
asserted
race → pass → racing
Bates, the 22-year-old Supercars rookie who claimed pole with a stunning lap in Saturday's Top 10 Shootout, had his lead slashed by a charging De Pasquale as they approached the final pit stop phase.
asserted
they → claim → phase
Bates had tyres that were 10 laps older, and he was also much lower on fuel than De Pasquale.
asserted
he → have → Pasquale
Despite this, Team 18 pulled De Pasquale into the pits just as he caught the back of Bates's Chevrolet.
asserted
he → pull → Chevrolet
It looked to be a masterstroke.
asserted
It → look → ?
Rather than waiting for their fuel load to run out, Team 18 were going to perform the undercut and not give Bates the chance to pit first and drive on fresh rubber while De Pasquale was racing on older tyres.
asserted
Pasquale → wait → tyres
Matt Stone Racing had no choice but to pit on the next lap.
asserted
Racing → have → lap
Knowing they were going to be stationary for longer than De Pasquale because they needed more fuel, the team could not afford to let Bates run any longer on old tyres.
uncertain
Bates → know → tyres
De Pasquale was clear, and Bates would need to make up that time in 21 laps to complete the most unlikely of comebacks.
asserted
Bates → need → comebacks
Lap 155: Leader De Pasquale told to 'maximum fuel save'
asserted
Pasquale → tell → ?
The crew at Team 18 were glued to the monitors.
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crew → glue → monitors
Anton De Pasquale had a big lead in the Bathurst 1000, and the chequered flag was getting closer.
asserted
flag → have → Bathurst
But Bates was eating into the gap.
What was a 15-second advantage was reduced to 12, then 10, then eight, then seven seconds.
asserted
was → eat → 12
Was Bates finding extra pace in his car?
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Bates → find → car
Was De Pasquale just taking it easy and not taking unnecessary risk?
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Pasquale → take → risk
But then there was a far more critical question that needed to be asked: Does De Pasquale have enough fuel in the car?
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Pasquale → be → car
We got our answer when De Pasquale started to ease off the throttle at the end of the long straights.
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Pasquale → get → straights
Then car 18's race engineer, Andrew Donnelly, came on the radio and told De Pasquale he needed to "maximum fuel save".
asserted
he → come → save
The first and only safety car comes on track
It looked certain that the 2026 edition of the Bathurst 1000 was going to go without a safety car, until Chaz Mostert slammed into the wall at Forrest's Elbow.
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Mostert → come → Elbow
The reigning Supercar champion was out of the race, and the safety car was called — setting a new record for the longest time ever taken for the first safety car in the Bathurst 1000.
asserted
car → reign → Bathurst
De Pasquale was leading, but now he had Bates on his rear wing, and the charging Kostecki in third place.
asserted
he → lead → place
De Pasquale also had a major issue: he didn't have enough fuel in his car.
asserted
he → have → car
There was hope for the Team 18 crew that the two laps behind the safety car might be enough to help them save enough fuel.
uncertain
them → be → fuel
Lap 159: Kostecki passes Bates, De Pasquale puts the foot down
When the safety car rolled back into the pits, there would be a three-lap sprint for Bathurst glory.
asserted
car → pass → glory
De Pasquale set off and got a brilliant getaway.
asserted
Pasquale → set → getaway
He put a nice gap between himself and Bates, with the latter under threat from a flying Kostecki.
asserted
latter → put → Kostecki
As they approached the final corner of lap 159, Kostecki struck.
asserted
Kostecki → approach → lap
He dived up the inside of Bates, forced the 22-year-old wide, and took second place.
asserted
He → dive → place
Now Kostecki was the man who was going to chase a fuel-saving De Pasquale.
asserted
who → go → Pasquale
Meanwhile, Bates's woes continued as he was out of position following Kostecki's overtake, and vulnerable to Brown making a move of his own.
asserted
Brown → continue → own
In the blink of an eye, Bates went from second to fourth, and his chances of winning were over.
asserted
chances → go → fourth
Lap 161: Team 18 left in tears as De Pasquale's car runs out of fuel
One lap to go.
asserted
car → leave → fuel
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
