Near-miss shakes up Bathurst final practice
At the end of the hour-long final Bathurst practice, a dramatic moment nearly reshaped the mood ahead of tomorrow’s action. Will Brown, driving the #1 Triple Eight Race Engineering Camaro, was forced to take evasive action as he encountered a tight, three-wide moment at Murray’s Corner. The incident highlighted the nerves and high stakes of a raceweek where precision on the track meets the pressure of battle for valuable grid position.
Chaz Mostert and Thomas Randle chaos on the last turn
The near-miss occurred as Mostert in the Ford Mustang and Thomas Randle in the Tickford Racing machine were locked in a side-by-side battle entering the final turn. Mostert appeared to slow, possibly hoping to create space for Brown, but the move unintentionally directed him into Brown’s path. Brown had to respond in an instant, steering onto the grass to avoid contact, and ended up spinning at Murray’s Corner. Fellow teams and fans watched with bated breath as the 2024 champion managed to extract the car from the spin and continue the session.
Commentators on Fox Sports captured the tension of the moment, with analyst Neil Crompton describing how close Brown came to a monumental shunt. Brown later joked over the radio about the incident, quipping that he “pooped in his pants” before the team’s engineer calmly replied with a concise confirmation of the feedback.
Post-session fallout and other notable moments
Following the near-miss, Mostert was seen addressing Randle in a tense interaction, pointing to his head and gesturing toward Randle, underscoring the high emotions after a challenging moment for both teams. The episode added fuel to the storyline of a Bathurst week that has already tested driver focus and team strategy.
The session also offered some lighter, unusual drama: with six minutes left, a leaf blower accidentally rolled onto the track from the Grove Racing team’s pit area on the #100 Mustang. Race control opened an investigation into the incident, though no injuries were reported and the car continued after the issue was addressed.
Performance standings and what it means for Bathurst
The session began with Brodie Kostecki setting the early pace in a shootout simulation, posting a 2:05.4176. That time stood until Cameron Waters knocked it down with a 2:05.3052. In the closing moments, James Feeney claimed top spot with a 2:04.9698 in the #88 Triple Eight Camaro, relegating Mostert to second and placing Waters, Cooper Murray, and Kostecki close behind in the top six. Brown’s final position, while not topping the charts, sets up a competitive narrative for tomorrow’s Top 10 Shootout.
Other notable moments included early hiccups for Grove Racing, where a driver’s-side door issue on the #26 Ford Mustang kept the crew scrambling for several minutes. A pair of off-road excursions by drivers in the camp—James Golding clipping Skyline’s chicane in the #31 PremiAir Racing Camaro and Craig Lowndes taking the grass at The Chase in the #888 Triple Eight Camaro—reminded teams that balance and precision will be crucial for a successful weekend at Mount Panorama.
Looking ahead to the Top 10 Shootout
With the Top 10 Shootout scheduled for 5:05 pm AEDT, teams will study the practice data to calibrate setup choices, aiming to convert track position into a race-winning strategy. The near-miss and the leaf blow incident contribute to the narrative of a Bathurst 1000 week defined by fine margins, quick reflexes, and the never-ending pursuit of speed within a demanding circuit.
Results: Repco Supercars Championship Repco Bathurst 1000, Practice 6. The final call for pole and final tuning moves will come with the Shootout, as teams battle to turn practice pace into race-day performance.
