Kostecki claims Sunday Taupō pole with supreme Shootout performance

Brodie Kostecki has claimed pole position for Race 10 of the Repco Supercars Championship following a brilliant lap in the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout at the ITM Taupō Super 440.

The last runner in the Shootout having claimed provisional pole in Boost Mobile Qualifying earlier, Kostecki looked on course to send a big statement having been three tenths up on the field to the end of the second sector.

Eventually, it was a 1:25.7052s that saw the #38 Ford claim pole by 0.1677s, with the reigning Repco Bathurst 1000 winner claiming his 15th career pole, and ninth pole in Shootouts.

Having claimed his maiden pole for Dick Johnson Racing yesterday, Kostecki will be joined by the man he replaced at DJR, Anton De Pasquale, on the front row of the grid.

The 2023 champion was ecstatic upon crossing the line to complete the lap, and is looking for redemption after coming off second-best in his epic fight with Chaz Mostert yesterday.

"I'm honestly so happy for this whole Shell V-Power Racing Team, and to have Jet Couriers on the car is pretty special as well," said Kostecki.

"This means a lot to everyone in the whole group, it's a shame that Davo wasn't in the Shootout but I'm sure he'll come through strong in the race.

"I think everyone is just starting to gel, we've been battling with a few balance issues, but we've been slowly getting on top of them and I think we saw that towards the end of the Grand Prix.

"We're slowly getting there, but I'm really looking forward to the race this afternoon and was really happy with my lap. I told George [Commins, race engineer] that I'd be happy with two tenths, and we're almost there."

The first runner was James Golding, who set the benchmark at a 1:26.6797s on a used tyre, which was quickly usurped by Race 9 winner Mostert, who did a 1:26.2912s on a set of tyres in similar condition.

Following Mostert, who was making his 74th career Shootout appearance, came Kai Allen, making his first career Shootout appearance.

On what has been an impressive weekend for the Penrite Racing rookie at his first-ever appearance at Taupō, the teenager edged out Mostert by just 0.0600s to climb to the top on a 1:26.2312s.

The first driver to have a new set of Soft tyres at their disposal was Tickford Racing's Thomas Randle, who was barely down an Allen to the end of the first split.

However, the tyres came to life in the final two thirds of the lap, with Randle setting a 1:26.1174s to put just over tenth of a second on Allen's benchmark.

The man in box seat to claim the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy was next out, with Matt Payne setting the fastest middle sector after losing just shy of a tenth to Randle in the first sector.

Payne would ultimately fall just behind Randle into second, setting a 1:26.1550s to sit just 0.0376s behind the sole Tickford entry in the Shootout.

Andre Heimgartner was the next to roll out, and was on a different tyre strategy, having only saved two fresh tyres for the Shootout, which were placed on the working side of the #8 Camaro.

Heimgartner's effort was only good enough for fourth, however was only just over a tenth of a second off Randle's time, as the #55 Mustang continued to gain positions from his provisional seventh.

Ryan Wood then moved the benchmark forward substantially, putting more than two tenths on Randle with the first 1:25 of the session at a 1:25.8999s.

Wood's moment in the sun was short-lived however, as reigning Jason Richards Trophy winner De Pasquale then leapt to the top on a 1:25.8729s.

Cameron Hill looked set to spring a huge shock on a used set of tyres as the penultimate runner, as he was on course to bolt to the top for Matt Stone Racing before a scrappy run through Turns 13 and 14 left him fourth.

Race 10 of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship will begin at 3:05pm NZST/1:05pm AEST, and will be run across 61 laps.