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When a race comes down to a few seconds, it usually refers to the margin of victory, not how long a car was last attached to a fuel hose. The dramatic last-lap conclusion of the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday saw Anton De Pasquale lose the lead as his Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro ran dry. In hot pursuit, Brodie Kostecki took the lead and the completely unexpected victory for Ford and Dick Johnson Racing. The heartbreaking defeat could've been completely avoided if the #18 Camaro just spent a second or two longer taking fuel during its final stop.
This year's Bathurst 1000 was the fastest-ever edition of Australia's Great Race. Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood's #17 Mustang crossed the finish line in 5 hours, 54 minutes and 4 seconds, nearly 4 minutes faster than the 2024 race, which Kostecki also won. The race was completed so quickly because there was only a single safety car period over the 1,000 kilometers. Chaz Mostert and his Walkinshaw TWG Supra crashed out on lap 156 of 161, a disappointing end to Toyota's return to Bathurst after a 28-year hiatus.
De Pasquale and Team 18 made their last pit stop on Lap 138, within range of the checkered flag, but short-filled their tank by roughly 15 seconds compared to their rivals. The team initially believed the 31-year-old was marginal on fuel but could conserve enough to make the end. The caution for Mosert should have felt like manna from heaven. While the race would be restarted for a three-lap sprint, the two precious laps behind the safety car should have been vital to save fuel. However, it was the point everyone in their garage knew the jig was up.
No race is ever over until it's over
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Everything seemed fine when the green flag waved with three laps to go. De Pasquale blasted into the distance as Kostecki jockeyed for second with Will Brown and his Triple Eight Mustang. The tide turned just before the #18 Camaro began the final lap. With a slight margin in hand, De Pasquale began lifting and coasting into corners to an extreme degree. He rounded Hell Corner and was making his final drive up Mountain Straight when his tank suddenly ran empty. Kostecki passed the coasting Mustang, and the DJR garage erupted in pure elation. Dick Johnson was in tears as his team took their first Bathurst win since 2019.
After the finish, Team 18 revealed that personnel realized during the safety car period that the #18 Mustang was too short on fuel to make the finish under any circumstances. They simply miscalculated the amount of fuel needed during the final stop. According to SpeedCafe, Kostecki said post-race, "Obviously if that Safety Car went for another few laps we would have been fine, but yeah, once I knew how much fuel short we were I knew we were cooked." His first Bathurst win was lost by an engineer's bad math.
While racing's marquee events typically have decades of history that elevate their importance, they're built on a foundation of great on-track action and memorable moments. This year's finish delivered and will be one that millions around the world will never forget. I still might have Felix Rosenqvist's record-close Indianapolis 500 victory penciled in for this year's best racing moment, but Bathurst is a definite second.