Defending champion Brodie Kostecki will attempt to retain Bathurst 1000 crown on Sunday in a Ford Mustang his team claims is at an “irrefutable” disadvantage because of the inaction of Supercars officials.
A controversial statement released by Dick Johnson Racing on Saturday night – within hours of Kostecki claiming pole position and Ford snaring the first four positions on the grid – has questioned the credibility of this year’s great race.
In the statement, DJR said that for more than two years they had been arguing their rival Chevrolet Camaros (General Motors) had an advantage over the Mustangs at Bathurst’s altitude.
Ford has not won at Mt Panorama since 2019.
DJR said Supercars testing leading up to this year’s race had verified that barometric pressure gave the Camaros “an additional 10 horsepower over the Ford engine above 5900 rpm, where the engine operates for 94 per cent of a lap of Mount Panorama at full throttle. This data explains why the Mustang is slower than the Camaro in a straight line at Bathurst.”
DJR said the governing body had “confirmed the problem exists. They know how to fix it. They chose not to.”
Brodie Kostecki’s Mustang has earned him pole position.Credit: Getty Images
They added that General Motors, which manufactures the Camaros, had opposed any modifications.
DJR appealed to stewards to resolve the dispute but said “they lacked the necessary jurisdiction to apply the remedy sought”.
The DJR statement declared “parity is the foundation of the Supercars Championship” and “Supercars have failed to implement it on the basis that GM [General Motors] declined to agree to it … Supercars chose consultation with GM over correction. They chose politics over parity.”
Brodie Kostecki celebrates after winning pole position at Bathurst on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
DJR said Kostecki and the team had been “extraordinary” in winning qualifying and securing pole but warned: “Winning will require us to be more extraordinary than ever, as we will do so knowing we’re racing with one hand tied behind our back.“
Despite that, they added: “We accept their decision, we move on … we didn’t come to Bathurst to make excuses. We came to win.”
Racing legend Dick Johnson.
While he was outspoken on Friday, Kostecki was giving little away on Saturday, preferring to focus on his achievement of joining legends Peter Brock and Allan Moffat in securing three consecutive poles at the mount.