Kostecki leads clean practice

The stage is set for qualifying after Brodie Kostecki flew in a clean Practice 4 for the 2024 Bathurst 1000.

Kostecki showed ominous speed throughout the 60-minute session and topped it with a 2:06.1820.

The #1 was 0.1636s clear of Cameron Waters and Broc Feeney, while Jaxon Evans impressively inserted himself into the top five.

Despite being outside the top 20, Matt Stone Racing had reasons to celebrate after they impressively repaired both of their damaged Camaros within two hours to get plenty of track time.

But at the pointy end there are plenty of candidates for provisional pole with seven different teams in the top seven.

Being the final practice before qualifying all-but one main driver hit the track as temperatures reached their peak.

Kostecki was lightening out of the pits, being the only driver to record a 2m07s time straight off the bat.

The reigning champion carried on and improved his benchmark to a 2:07.1034.

He enjoyed a huge 1.1387s advantage over next best Will Brown, but it did not take long for the deficit to be trimmed to six tenths by Stanaway.

Waters was the next to have a crack and edged out Stanaway by 0.0154s before going even faster on his second hot lap.

The Monster Mustang went purple in the first sector and gained half a second before De Pasquale displaced the #6 from P2.

The closest car to challenge Kostecki across the first 10 minutes was his Erebus teammate Le Brocq, who came within 0.0663s.

Jones pushed the #96 Camaro as high as fourth, but then had a lockup on approach to Griffins Bend.

Randle also had a massive moment going into The Chase, locking up both tyres and forcing the #55 to take a tour of the grass.

Teammate Waters did something similar, locking up the left front at the start of his second stint when he was on a personal best lap, but went too deep as did Feeney.

Inside the final half an hour the intensity stepped up as Kostecki was finally knocked off.

Golding produced a smashing final sector to be the first into the 2m06s area. His lap was two tenths clear of the Erebus Camaro.

The PremiAir driver was soon joined in the club by De Pasquale, who came within 0.0859s.

But this was just a sign of things to come as Stanaway and then Feeney found more pace.

The #88 driver lowered the benchmark twice and recorded a 2:06.5275 with his second push lap.

With 10 minutes to go things got even more spicy as the drivers threatened the 2m05s window.

Waters was first, showing storming pace down the mountain and going the best part of two tenths faster.

But Kostecki was fully committed through The Chase and recorded a 2:06.1820, another tenth ahead of the Monster Mustang.

The #1 Erebus Camaro remained parked for the final five minutes as the majority of the field had a last-minute qualifying simulation.

Both Evans and Stanaway threatened with fastest first sectors and secured top five spots.

Reynolds found the limit, brushing the wall between the two right handers at Sulman Park.

However, Murray had an even bigger scare, getting very loose over the top of the mountain, skipping the Esses before whacking the inside wall on approach to The Dipper.

Critically no one brought out the red flag in the first red-free session since the opener.

2024 Bathurst 1000 Practice 4 results