A dramatic two-part qualifying session for Race 10 of the 2025 Supercars Championship at the Taupō Super400 has shaken up the title fight.
DJR driver Brodie Kostecki claimed provisional pole while championship heavyweights faltered under pressure.
The morning opened with a fiercely competitive Q1 session, where early pace-setter Broc Feeney clocked a 1:26.7841s before a flurry of rapid laps shuffled the order.
James Golding briefly held the benchmark for PremiAir Nulon Racing with a 1:26.3311s before local favourite Andre Heimgartner surged to the top on a 1:26.070, only to be eclipsed moments later by Ryan Wood’s blistering 1:26.014. A classic Kiwi rivalry for the top spot.
Despite a second attempt, Feeney could only manage a 1:26.5508s and was ultimately eliminated in 20th – a significant blow for the Triple Eight driver.
Triple Eight teammate Will Brown scraped through in 18th by just 0.0042s, while David Reynolds, Bryce Fullwood, Nick Percat, James Courtney, and Aaron Cameron joined Feeney on the sidelines.
Team 18 driver Anton De Pasquale emerged as the Q1 standout, topping the timesheets with a 1:25.726 – a lap that would hold as the second fastest of the weekend.
In Q2, the surprises kept coming. Building on Saturday’s podium momentum, Kostecki stunned the field with a scorching 1:25.6303 – the fastest lap of the weekend so far – to secure the top spot and place in this afternoon’s Top Ten Shootout.
Championship frontrunners Brown, Waters and Feeney all failed to secure a Shootout berth. Brown qualified 12th, Waters slid off at Turn 11 and wound up 18th, while Feeney never progressed beyond Q1.
Joining Kostecki in the Shootout are Cameron Hill and De Pasquale, with rising Kiwi stars Ryan Wood, Andre Heimgartner, and Matt Payne locking out fourth to sixth, respectively. After another consistent display, Payne remains in strong contention for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.
Drivers through to the Top 10 Shootout:
- Brodie Kostecki – 1:25.630
- Cameron Hill
- Anton De Pasquale
- Ryan Wood
- Andre Heimgartner
- Matt Payne
- Thomas Randle
- Kai Allen
- Chaz Mostert
- James Golding
Top 10 Shootout –
Brodie Kostecki has stamped his authority on the field with a scintillating Top 10 Shootout performance at Taupō, storming to pole position for Race 10 of the Repco Supercars Championship.
The former champion unleashed a masterclass, lighting up the timing screens with a 1:25.705s lap—his second flyer in the 1:25s bracket of the afternoon. Purple in Sector 1, purple in Sector 2, and a clinical finish through the final sector sealed the deal, edging out a stacked field of contenders and asserting his title credentials.
Anton De Pasquale – 1:25.872 (P2)
De Pasquale came out swinging with a blistering opening sector, going purple and setting the benchmark early. He remained strong through the middle and final sectors—picking up another purple to momentarily steal provisional pole by 0.027s from Ryan Wood. It was an aggressive, committed lap from the Shell V-Power driver.
Ryan Wood – 1:25.899 (P3)
Ryan Wood continues to impress. Armed with four brand-new soft tyres, the young Kiwi was electric—purple in Sector 1 and again in the final sector, going fastest before being narrowly eclipsed by De Pasquale and Kostecki. A sensational performance that sees him start from the second row.
Cameron Hill – 1:25.973 (P4)
Despite being on used tyres, Hill delivered a standout lap. He set the fastest Sector 1 time on used rubber and backed it up with another purple in Sector 2. A green final sector saw him fall just shy of the top time, but a second-row start is a massive result given his tyre deficit.
Thomas Randle – 1:26.117 (P5)
With a fresh set of softs bolted on, Randle looked poised to challenge for the top spot. He went green in Sector 1 and purple in Sector 2 before rounding out his lap with another purple to temporarily take provisional pole. Ultimately, he was bumped to fifth as the heavy hitters rolled through.
Matt Payne – 1:26.155 (P6)
Payne was right in the mix early, staying within a tenth of Randle after Sector 1 and going purple in Sector 2. However, a costly mistake at Turn 11—running wide—saw him drop just 0.038s behind Randle.
“I’m just struggling with the rear a little bit… battling with the car today with the track conditions, but we’ll give it a go in the race,” Payne said.
Kai Allen – 1:26.231 (P7)
The 19-year-old sensation delivered an electrifying lap in his very first Top 10 Shootout. Purple in both opening sectors, Allen looked set to challenge for a front-row start before a slightly conservative final sector saw him slot into P7. Sitting 16th in the championship, this was yet another signal of the rookie’s rising star status.
Andre Heimgartner – 1:26.257 (P8)
Running a split tyre setup—new rubber on the right, used on the left—Heimgartner pieced together a consistent lap, going green in all sectors. Solid, but not spectacular, he ended the session in eighth.
Chaz Mostert – 1:26.291 (P9)
Another driver on used tyres after a fierce qualifying effort, Mostert, managed to go purple in Sector 1 and green in Sector 2 but couldn’t hang with the front-runners over the whole lap. Despite that, his time was nearly four-tenths quicker than early benchmark-setter James Golding.
James Golding – 1:26.679 (P10)
Opening the Shootout without the luxury of fresh tyres, Golding set the early pace with 29.236s in Sector 1. A touch of oversteer into Turn 9 unsettled his rhythm, and he wrapped up the lap at 1:26.679s.
“It’s a bit hard to gauge where the track is after a few support categories have been out,” Golding reflected post-lap.
With a tightly packed front row and some emerging young talents firing, Race 10 at Taupō is shaping up to be an absolute thriller. Don’t blink.
Race 10 begins at 3:05 pm NZST to round out an electrifying weekend at Taupō.
Header Image: Jessica Barnes / Blissful Photography
