Anton De Pasquale ended a 17-race drought for General Motors by securing a victory in the final race of the Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley Raceway on Sunday. Driving for Team 18, De Pasquale led a Chevrolet Camaro to the top step of the podium, marking the only GM win of the season and his second win of the year.

Starting from third on the grid behind pole-sitter Cam Waters of Tickford Racing and Matt Payne of Grove Racing, De Pasquale gained the lead following a strategic early first pit stop that allowed him to undercut his Ford rivals. He maintained his advantage after the second compulsory pit stop and ultimately crossed the finish line under safety car conditions, which were deployed after defending champion Chaz Mostert’s engine failed with three laps remaining. Mostert had been running seventh at the time.

De Pasquale’s teammate, Waters, finished third, helping him secure the overall Darwin Triple Crown trophy after accumulating the most points across the weekend thanks to Friday’s win and two additional podium finishes. Payne came in second, extending his strong form with a second podium result of the weekend, bringing him within 15 points of championship leader Broc Feeney.

The race saw notable absences, with Brodie Kostecki and Thomas Randle ruled out of the final 200-kilometer race due to undisclosed issues. Despite starting second on the grid, Payne surrendered the lead to De Pasquale after a slow pit stop exit on lap 21 but later reclaimed second position by passing Waters.

De Pasquale credited the team’s pit crew for the victory, highlighting the effective stop strategy and tire management as critical factors. “We won it in the pits,” he said, adding that the team is focused on steady development amid external criticism. Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt expressed hope that the win would quell recent skepticism about the team’s performance, which had been publicly questioned by former champion Mark Skaife.

“It’s great to get that done. There has been a lot of critics lately about a few things about our team performance,” Schwerkolt said, praising De Pasquale’s driving and the team’s efforts. “This one is even better because there has been a lot of critics but to get that done it’s fantastic for the whole team and I’m really proud.”

Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Will Brown and Feeney completed the top five, trying to recover from a challenging weekend that broke their previous dominance at Hidden Valley, where Feeney had won every race in 2024 and 2025.

The next round of the Supercars Championship is scheduled to take place in Townsville next month.