Mountain to climb for Mustangs

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 11, 2026

Ford Mustang teams struggled with straight-line speed against Chevrolet Camaros during the Bathurst 1000 top-10 shootout despite a last-minute engine adjustment, with the fastest Mustang finishing fifth and Chevrolet securing the front row. The speed deficit highlights a challenge for Ford, but teams remain hopeful that strategy and consistency over the 161-lap race can offset Camaro dominance and impact the championship standings.

Ford Mustang teams face a significant challenge at the Bathurst 1000 after struggling with straight-line speed deficits compared to Chevrolet Camaros during the top-10 shootout on Saturday at Mount Panorama. Despite securing a late, Bathurst-specific engine adjustment approved by Supercars, the Mustang teams have found little improvement in their performance, with some fearing the fix may have cost them additional speed.

The last-minute concession involved increasing the restrictor size by 2mm and tweaking camshaft timing through the ECU after testing indicated the Mustang engines lost power at Bathurst’s altitude. However, Will Brown, the fastest Ford driver on Friday, reported his car was still roughly 6 km/h slower than pole sitter Zach Bates in the Camaro down the main straight. Bates, a rookie for Matt Stone Racing, impressed by securing pole position with a record lap, underscoring the Camaros’ dominance in qualifying.

Brodie Kostecki was the highest-placed Mustang driver in the shootout, finishing fifth after posting a provisional top time of 2:04.49 before being overtaken. Kostecki, aiming for a fourth consecutive Bathurst pole which would have placed him ahead of iconic figures Peter Brock and Allan Moffat, expressed satisfaction with his lap and confidence in his car for the race. Will Brown ultimately settled for sixth after a near-mistake at McPhillamy Park halted his final qualifying effort.

Defending winner and current series leader Matt Payne, who switched engines between practice and qualifying, barely made the shootout cutoff and ended up ninth in the session. Payne’s teammate Brenton Grove acknowledged the team’s current lack of outright single-lap pace but praised Payne’s effort under difficult conditions.

The Chevrolet teams have showcased strong straight-line performance, with six Camaros making the top-10 shootout and three Chevrolet cars occupying the front row of the grid. David Reynolds and James Courtney from Team18, pairing experience and skill, occupy the front row, signaling a potential strong challenge for the race win. Jayden Ojeda and David Russell of PremiAir Racing have also flown under the radar after impressing with speed throughout the weekend and qualifying third, suggesting they could be contenders for the podium if they avoid issues.

While the Mustangs are at a disadvantage in raw speed, Ford drivers and teams remain optimistic about their chances, emphasizing that success at Bathurst often hinges on strategy, consistency, and avoiding mistakes over the demanding 161-lap race. The event offers 300 points, significant for championship standings, with the Enduro Cup title also on the line. Meanwhile, defending Supercars champion Chaz Mostert, starting from 16th, holds the current Enduro Cup lead.

As the Bathurst 1000 approaches, Ford teams will need to leverage precision and resilience to counter the Chevrolet advantage and defend their hopes on racing’s iconic mountain circuit.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.