Reigning Supercars champion Chaz Mostert and Fabian Coulthard mastered treacherous conditions to win a dramatic AirTouch 500 at The Bend, delivering Toyota victory on its Ryco Enduro Cup debut.

Starting 11th after none of the five Toyota GR Supras reached the Top 10 Shootout, the Walkinshaw TWG Racing pair worked their way through a wet and chaotic opening two-thirds before Mostert took control as the circuit dried. He eventually won by 18 seconds from Grove Racing’s Kai Allen and Tim Slade (Mustang), with teammates Ryan Wood and Jaxon Evans third.

The victory was Mostert’s first in a 500km Supercars enduro and his 30th career win, drawing him level with Dick Johnson on the all-time winners’ list.

“We just won the 2026 500! We actually can’t believe it to be honest,” Mostert said.

“Fabs was like a duck out there today, there was so much water and conditions were crazy but he did such an incredible job behind the wheel. I was pretty happy to watch that one from the garage.”

Coulthard was outstanding during the wet opening stages, climbing to seventh on the first lap before working his way towards the front and taking the lead following a mistake from Slade.

“What an epic day, my first 500 as well, so it’s really special to do it alongside Chaz,” Coulthard said.

“It was pretty wild out there, it’s probably some of the worst conditions I’ve ever raced a Supercar in, but the car was awesome, we never panicked despite all the strategy question marks, and Chaz did a huge job to drive away from the rest of the field.”

Mostert said the result provided an important confidence boost heading towards Bathurst.

“I thought I was never going to get a 500 so I can’t believe it. Car was awesome, strategy was awesome, it’s just been a really cool day and one that will give us a lot of confidence over the next few weeks as we head to the big one.”

It was a vastly different story for Dick Johnson Racing’s Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood. Kostecki (Mustang) had dominated Saturday’s Top 10 Shootout to take pole position, but the reigning Bend 500 champions endured a race they would rather forget and were unable to convert their qualifying speed into another victory.

The championship picture also changed significantly. Grove Racing’s Matt Payne (Mustang) returned to the series lead despite being hit with a five-second penalty following late contact with Jayden Ojeda (PremiAir Camaro). The penalty dropped Payne and Will Davison to sixth, but Payne nevertheless emerged from The Bend 120 points ahead of Broc Feeney heading to Bathurst.

Feeney’s (Triple Eight Mustang) challenge was badly compromised after co-driver Nick Percat was caught in an incident, while Payne, Feeney, Allen, Kostecki, Cam Waters (Tickford Racing Mustang), Anton De Pasquale (Team 18 Camaro) and Mostert are among those now locked into the Finals.

The lead-up to the weekend had seen parity arguments amongst all three manufacturers, with the Chev Camaros receiving a boost through an increase in downforce via a change to its undertray before that advantage was tempered by a clipping of it’s rear wing.

The weekend proved particularly damaging for Blanchard Racing Team, with both its Mustangs disqualified after the race was called under the time certain conditions, with neither main driver, Aaron Cameron or James Golding completing their required laps under the rules. The double disqualification was a major blow to Golding’s Finals hopes at a crucial stage of the season.

For Mostert and Coulthard, however, the focus was already shifting to Mount Panorama (October 8-11).

“It’s so awesome to have both cars on the podium as well, we will definitely keep building on this as we head into Bathurst, it gives us a lot of confidence,” Coulthard said.

“Bring on The Mountain.”

Twenty years after the death of Peter Brock, two of the nine-time Bathurst winner’s famous race cars will take centre stage in a major celebration of Australian touring car history at The Bend.

The Touring Car Icons exhibition will be unveiled on Wednesday night ahead of this weekend’s AirTouch 500, bringing together 11 significant race cars valued collectively at more than $12 million.

Brock’s 1978 Holden Torana A9X and 1986 VK Commodore Group A will feature prominently, with the exhibition opening one day after the 20th anniversary of his death.

Perhaps the most poignant display pairs Brock’s 1978 Torana with Craig Lowndes’ 1998 Holden Commodore VT and the Peter Brock Trophy. Brock and Lowndes won their second Australian Touring Car Championships in the respective cars exactly 20 years apart.

Lowndes grew up idolising Brock before joining him at the Holden Racing Team in 1994, developing a close mentor-and-apprentice relationship. Following Brock’s death in 2006, Lowndes famously won the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy at Bathurst.

The exhibition extends well beyond Brock, with six stories told through pairings of some of Australian motorsport’s most recognisable machinery.

Mark Skaife’s Holden Racing Team Commodore and Russell Ingall’s Caltex Falcon from the infamous 2003 “Shriek at the Creek” incident will be reunited for the first time in more than 20 years.

Other highlights include the GIO Nissan Skyline GT-R that dominated the 1991 Sandown 500 and the ANZ Ford Sierra RS500 that recorded what was then Mount Panorama’s fastest qualifying lap.

The collection also contrasts Brock’s 1986 VK Commodore with Dick Johnson’s Ford Mustang from the same era, while Chaz Mostert’s first-winning 2013 Ford Falcon is paired with the Walkinshaw Mustang that carried him to the 2025 Supercars Championship.

Curator and The Bend Motorsport and Operations Manager, Adam Brook, said assembling the cars from private collections around Australia had taken months.

“We create the events we want to see, and pulling these cars together from private collections all around the country has taken months of work,” Brook said.

The exhibition will be available to Grandstand ticket holders and above during the AirTouch 500 at The Bend from September 11-13. The event opens the 2026 Ryco Enduro Cup, with the Top Ten Shootout on Saturday followed by Sunday’s 500km Supercars enduro.

Supercars will kick-start the build-up to the 2026 Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 with a free community event bringing drivers, entertainment and interactive experiences to The Star Gold Coast.

Dubbed IGNITION, the event will be held on Thursday, September 17, from 5pm to 7.30pm, providing fans with an early look at some of the new elements planned for this year’s Gold Coast 500.

Among the attractions will be appearances from Supercars stars including Cam Waters, Will Brown, Kai Allen and Thomas Randle, alongside live BMX and skateboarding demonstrations, dancers, breakdancers, racing simulators and Supercars displays.

Fans will also receive a preview of Sound Track, a new entertainment and live music precinct on Macintosh Island that forms part of an expanded effort to build the Gold Coast 500 into a broader festival experience.

Supercars acting CEO Barclay Nettlefold said the organisation had been working on significant changes designed to make the event a more extensive Gold Coast experience.

“IGNITION is our chance to finally give the Gold Coast public a sneak peek of what we’ve been putting together,” Nettlefold said.

“It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be loud and, most importantly, it’s free.”

The Gold Coast 500 attracted an event attendance of 197,427 in 2025, while the Queensland Government expects the 2026 event to generate around 154,000 visitor nights and contribute $64 million to the state economy.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the increased entertainment offering would complement the city’s lifestyle and provide attractions beyond the on-track action.

IGNITION will also reveal further entertainment announcements and provide teasers of activations planned for race weekend.

The launch begins the countdown to one of the most important rounds of the 2026 Supercars season, with the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 set to open the Supercars Finals.

The Gold Coast 500 will run on the Surfers Paradise street circuit from October 23-25, with the championship contenders beginning their Finals campaigns at one of the category’s biggest events of the year.

Supercars has announced a series of changes to its executive and leadership teams, including the appointment of Mark Pejic as Chief Operating Officer.

Pejic’s appointment is effective immediately and follows his time as a member of the Supercars executive team, where he has contributed to the organisation’s growth and development.

Supercars said his understanding of the business, leadership capabilities and focus on delivering positive outcomes made him well placed to help strengthen the organisation and support its key strategic initiatives.

Acting CEO Barclay Nettlefold (pictured, left, with former COO Shane Howard) said Pejic had played an important role in the organisation since the RACE acquisition.

“Mark has been an important part of Supercars’ journey over recent years and has made a meaningful contribution to the growth and evolution of the organisation since the RACE acquisition,” Nettlefold said.

“This appointment recognises the value he has brought to the business and the confidence we have in his ability to support our continued success.”

Pejic said he was proud to take on the expanded role.

“It’s a privilege to be appointed Chief Operating Officer of Supercars,” Pejic said.

“I am excited to continue working with our teams, partners and stakeholders as we build on the strong foundations that have been established and continue to drive the sport forward and deliver for our fans.”

The appointment forms part of a broader reshaping of the Supercars leadership structure.

Following the departure of Phil Shaw, Nicole Dickinson has been promoted to Chief Event Officer and will join the Supercars executive team.

Dickinson has played a key role in the growth and delivery of Supercars events and has been a long-standing member of the organisation.

Strategic Partnerships Manager, Shane Rudzis, has also been promoted to the leadership team, with Supercars recognising his work with the championship’s commercial partners and his involvement with the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The changes also include the recent arrival of Nick Raman as Head of Communications.

Raman brings extensive communications experience to the organisation and will report to Chief Marketing Officer Charlotte Valente.

In his new role, Raman will support Supercars’ on-going engagement with the media, stakeholders and fans as the championship continues its development.

The 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000 will pay tribute to Peter Brock, marking 20 years since the death of the nine-time Great Race winner and one of Australian motorsport’s most celebrated figures.

The Bathurst 1000 returns to Mount Panorama from October 8-11, with event-wide tributes planned to celebrate Brock’s life, career and enduring connection with the famous circuit.

Brock remains synonymous with Bathurst, having claimed a record nine victories in the 500-mile/1000-kilometre race and earning the enduring title ‘King of the Mountain’.

A dedicated ‘Brock Experience’ will form the centrepiece of the commemorations, with sections of Bathurst transformed into an immersive celebration of his career.

‘Peter’s Pitlane’, adjoining the National Motor Racing Museum, will feature a collection of original race cars driven by Brock along with historic footage of some of his most memorable moments at Mount Panorama.

Another attraction, ‘Brocky’s Helmet’, will be installed in Church Street. The large-scale dome structure will allow fans to interact with displays celebrating milestones from Brock’s career. Supercars has also collaborated with Victorian artist David Bromley on bespoke artworks honouring Brock.

Supercars chairman Barclay Nettlefold said Brock’s influence on Bathurst and Australian motorsport remained unmatched.

“This year’s event will be particularly special as we celebrate the life and legacy of Peter Brock,” Nettlefold said.

“We look forward to putting on an unforgettable show both on and off track and providing something for every fan, from those returning to the Mountain to those visiting for the first time.”

While Brock’s legacy will provide an emotional backdrop, this year’s edition of the Great Race will also carry major championship implications.

Bathurst will be the final event before the 2026 Repco Supercars Finals Series, leaving drivers with one last opportunity to secure their place in the Finals. Every position across the race’s 161 laps could therefore prove critical to championship aspirations.