MOUNT PANORAMA, NSW
There is a sacred energy that hangs over Mount Panorama every October, but yesterday afternoon, as the iconic #17 Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Mustang crossed the line, that energy transformed into pure, unadulterated Australian sporting history.
When Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood were crowned Repco Bathurst 1000 Champions for 2026, the roar across the Mountain was deafening. Yet away from the high-rpm noise and the champagne spray, the true heartbeat of Australian motorsport unfolded in the garage: motorsport icon Dick Johnson and his devoted wife, Jill, overcome with tears of joy as the family legacy reached the top step once again.
For over four decades, the Johnson name has been woven into the limestone and red dirt of Mount Panorama—from the heartbreaking rock incidents of the 1980s to legendary championship victories. Seeing Dick and Jill embrace in tearful triumph alongside their champion drivers, holding the trophies high, was a poignant reminder of why this sport cuts so deeply into the Australian psyche.
Summing up the raw emotion of the moment with iconic Aussie humor, the Shell V-Power Racing Team posted the emotional podium snapshot of Dick, Jill, Brodie, and Todd clutching their silverware, simply captioning it:
"These are going straight on the fridge 😭"
Capturing the adrenaline of the victory, an ecstatic Todd Hazelwood reflected on the dramatic finish, sharing:
"BATHURST 1000 CHAMPIONS!!! 🤯🏁 What an insane finish, NEVER give up! 💪 Absolutely speechless, cannot believe it!"
Hazelwood paid tribute to his co-driver and the pit crew who delivered a flawless race car across four intense days of competition, adding:
"Massive thank you to @brodiekostecki for absolutely wheeling the #17 all day + the crew at @shellvpowerracingteam for a fast and faultless Ford Mustang! ❤️"
Set appropriately to the echoing anthem of Midnight Oil’s King Of The Mountain, the podium celebrations delivered classic Australian motorsport theater—from Dick Johnson standing proud between his two winning drivers hoisting the Peter Brock Trophy, to the victory shoeys high above the main straight.
This win is far more than another line in the Supercars record book. It is a testament to the enduring culture of Australian motorsport. Year after year, generations of families pack up campers and travel from every corner of the country—and around the world—to make the pilgrimage to Bathurst. Grandfathers who stood at the fence-line watching Dick Johnson in the 1980s now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their children and grandchildren, passing down a raw, unvarnished passion that spans generations.
It is this exact spirit, fence-line emotion, and heritage that Nomad Dirt Culture was built to document and preserve. As the dust settles on Mount Panorama for 2026, Dick Johnson Racing's emotional victory stands as an unforgettable chapter in Australian sporting history—proving that no matter how much the sport evolves, the Mountain will always belong to those who race with heart, history, and family at their core.
This news report is published by Nomad Dirt Culture Pty Ltd in the exercise of Public Interest Journalism and Fair Dealing provisions under Section 42 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) for the explicit purposes of reporting the news, educational commentary, and preserving Australian motorsport heritage.
Primary Sources & Attributions: Shell V-Power Racing Team Official Channels / Todd Hazelwood Public Media.
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Nomad Dirt Culture is an independent Australian motorsport media entity, promotion platform, and grassroots advocacy brand dedicated to preserving racing history, supporting paddock culture, and delivering unvarnished journalism.
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