DEWALT Racing’s Anton De Pasquale has broken the Ford tide by winning the final race at the Darwin Triple Crown.
Taking his second win of the 2026 season, De Pasquale was the beneficiary of great strategy by Team 18 to lead home Penrite Racing’s Matt Payne and the winner of the Triple Crown, Cam Waters.
A shorter fuel load proved the supreme strategy for De Pasquale after his first stop elevated the Chevrolet driver from third to first.
Waters from pole led the early running as Payne filed behind at the opening corner and De Pasquale held off the Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney.
The two Fords gradually pulled away from De Pasquale’s Camaro and Payne managed to take the lead on lap 16 when he slid down the inside of Waters.
Penrite Racing teammate Kai Allen was recovering from his poor qualifying result and moved from 12th to effective fifth after his stop.
Lap 18 proved decisive when Team 18 serviced De Pasquale and as a result undercut the duo after Payne stopped just after and Waters another circuit later.
This set up a reset of the battle between Payne and Waters, with the latter defending aggressively.
It was this battle, which handed De Pasquale a 3s lead by the time Payne found a way past Waters.
In response to this Payne elected to pit and De Pasquale did likewise a lap later, but had no margin due to his longer stop for fuel.
Waters was not a worry having dropped back after his stop into the clutches of Feeney, but the latter failed to find a way through even after contact at Turn 7. Feeney redressed and thus finished fourth behind Waters.
De Pasquale was controlling the margin up front and was assured of victory when Chaz Mostert’s Mobil 1 Optus Toyota GR Supra expired on lap 67.
The result was a safety car as De Pasquale led home Payne, Waters, Feeney and a recovering Allen.
Ryan Wood assured Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing a string result in seventh from Matt Stone Racing’s Jack Le Brocq, Cam Hill of Brad Jones Racing and the Snowy River Racing Camaro of David Reynolds.
Mark Winterbottom ended up competing after Thomas Randle vacated his drive in response to his health after a cool suit failure and subsequent trip to the medical centre. Winterbottom was 22nd.
Todd Hazelwood was also enlisted to drive Brodie Kostecki’s Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang due to health concerns and was 13th.
The Repco Supercars Championship next travels to North East Queensland for the Townsville 500 on July 10-12.