COOPER DELIVERS GRITTY PERFORMANCE AT THE 2025 BATHURST 1000

Cooper Murray emerged from a dramatic and rain-soaked Bathurst weekend showing strong pace, fight, and resilience behind the wheel of the #99 Chiko Camaro for Erebus Motorsport, narrowly missing a podium after a controversial late-race contact while he was leading.

From the outset, Murray and co-driver Jobe Stewart carried the pressure of defending the Bathurst crown with renewed energy. The #99 Camaro sported a refreshed version of last year’s victorious livery, featuring bold gold accents to signify the team’s ambition heading into the Great Race.

In qualifying, Murray’s speed was on full display. He consistently lowered the benchmark during the 40-minute session and came within 0.063 seconds of pole position, only undone by a small mistake at Murray’s Corner. Despite that, he secured a front-half grid position and earned a place in the Top 10 Shootout.

Through treacherous wet conditions and multiple safety car interruptions, Murray remained composed and competitive throughout the 161-lap marathon. With just five laps remaining, he found himself leading the race and on course for victory. 

However, in a decisive moment at Griffins Bend, James Golding attempted a bold move on the inside and made contact with Murray’s right rear, sending the Erebus Camaro into a half-spin. Golding crossed the line first but was penalised five seconds, handing victory to Matthew Payne and Garth Tander.

While finishing fourth, Murray’s Bathurst campaign was far from a defeat. He led multiple stints, handled extreme conditions with composure, and remained in contention until the final laps. The performance drew praise across the paddock for his maturity and skill under pressure. For a 24-year-old in his first full Bathurst 1000 with Erebus Motorsport, the result underscored his rising trajectory and future promise in the Supercars Championship.

“Pretty good weekend here at the mountain. When Car 99 rolled out, it was very strong from the get-go. We just kept chipping away, chipping away, and the first big achievement was making the shootout, which is pretty cool to do my first ever Bathurst 1000 shootout, always a childhood dream of mine. The race started off well. I started the car, I got it to the second at the end of the stint then Jobe took over, did an amazing job. Then the rain started to come. So that made it interesting, but we kept our heads down and come the last two stints we were in with a shot and when that safety car came out of the last, we definitely knew we had a chance. I had a really good SC restart, managed to get to the lead and holding up there for a little bit, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Five laps to go, lead in the race, got taken out. So, still fourth, which is a very good positive and points if you told me at start weekend we’d finished fourth, I would have been stoked. So got to look at the positives and move forward.”

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COOPER’S BIGGEST POINTS HAUL AT EXCEPTIONAL BEND ENDURO