How Feeney joined legends in unwanted exclusive club
Broc Feeney ended the 2024 season with the most wins, but didn't take home the biggest trophy of them all.
It is a cruel statistic, but winning the most races doesn't always guarantee the title. Many drivers get the job done with a swag of wins, but as we saw in 2024, supreme consistency can seal the deal.
Feeney became the seventh driver in the V8 Supercar era since 1997 to claim the most wins in a season, but fail to win the championship.
1999: Skaife's dozen not enough
Most wins: Mark Skaife (12 wins)
Champion: Craig Lowndes (9 wins)
The Holden Racing Team was the team of the 1990s and 2000s, with Craig Lowndes dominating in 1996 and 1998. In 1999, Mark Skaife won a whopping 12 races in 1999, but saw the title land on the other side of the garage. What's more, is Lowndes missed an entire round following injuries sustained in his scary Calder Park crash. Lowndes won nine races, while Skaife won six rounds.
2000: Lowndes misses out
Most wins: Craig Lowndes (10 wins)
Champion: Mark Skaife (7 wins)
Skaife turned the tables on Lowndes 12 months later, in what was their final year as HRT team-mates. Lowndes won 10 races to Skaife's seven, but Skaife won four rounds to Lowndes' three. They shared the Queensland 500 win, before Skaife sealed the crown with sixth place alongside Lowndes in the Bathurst finale.
2005: Ingall sneaks it in
Most wins: Craig Lowndes (6 wins)
Champion: Russell Ingall (2 wins)
Russell Ingall was Mr Consistent in 2005, needing just two race wins to end his long championship wait. Ingall entered 2005 a four-time series runner-up, with teammate Marcos Ambrose and Craig Lowndes combining to take 11 of the season's 30 wins. Ambrose led up to Bathurst, where he had his infamous clash with Greg Murphy. Ingall took over, and never looked back.
2006: Rick only needs one
Most wins: Garth Tander (7 wins)
Champion: Rick Kelly (1 win)
In 2006, Rick Kelly won one race. One. Yet, it was enough, with the then 23-year-old guiding the Toll HSV Dealer Team to glory. Kelly's team-mate Garth Tander won seven races and two rounds, with closest rival Lowndes winning five races and four rounds. Jason Bright and Todd Kelly also won five races each. Kelly entered the Phillip Island finale seven points ahead of Lowndes, and they were on equal points in the final race. Their collision saw Lowndes come off worse, gifting the title to a penalised Kelly.
2010: Whincup can't convert big start
Most wins: Jamie Whincup (9 wins)
Champion: James Courtney (5 wins)
Jamie Whincup was the two-time reigning champion, and commenced Triple Eight's new Holden era with six of the first eight wins of the year. James Courtney, who was 204 points behind Whincup after Round 4, sailed to four wins of his own as Whincup's year fell apart. Whincup trailed Courtney by just 53 points heading to the Homebush finale. There, they all crashed out, and Courtney ended the weekend on top after a Sunday cruise.
2017: Incredible final round drama
Most wins: Scott McLaughlin (7 wins)
Champion: Jamie Whincup (4 wins)
In his first season with DJR Team Penske, Scott McLaughlin was a revelation. He claimed a record 16 poles and won eight races, while Whincup had to wait until midway through the season for victory. Remarkably, Whincup won two of the last three races, winning in controversial circumstances in the final race in Newcastle after McLaughlin had a shocker.
2024: Triple Eight battle falls to new recruit
Most wins: Broc Feeney (6 wins)
Champion: Will Brown (5 wins)
Feeney was the driver to watch after Shane van Gisbergen moved on, and Brown arrived with his tail between his legs after a poor end to his final year with Erebus Motorsport. Brown then pieced together a brilliant campaign, claiming 19 podiums in 24 starts, and a trophy at every round, the first driver in 40 years to do so. Feeney won in Bathurst, Melbourne, Darwin and Adelaide, but slumps and incidents ultimately gave Brown a lead he didn't give up.
