Feeney beats Brown, retakes points lead at AGP

Broc Feeney has reclaimed the Repco Supercars Championship lead after holding off Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate Will Brown in a dramatic first race at the Australian Grand Prix.

Feeney, who won Race 1 at Mount Panorama last month, opened his MSS Melbourne Security SuperSprint campaign with a win from pole in the #88 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet.

However, the 21-year-old didn’t have it all his way, first being jumped off the line by Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Ford), before holding off a charging Brown (#87 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet).

Feeney managed the margin and set the fastest lap on the final lap, with the bonus points helping the Triple Eight star regain the orange numbers.

Heading into Friday, Feeney leads Brown by a slender two points, with Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Ford) just 32 points down in third.

"That's bloody awesome," said Feeney, who led Triple Eight's second one-two in three attempts in 2024.

"That was an interesting race. We just tried to manage it as best as we could out front. And then put the pace down at the end to try and get that fastest lap.

"We were just trying to manage it a little bit. He had some real good pace through the middle there. So, I just tried to put the hammer down a little bit at the end just to make sure I had no pressure.

"Unreal for the team. Another one-two. That's two out of three for the year. So, it's been a ripper start, but we've got a long way to go."

Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Ford) survived a last-lap error to complete the top three, with the rising Penrite Racing star scoring a second career podium following his VAILO Adelaide 500 win last November.

At an average age of 22 years, 11 months and two days, Feeney, Brown and Payne combined to create the youngest ever Supercars podium.

It was a race of damage limitation for Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford star Mostert, who recovered to fourth after dropping to 10th following contact with Nick Percat (#10 Bendix Chevrolet) at the end of the opening lap.

Percat crossed the line third ahead of Payne, but dropped to sixth behind Payne, Mostert and Cam Waters (#6 Monster Energy Ford).

After drivers completed an extra formation lap, De Pasquale got the jump on Feeney, but bowled a wide at Turn 3 and handed the lead straight back.

However, De Pasquale was quickly placed under investigation over a false start, and was eventually passed for second by Brown on lap 4.

At the end of the first lap, Mostert was hit off the road by former teammate Percat at the penultimate corner, with the latter handed a five-second penalty.

The drama raged on up and down the field, with Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Ford) running off at Turn 3, Jaxon Evans (#12 SCT Logistics Chevrolet) crashing on his own at the final corner, and James Golding (#31 PremiAir Nulon Chevrolet) spinning at Turn 14.

Todd Hazelwood (#99 TFH Hire Chevrolet) was also given a five-second penalty over a clash with Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy's Electrical Chevrolet) at Turn 3, with Mostert — who dropped to 10th after the Percat contact — jumping to eighth.

Payne passed Waters for fifth on lap 5, before catching and overtaking Percat for third as De Pasquale dropped down the field.

Brown ranged up to the rear of his teammate on lap 7, but the margin stabilised at 0.8s with 10 laps remaining. However, it briefly closed to 0.6s when Feeney dropped a wheel at Turn 8, where he clipped the wall in Race 3 qualifying. By lap 13, the margin was just 0.3s.

Brown was in conversation with his team as he hounded Feeney, before the margin blew back out to one second with three laps remaining. Meanwhile, Mostert overtook Waters at Turn 15 for fifth, which became fourth once Percat’s penalty was applied.

De Pasquale finished seventh ahead of James Courtney (#7 Snowy River Caravans Ford), Hazelwood and Jack Le Brocq (#9 TFH Hire Chevrolet).

Supercars will return to the track on Friday for Race 4, which starts at 2:55pm AEST and will run to 19 laps or one lap after 3:33pm.