Feeney not carrying any baggage from Bathurst heartbreaks

At the tender age of 22, Broc Feeney has already had his fair share of tough moments at the Repco Bathurst 1000, falling short three times in as many years.

The championship leader already has 24 Supercars race wins to his name, has a Sandown 500 victory, and championship and Bathurst runner-up finishes.

Try as he might, Feeney has yet to break through at the Mountain, crashing out of his Triple Eight wildcard start in 2021, watching his car spin to the back on Mountain Straight in 2022, suffering late mechanical heartbreak in 2023, and coming agonisingly close last year.

It's remarkable to consider that, despite Feeney's age, only Glenn Seton (40 wins) and Marcos Ambrose (28) have more wins without recording a Bathurst victory. Of the top 10, only Ambrose failed to claim a Bathurst podium.

Speaking to media at Monday's Bathurst launch in Sydney, Feeney said last year's defeat was perhaps his most jarring, given he effectively pushed Kostecki to victory in a heart-stopping three-hour run to the flag.

“The last few years felt like we've been close. Had a great race with Brodie last year, chasing them down,” Feeney said.

"To come so close, but so short, obviously hurt. So, looking forward to getting back there. Obviously, I love Bathurst. It's the best race of the year. Always love it, it’s my favourite track.

“You come up short, it was frustrating going to sleep that night thinking you lost the biggest race of the year by about one second. But I’m proud of the effort that we put in.

“Even thinking back to the year before we were hunting down Shane [van Gisbergen], we were in a great position as well. We've come close, we've all got stories of Bathurst, what could have been, but really looking forward to this year.”

Looking at how this season has panned out, 2025 represents Feeney's best chance yet at breaking through at Mount Panorama.

A winner at the Bathurst 500 last February, he knows how to win in Bathurst. However, this year, he has gone to another level. Through eight rounds, Feeney has claimed 12 wins and 13 poles.

Having clinched the Repco Sprint Cup and with a 345-point lead over his closest rival, Feeney could have a free swing at the enduros and still be atop the rankings come The Finals.

“With Bathurst, you sort of forget about the championship no matter what situation you're in and just go for the win,” he added.

“The year to date's been fantastic. We've done a great job to I think get over 300 points [lead] now. So, just really looking forward to having a really good swing at the next couple of rounds.

“I've got a co-driver coming in, Jamie Whincup, who's obviously very safe hands for me, but it gives us both the confidence to have a proper swing and try and win the next two races.”

Feeney will have to get through the AirTouch 500 at The Bend on September 12-14 before casting his attention to Bathurst on October 9-12. Tickets for all events are on sale now.

Most ATCC/Supercars wins without a Bathurst 1000 victory

*Active driver

^2025 co-driver