Hill overjoyed with maiden Supercars podium
Cameron Hill records first career podium in wild Melbourne SuperSprint opener
Canberran claims first Supercars silverware in 57th career start
Podium rounds out career-best day, with two top three qualifying efforts earlier in the day
Cameron Hill has claimed his first-ever podium in the Repco Supercars Championship after a sterling drive in the opening race of the MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint.
Hill stayed in touch with the dominant Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaros of Broc Feeney and Will Brown in a wild opening 19-lap affair at Albert Park, and fended off several challenges from former MSR teammate Jack Le Brocq.
However, Le Brocq was spun by Brodie Kostecki after the Safety Car restart in one of several incidents throughout the race, allowing Hill to eek out an advantage over last year's Repco Bathurst 1000 winner.
The 28-year-old was even on the verge of pressuring Brown for second, but the Triple Eight duo pulled away in the final laps, leaving Hill to come home and tick off a major career milestone with no pressure from behind.
The Canberran is into his third season in Supercars with MSR, and has been on a steady rise through the ranks since a difficult rookie campaign in 2023.
After finishing 23rd in the 2023 championship, Hill leapt up 10 spots in the 2024 standings, and has now started off 2025 with his career best race and qualifying results with three hours of each other.
A race winner in Toyota 86s, a Porsche Carrera Cup champion in 2021, and a Bathurst 6 Hour winner in 2022, Hill admitted that his Supercars career has been hard work.
"Well it's been a bit of a journey right?" said Hill.
"It was a dream come true to make it to the main game, and then there's another mountain to climb when you get here.
"I really thought this year we had the potential to get on the podium. Just a massive thanks to everyone at Matt Stone Racing, this car, this is special, it's built for greatness, and there's more in it."
Hill debuted a brand new chassis at the opening round in Sydney, and also has a new engineer in 2025, with Caleb Mutsaerts joining from Dick Johnson Racing ahead of the new season.
Having entered the top 10 in the standings by virtue of his maiden podium, things could even better for Hill tomorrow, when he starts from the front row for the first time in his Supercars career.
Race 5 of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship begins at 2:50pm tomorrow afternoon.
