Opinion: Triple Eight's ominous message in bombshell contract announcement

In the weeks since Townsville, silly season speculation has been at the forefront of the Supercars news cycle.

Will Cam Hill leave Matt Stone Racing? If so who could replace him? When will PremiAir fill the final seat on the grid for the Enduro Cup?

Not once did anyone ask the question, 'When will Triple Eight re-sign Will Brown and Broc Feeney?'

On the surface, it seems logical that it's a question that wouldn't be asked. Both were locked in to Triple Eight for 2026, and any thought of them leaving felt nigh on impossible.

Renewals for both drivers were a mere formality given the dominance they’ve shown since joining forces last year, however for both drivers to re-commit to the team 18 months out from their contracts expiring is perhaps the biggest tick of approval for Triple Eight's future.

It’s no doubt that it will be a new-look Triple Eight next year; no Jeromy Moore, no Craig Lowndes (even if only a part-time capacity), and a return to Ford. However, to remove any doubts ahead of the 2026/27 silly season, and for such doubts to be removed in such an emphatic way is arguably Triple Eight’s biggest victory of the season.

History has proven that no matter what changes there may be in the world of Triple Eight, the winning machine keeps rolling on. In 2006, the team signed a young Melburnian who had impressed alongside the late Jason Richards in the 2005 enduros, but was otherwise largely unproven. He would play apprentice to 2005 recruit Craig Lowndes. In the space of three seasons, Jamie Whincup had three Bathurst wins and a championship to his name, on his way to becoming the greatest Supercars driver of all-time.

Since then, Triple Eight have lost Ford funding, switched to GM, said farewell to Lowndes, Whincup, and Shane van Gisbergen from full-time drives, and also farewelled the powerhouse off-track combination of Roland and Jess Dane.

Through all the changes in personnel and machinery, Triple Eight have remained the dominant force in Supercars, only knocked off for a prolonged period by the combined might of Roger Penske and Scott McLaughlin.

With Triple Eight's future secure until at least the end of 2029, it's a clear message to the rest of the field. If you're going to beat us, you're not going to do it by pinching any more of our stars. It's all on you.

That's not to say teams haven't been making moves; Tickford have retained Cam Waters and Thomas Randle to 2027, Penrite Racing are in a very strong position with their driver line-up of Matt Payne and Kai Allen, whilst Dick Johnson Racing have gone all-in on Brodie Kostecki.

The move unlike any other is that of Walkinshaw Andretti United, who bring Toyota into Supercars. With a driver line-up as potent as Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood have proven to be this year, if the car is strong, they should be in the mix.

Triple Eight have set the benchmark for the last 20 years, and the Brown/Feeney combination will likely continue to set the benchmark for the next four and a half seasons.

Perhaps it's fitting to let Whincup have the final word, having been there from the start of their successes, and now carrying Roland Dane's empire into the next generation: “At the end of the day, drivers want to be in the best machinery, with the best team around them."

"Will and Broc wouldn’t have made this commitment if they didn’t believe Triple Eight could continue to deliver at the highest level."

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.