hero-img

Revealed: Just how rare was Triple Eight's podium no-show?

Supercars
28 Apr
Taupō was just the second round in 27 events in the Gen3 era without a Triple Eight car on the podium
  • Triple Eight missed podium for just 30th time in 274 rounds since 2005

  • Taupō just second round in Gen3 era without a Triple Eight podium

  • Will Brown first, Broc Feeney fourth heading to next round in Tasmania

Triple Eight Race Engineering heads to Tasmania off the back of an uncharacteristic weekend where the reigning champions failed to capture a single top three finish.

So, just how rare was it, and what could it mean for the rest of 2025?

The Taupō event ended an 18-round streak for the Red Bull Ampol team dating back to August 2023, when neither Shane van Gisbergen or Broc Feeney troubled the podium at The Bend.

Such has been Triple Eight's dominance in Supercars, that Taupō was just the 30th instance of the team missing the top three in a race in 274 rounds dating back to the start of 2005, when the Banyo squad became a regular contender.

Taupō was also just the second instance in 27 rounds in the Gen3 era without a Triple Eight car on the podium.

Like any dominant sporting team, Triple Eight can have its bad days, but seldom does the team miss out on silverware at a Supercars round.

A Triple Eight car finished in the top three in a race at each round in 2011, 2012, 2018 and 2024.

Of the 30 rounds Triple Eight has missed the podium, the single-race Bathurst 1000 makes up the biggest tally with four, ahead of Winton (three). Fortunately for Triple Eight, Winton isn't on the 2025 calendar.

Darwin, Homebush, Townsville, Sandown, The Bend and Adelaide were also repeat offenders, although the team has claimed podiums at all circuits bar the defunct Homebush in the last three seasons.

If there's any consolation for Triple Eight, it next heads to a circuit where it has a record 26 wins, double the next best in Holden Racing Team/Walkinshaw Andretti United.

As for what it means for 2025, well, in the last four instances the team missed the podium, it won at the very next round each time. Just once in the last 20 seasons, in 2006, has the team failed to record a top three finish in a visit to Tasmania.

Last year's Tasmania event, however, was the first since 2013 that Triple Eight failed to score at least one win. Feeney raced from pole to third in the first race, before Will Brown finished second in the chaotic second race.

"I think they're already starting to miss Jeromy Moore a little bit," Skaife said.

"I think this weekend, when you start to talk about cars that weren't in the window, and you start to have divergent policies around the engineering and your methods of fixing the car.

"Jeromy was a very sound person who sat within that debrief and within the engineering group and provided real counsel, and a real sense of expertise.

"Immediately, him not being there - and I'm not saying the rest can't do it - I'm saying but in the system they've had, Jeromy played a pivotal role, and I think they miss him already."

Tickets are on sale for the May 9-11 event in Tasmania.

Seasons with rounds without a Triple Eight car in the top three (since 2005)

Rounds

Season/s

3

2005, 2006, 2019

2

2008, 2009^, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017

1

2007, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025*

0

2011, 2012, 2018, 2024

*Season ongoing

^Craig Lowndes won Leg 1 of Sunday Gold Coast race

MASTER-SC-AD-BLOCK-NEWS

Related News