How latest engine scare felt like a lifetime for Feeney
Broc Feeney relieved to "survive" latest engine scare
Feeney lost three positions in Race 8 after engine issue
Triple Eight suffered heartbreak in last year's Grand Final
After last year’s heartbreak, you could forgive Broc Feeney for sweating bullets when his engine cut out during the Taupō opener.
After a highly publicised final day disaster in Adelaide last season due to an engine misfire, Feeney appeared set for another head-scratcher when his Red Bull Ampol Ford slowed in Race 8.
Exiting Turn 11, Feeney’s car slowed suddenly, dropping the Triple Eight star behind both Walkinshaw TWG Racing drivers and Matt Payne.
The issue quickly rectified itself, but that didn’t help Feeney’s stress, who said over team radio: "What the hell?"
An electrical issue was behind the scare, prompting Triple Eight to make repairs before the day’s second race. Feeney duly raced to second, scoring valuable points.
Speaking post-race, Feeney quipped that the moment, which lasted little more than two seconds, felt like a lifetime.
“I just came out of [Turn] 11 and nothing happened. I got on the gas and the thing died,” the 29-time race winner said in the press conference.
“It feels like 30 seconds. It’s probably like two seconds that it cuts out for, but it’s amazing how many things go through your head in such a short period of time.
“That was a shame. It cost us three spots at that point, but I think in the in the long run, obviously, Ryan was so fast in at the back end of that first race. Maybe it cost us a podium, but I doubt it. We were pretty weak in that first race.
“Obviously, had some similar issues at the back end of last year, and it came back to bite me, so I was glad to get through that race unscathed.”
On this occasion, Feeney and Triple Eight got away with it, ensuring he didn’t lose crucial ground in the chase to overhaul championship leader Brodie Kostecki.
As fate would have it, Feeney benefited from a failed Kostecki strategy gamble to claw points back in the second race, helping Feeney jump to second in the Jason Richards trophy standings, and sit just 18 points behind Kostecki.
On Supercars’ Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast, he added: “I’m like, ‘oh my god, what do I do? What's happening? What's going on?’
“But once I got off the throttle at reset and it was fine again, but I couldn't believe it. I'm like, ‘what's going on?’
“I had full power, like, I didn't lose power to the car, but just lost complete throttle. So anyway, survived.”
Track action continues this weekend in Christchurch.
