Triple Eight returns serve as fired up Brown, Feeney split AGP poles
Triple Eight returns serve as fired up Will Brown, Broc Feeney split poles
Feeney claims Race 6 pole as Ryan Wood trips over field late in session
Will Brown bounces back with crucial pole for Melbourne finale
Red Bull Ampol Racing has returned serve at Albert Park, with Broc Feeney and Will Brown sharing Saturday's Boost Mobile Poles at the Melbourne SuperSprint.
Under pressure, Brown delivered a first pole since Tasmania last May, just after teammate Feeney claimed his second pole of the season.
It was a vital result for Brown, who after being labelled as "too aggressive" by 2010 Supercars champion James Courtney, screamed over the radio after laying down a new Gen3 lap record at Albert Park, before embracing mother Leanne in the garage.
The first session was headlined by a dramatic incident that saw Ryan Wood, who was off sequence after earlier gear issues, caught the field around the end of the lap. It prevented Wood, who finished third on Friday, from setting a lap.
Larry Perkins Trophy leader Brodie Kostecki qualified third and fourth, with championship leader Matt Payne seventh and fifth.
Race 6 qualifying
Wood came crashing back down to earth after claiming Toyota's first podium yesterday afternoon, with the #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist GR Supra stuck in first gear as he rolled out of the paddock.
Hunting redemption after missing out on his first race win of the season, Matt Payne immediately went fastest on a 1:46,53678s, with Chaz Mostert going to second.
Wood's shifting issues were remedied, however he was sent out of sync with the remainder of the field's second run, and came up to a swarm of cars in the final sector.
Such was the low speed of the second half of the field that they all missed a second lap, with Wood remonstrating with the Castrol Ford of Thomas Randle after crossing the line to end the session.
Of those cars that did get a second run in, it was Broc Feeney who went fastest to claim his second pole of the season, pipping the Blanchard Racing Team Ford of Aaron Cameron by just 0.0625s.
Larry Perkins Trophy leader Brodie Kostecki will start from third, whilst Mostert claimed back-to-back second row starts in fourth, with James Golding and Will Brown set to share the third row.
Race 7 qualifying
The session was preceded by a lengthy discussion between Supercars motorsport boss Tim Edwards and an irate PremiAir Racing Team Principal Roland Dane, who was incensed by the scenes at the end of Race 6 qualifying.
After a short break, the field returned, and Kostecki shot to the top with a 1:46.3909s. As the times tumbled, Le Brocq stunned to second, before Randle and Cameron jumped to the front row.
With his back to the wall, Brown returned serve with a 1:46.0195s. It proved good enough for a pole, with Randle securing a surprise front row start.
Cameron, Kostecki and Payne filled the top five, with Wood bouncing back from his earlier headaches to qualify fifth. Feeney, though, was unable to build on his earlier pole and qualified 11th, ahead of reigning champion Chaz Mostert.
Brown was delighted to silence his critics, beaming: "I feel like I just won Bathurst!
"It's been that long of a slog. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, to my fans that support me every weekend, and the team.
"2024 was an amazing year, I won the championship. Last year was tough and we wanted to build on it this year, and a lot has gone wrong. So hopefully this is the change and we can turn the tide."
Saturday's action resumes with Race 6 at 5:35pm local time, before the Melbourne SuperSprint concludes with Race 7 on Sunday at 10:10am.
