'Still Triple Eight': Groves counter Dutton's claim

Penrite Racing owner Stephen Grove says Triple Eight is still the "benchmark" team in Supercars, despite Red Bull Ampol Racing boss Mark Dutton suggesting otherwise.

Red Bull Ampol ace Broc Feeney led home Penrite duo Matt Payne and Kai Allen in a Mustang podium sweep in Tasmania on Sunday, in a reversal of Christchurch.

Feeney’s resounding victory turned the tables on the battle between Triple Eight and Grove Racing, with the latter the dominant team in Christchurch.

Feeney was the one to beat in Sunday’s Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout, and save for a scare with Payne in the opening seconds, was never headed the 84-lapper.

Following Sunday's win, however, Triple Eight Team Manager Dutton claimed post-race that the Grove squad had a better “handle” on the Gen3 Ford.

“If we're being honest with ourselves, we were a little bit embarrassed with the difference in car speed to this gentleman [Payne] next to me," Dutton said of Christchurch.

“These guys [Penrite Racing] are super quick. They definitely have more of a handle on the Mustang than we do currently, so we still have a lot of work to do.”

Penrite Racing Executive Chairman Stephen Grove was pleased to put to bed fears of a continued Tasmania slump, but maintains the team next door is still the one to catch.

“The weekend was solid for us. Very good,” Stephen Grove said.

“Symmons Plains has usually been a tough and difficult track for us, so we’re happy with the progress we’re making this season with the car, the drivers and the team.

“But we’re still definitely not where we want to be. We need to keep working hard and catch the benchmark, which is still Triple Eight.”

CEO Brenton Grove echoed his father's sentiments, suggesting it would have been naive to expect to keep Triple Eight at bay in Tasmania, one of the Red Bull Ampol squad's strongest tracks on the tour.

"It's obviously taken some time to get here, but Triple Eight have always been the benchmark, and it's nice to put some pressure on them, and naturally they respond," Brenton Grove said in the press conference.

"It's going to be like that all season, right? So I think we did well this weekend. Like, it's been the worst track since we've owned the team. So to think you can go from that to beating T8, who have been the benchmark here for 10 years is probably unrealistic."

Triple Eight leads Penrite Racing by 68 points heading to the betr Darwin Triple Crown on June 19-21.