Brown and Feeney's unusual Christchurch run explained
Rattle gun issue delayed Broc Feeney in Saturday Christchurch opener
Will Brown issued team order, should Feeney have had enough pace to pass
Ryan Wood held onto Race 11 podium, with Brown and Feeney behind
A rattle gun issue ultimately put paid to Broc Feeney’s podium hopes in Race 11, with Ryan Wood sneaking in another trophy in Christchurch.
The Walkinshaw TWG Racing driver retained his Jason Richards Trophy lead despite Brodie Kostecki winning Race 11.
The battle for victory looked to be a three-way fight when Matt Payne emerged behind Kostecki and Kai Allen, only to lose a wheel in his stop.
Wood couldn’t match the pace of the leaders, being picked off by Payne for third on lap 9. When Payne fell out of contention, Wood held third, but Will Brown and Feeney were behind. In an intriguing subplot, Brown and Feeney had swapped positions in the pit cycle.
Feeney was fourth through Turn 1 after muscling past Payne, but fell behind the #19 Penrite Ford. Brown stopped on lap 18, but passed Feeney with a two-lap undercut.
Key to the battle was a pit stop hiccup for Feeney, with a rattle gun problem seeing the #88 Ford take on three tyres versus Brown’s four.
Feeney showed strong initial pace, but the instruction to Brown from Triple Eight was to swap positions should Feeney be close enough.
Brown was 1.9s behind Wood when Payne dropped out, with Feeney 1.3s behind his teammate. Feeney closed to within 0.7s Brown with five laps to go, before the margins swung the other way.
Feeney fell back from Brown, who caught Wood. Brown was just 0.4s behind Wood at the chequered flag, with Feeney 1.1s behind his teammate.
There was no immediate threat from behind for Brown and Feeney, with Team 18 driver Anton De Pasquale over eight seconds Feeney at race's end.
Ultimately, the intra-team battle helped Wood, who admitted he didn’t have the pace of the leaders, and that he had to manage his left front tyre for the second stint.
"We struggled then, we didn't have the speed of the front two or Matty,” Wood said post-race.
"We were sort of lurking around the Red Bull pace, but dropped back. I hurt the tyre quite bad in the second stint on my left front, and it was management from there.
"Tough one going into the next one, but all in all still happy when you're third obviously. That was the goal heading into the race.”
Wood, Feeney and Brown will launch from pole, sixth and 16th for Race 12.
