Why win trumps championship for emotional Brown

Will Brown had been smashed from pillar to post this season.

Repeated qualifying stumbles, frustrations growing, all the while Broc Feeney continued to drag out wins and maintain a Sprint Cup challenge. A bright spot was Brown's continued ability to race forward and recover from tough grid slots.

However, Brown's engineer Andrew Edwards never gave up, nor did the remainder of Triple Eight Race Engineering. Sure enough, there was a reason he was underperforming, an engine air restrictor just one millimetre undersize.

After eight rounds Brown finally had the level playing field he wanted, and in just his second race back on that field, he reminded everyone just why he was crowned Repco Supercars Champion in 2024.

Two Safety Car restarts, two opportunistic moves on the Penrite Fords of Matt Payne and Kai Allen, one unforgettable race victory that meant so much more than any other race.

"Right now, it nearly feels bigger than the championship to be honest," admitted Brown post-race.

"The championship was amazing, but it's been a tough old slog. Even last year was a bit tough, but to get that part this weekend and really step up and get a win and a podium already is amazing.

"I've just got to let it sink in. I wish there wasn't a test day on Tuesday, otherwise I'd go and have some fun tomorrow night."

It's been plain to see that Brown has his mojo back both in and out of the car in Ipswich, a fact rammed home by taking his infamous 49mm restrictor on the podium after his win, utilising it as a funnel for champagne.

Brown has long been one of Supercars' great characters, putting on a brave face amid his struggles to start the season, though cracks showed at times.

But, the jovial side of Brown was on full display on Saturday afternoon, bursting into manic celebrations over team radio, and pulling a Saturday skid before erupting with the team in parc ferme.

"Give us the same equipment and see what happens," the Queenslander quipped post-race.

"What a mega race, on TV that must've looked amazing. Kai, Brodie [Kostecki] — sorry Brodie I had to do it to ya, you've won plenty of races this year, but it was elbows out, and that's what racing is all about.

"Thanks to everyone at Red Bull Ampol Racing, obviously it's been a super tough year with the problem we had, and for this to be the first weekend back, a lot of people were saying we'd still run mid-pack, and here we are. Number one."

His charge to the front was impromptu, but decisive. Supercars.com predicted in the lead up to Ipswich that if a race win was on the table, Brown wasn't going to let it get by him, and boy how he delivered.

When the field was compressed for what turned into one of the most dramatic and thrilling 10 laps of Supercars action in recent memory, Brown pounced, and reminded the world just how effective he is in race scenarios.

"I was making it happen in that race no matter what. I reckon if you watched it, I was making it happen. It was awesome," Brown continued.

"I knew that everyone was going wide into Turn 2, and I thought I'm going to throw it up the inside of Payne and catch him off guard, which we were able to do, and rub him up.

"I knew Kai would race hard, but he sort of hit me quite hard out of the last corner and carried me across the road, so I thought he probably deserved a little bit of a bump into Turn 1 for that. I got him, and then Brodie was fast, so we just had to do what we can do.

"That racing was awesome, I just want to watch that race back, even the racing between Brodie, Kai, Matt, those guys up the front was amazing at the start.

"I hope everyone at home on TV enjoyed it, that's what we love doing putting on a show out there, but cool to get it done."