Brown: 'Bloody hard' not to make contact in Feeney battle
Will Brown overhauled Broc Feeney to win Taupō finale
Feeney led majority of race before epic Brown battle
Brown extended series lead to 71 points heading to Perth
Will Brown says his relative tyre life to teammate Broc Feeney made it "bloody hard" not to make contact in their absorbing ITM Taupo Super400 battle.
In a thrilling conclusion to the first ever Taupō Supercars round, Brown defeated Feeney in an all-Red Bull Ampol Racing dogfight in Race 8 on Sunday.
Feeney led for the majority of the 60-lap race, but as the middle stint wore on, Brown raced his way into contention. With the final stops complete, Brown caught Feeney, with the two Chevrolets nose-to-tail for several laps.
The teammates ran side-by-side into Turn 11 twice, with Brown nudging the #88 on lap 50 before getting past two laps later.
The victory, Brown’s third of the season, helped the Queensland extend his drivers' championship lead to 71 points.
“I think I bumped him once – like, accidentally down there – but I think he held a bit of brake to make out I bumped him a bit harder,” Brown said after the race.
“I was cool — he's playing the game, so am I.
"There's not meant to be any contact but it was bloody hard not to do contact, because, with the tyre life I had, I was so much faster mid-corner — you're, like, waiting a long time.
“But I think, no matter what, if it was our team or another team, that was an awesome battle. Like, that was the best race of my life, that one, I reckon. That was awesome.”
Brown was determined not to “door” Feeney, joking contact would have garnered a “written warning” from the team.
“It was hard. I didn't want to bump him and put him off or put both of us off, so it was really hard,” Brown said.
“I just worked him a little bit. Out of Turn 9, I was getting a better run and I was putting him into the marbles into Turn 11, and getting a bit of dirt on his tyres and playing the game.
“He said after to me, ‘I knew what you were doing there.’ It was cool. I just think it was an awesome battle, no matter what, so, absolutely loved it.
“[Feeney] was smart enough to dive straight for the apex at Turn 5, but also Turn 11, so I was sort of snookered, I didn't know where to go.
“But, he had pretty good drive off Turn 11, so I couldn't go wide and switch him back. It was tough, I think where I got him was a good move.
“I locked the rears and thought, ‘Oh, don't put him in… Don't door him here. I'll get my first written warning or something.’
"I thought, better not, but that was awesome.”
