Broc Feeney delivered a masterclass in dominance to clinch a clean sweep of the 2025 Darwin Triple Crown, claiming pole position, race victory, and the crown itself in Race 19, but it was far from a one-man show, as a thrilling battle unfolded behind him with all four Kiwis right in the thick of it.
Matt Payne and Ryan Wood flew the flag for New Zealand in the early stages, while Andre Heimgartner fought hard for a Top 10 finish, and Richie Stanaway made a quiet but determined charge after early setbacks.
Grove Racing walked away with a double podium as Kai Allen charged to second place behind Feeney, ahead of teammate Payne.
The chaos began before the lights even went out when Chaz Mostert was left stranded on the grid and forced into a pit lane start, dropping him from ninth to dead last. That unexpected twist set the tone for what would be a dramatic and strategy-packed 70-lap contest.
Off the line, Feeney got the jump from pole, cutting across Jack Le Brocq to lead into Turn 1. Heimgartner was involved in early contact with his Brad Jones Racing teammate Macauley Jones, nudging Jones wide through Turn 1 and costing the latter four places.
Wood immediately made an impression, leaping into third ahead of Anton De Pasquale, while Payne snatched fifth after out-launching Allen.
It was a strong opening stanza for the Kiwis, with Heimgartner holding 10th and Stanaway picking his way up to 20th after Cooper Murray shuffled Thomas Randle wide.
Out front, Feeney began to stretch his lead, pulling 2.3 seconds clear of Le Brocq by Lap 14, with Wood shadowing in third and still very much in the hunt.
The strategic dance began on Lap 16 when Payne became the first of the frontrunners to pit in a bold undercut attempt. The Grove Racing driver rejoined in clean air, setting off a cascade of pit activity as the field responded.
By Lap 24, Le Brocq and Wood had pitted, rejoining just behind Payne, who had leapfrogged several rivals with his early stop.
Meanwhile, Feeney stayed out longer than anyone, not boxing until Lap 31. He rejoined behind Payne but quickly made use of his fresh tyres to retake the lead on Lap 33 with a decisive move. Allen, Mostert, and Stanaway still had to pit, giving a temporary jumbled running order.
Wood’s strategy came under fire mid-race when word came through that a fuel blunder during his first stop meant he might not have enough to finish. He was forced to pit again with 28 laps to go, rejoining behind De Pasquale who was the first driver to make their second compulsary stop. Payne also came in for another early stop to try undercut Feeney.
Heimgartner maintained a steady pace in the top ten and executed his second stop cleanly, cycling through ahead of Hill and Brown after rejoining.
Meanwhile, the Grove Racing teammates started an intense intra-squad battle. Allen, on fresher tyres, was inching closer to Payne and eventually got by with a clean move at Turn 1 with five laps remaining.
That elevated Allen to second, with Payne still holding on to a vital podium spot in third.
A scare struck late when Cam Waters lost a rear wheel and spun with three laps to go, but he was able to limp back to the lane. Meanwhile, Will Brown muscled his way into fifth after charging past De Pasquale and briefly reclaiming sixth from Heimgartner.
Wood finished strongly, fending off Cameron Hill to take a solid ninth-place finish despite the earlier fuel hiccup. Heimgartner crossed the line in seventh after a bruising but competitive run, while Stanaway brought it home 18th after a quiet race affected by strategy and track position.
Feeney crossed the line a commanding 7.9 seconds ahead of Allen to seal the Darwin Triple Crown, winning all three races of the weekend.
Payne completed a hard-fought Grove Racing double podium in third, his result tightening the championship battle for second in the standings.
Top 10 Finishers:
- Broc Feeney
- Kai Allen
- Matt Payne
- Jack Le Brocq
- Will Brown
- Andre Heimgartner
- Anton De Pasquale
- Ryan Wood
- Cameron Hill
- Bryce Fullwood
Chaz Mostert recovered from a pit lane start to finish 12th, while Stanaway ended his day in 18th after a difficult run.
Feeney now leads the championship with 1486 points, 183 ahead of teammate Will Brown. Payne closes the gap to just 14 points behind Brown in the race for second.
Heimgartner sits eighth, within striking distance of Thomas Randle for seventh, while Wood is on the cusp of the top 10 in 11th, just 22 points off De Pasquale.
Allen’s meteoric rise from 17th to 12th in the standings this weekend puts him just two positions shy of a Top 10 finals berth.
“No matter which way you put it this year man, I’m so stoked,” said Feeney post-race.
“I remember watching Scotty win it back in 2019, and I thought how special it would be to do it one day. They change the rules every year, but there’s no question here this year.
“We won all the races and got all the qualifying. Even if you’ve got the fastest car, it’s so hard to put together a weekend like that. I’m just super proud.”
The 2025 Supercars Championship resumes at the NTI Townsville 500 on July 11-13.
Header Image: Supercars
