The opening day for Round four of the 2025 Supercars championship at Symmons Plains Raceway delivered plenty of drama and tight competition. Broc Feeney topped both practice sessions in changing conditions.
Practice 1: Windy Conditions Stir Up Trouble
The weekend began under clear skies but blustery winds, creating a significant challenge for drivers heading into the Turn 4 hairpin.
A strong tailwind caught many off guard, leading to a series of off-track excursions, none of which resulted in severe damage.
Among the drivers caught out was recent Taupo victor Matt Payne, who had to reverse his Penrite Mustang out of the Turn 4 runoff area on consecutive laps.
Up front, it was a duel between David Reynolds and Feeney for top honours. Reynolds initially set the benchmark with a 51.3130s lap before Feeney edged ahead by just 0.0017s—an advantage that held to the end of the session.
Both were eager to bounce back: Reynolds from a tough season so far, and Feeney after a lacklustre performance at Taupo.
“It’s good to roll out of the truck with a strong car,” said Feeney.
“We’ve been fast here before, but it didn’t carry over at Taupo, so this is a good sign. We’re in a good window and just need to keep improving.”
Kiwi rookie sensation Ryan Wood continued his impressive form to go third fastest, followed by Cameron Hill and Andre Heimgartner.
Championship contender Brodie Kostecki was sixth, with Will Davison, James Golding, Jaxon Evans, and Nick Percat rounding out the top ten.
Notably, Feeney and Reynolds’ teammates, Will Brown and Anton De Pasquale, finished 12th and 13th, respectively.
De Pasquale had a heart-stopping moment with a wild off at Turn 1 but recovered without damage.
Camaro teams dominated the session, with 10 of the top 13 cars from Chevrolet amid the backdrop of freshly ratified engine mapping updates aimed at improving brand parity.
In contrast, leading Ford runners like Cam Waters, Thomas Randle, and Chaz Mostert languished in 14th, 15th, and 17th, respectively, while Payne was 21st.
Erebus Motorsport faced setbacks early, as both Jack Le Brocq and Cooper Murray completed just five laps due to an incorrect drop gear installation that required urgent replacement.
Practice 2: Feeney Holds On as Stanaway Surprises:
The second practice saw a more active conclusion, with drivers bolting on fresh tyres in the final minutes and shuffling the leaderboard late.
Feeney set the pace again, improving his morning effort with a 51.087s lap—just enough to keep him ahead of a fast-finishing Stanaway, who surged to second after making key setup changes that transformed his car’s balance.
“We didn’t start the day well, but that final run felt great,” said Stanaway.
“It was a bit of a surprise to go that quick, especially since my best lap came on used tyres. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going.”
Brown confirmed Triple Eight’s strong form with third, followed closely by Heimgartner in fourth.
“Overall, it was a solid day. Finished fifth in the first practice and finished fourth in the second, which was alright. It’s super tight out there, but the car feels solid, so looking forward to tomorrow and having a proper go,” said Heimgartner
“It’s always intense here — so it all comes down to the little details; braking that last couple of metres and not making mistakes. I’m feeling good about it.”
Erebus teammates Le Brocq and Murray bounced back strongly after their Practice 1 woes, slotting into fifth and sixth, respectively.
Hill, Allen, Waters, and De Pasquale completed the top ten.
Wood briefly held the fastest time before being bumped to 11th. He later reported that his final lap was compromised by traffic, notably from Allen.
Evans finished 13th while Payne slightly improved to take 15th in the second session.
“Today was good. Always nice when the weather’s good — sunny conditions here in Tassie with no rain around, so that’s a bonus. We had two practice sessions and finished P9 and P13 – I was pretty happy with that,” said Evans
“I felt like we had decent car speed, but we just didn’t quite maximise that last new tyre run in Practice 2. Overall, I think we’re in a good spot heading into the weekend. Tomorrow’s when it counts, so hopefully we can qualify well and set the tone from there.”
Camaro entries once again locked out the top seven spots, capping off a dominant showing on a day where technical changes aimed at levelling the playing field remained a major talking point.
An unusual incident unfolded at the end of Practice 2 when two cars made contact entering the pit lane, damaging the rear of the #1 Triple Eight Camaro.
Supercars released footage showing Percat making contact with the back of Brown’s car as they approached the pit entry.
Brown responded by braking, which led to additional contact before he veered out of the fast lane near the Blanchard Racing Team garage.
The matter has been referred to the stewards, and a hearing to review the incident is expected.
Supercars will return to the track Saturday morning for a pair of qualifying sessions. These sessions will set the grid for Races 11 and 12, which are scheduled for 2.05 PM NZT and 5.55 PM NZT, respectively.
With competition tighter than ever and parity still under the microscope, the weekend promises plenty of fireworks.
Header Image: Pace Images
