Kiwis in the Fast Lane: Three drivers in the Top 10 for Race 4 and 5 as Melbourne Supersprint back-to-back qualifying delivers thrills

Race 4 Qualifying –

What a great start to Round 2 of the 2025 Supercars season for New Zealand, with three Kiwi drivers qualifying to the Top 10 for the first race of the 2025 Melbourne Supersprint at Albert Park, Melbourne.

Qualifying for Race 4, the first race for Round 2 of the 2025 Supercars Championship, was drama-filled with Dick Johnson Racing driver Brodie Kostecki going off on the exit of Turn 1 by a couple of hundred meters, causing the second red flag of the day for Supercars.

Qualifying restarted with only 3 minutes to go, putting pressure on the drivers to perform; drivers started their flying lap with only 90 seconds on the clock.

Three Kiwi drivers made impressive efforts to qualify in the Top 10 for Race 4, which takes place at 7.50 pm NZT.

Grove Racing driver Matt Payne is the top Kiwi qualifier, starting on the grid in 6th place. PremiAir Racing driver Richie Stanaway is behind him in 7th, and Brad Jones Racing driver Andre Heimgartner starts in 8th.

Brad Jones Racing Kiwi driver Jaxon Evans will start Race 4 15th with Walkinshaw Andretti driver Ryan Wood behind him in 17th.

Triple Eight Race Engineering driver Broc Feeney was the top qualifier with a 1.47.719 lap time and will start Race 4 in the pole position, with teammate and last year’s Supercars Champion Will Brown joining him on the front row.

Round one’s three-peat winner Cam Waters had an unlucky qualifying and will start tonight’s race at the rear of the field in 22nd.

Race 5 Qualifying –

Back-to-back qualifying sessions had the drivers back out qualifying for tomorrow’s race after a quick pitstop.

In another fantastic effort, three Kiwis qualified in the Top 10 for Race 5. Heimgartner came out of the session as the Top Kiwi qualifier, clinching a second-row 4th place starting grid for tomorrow’s race. Stanaway is behind him in 7th and Wood in 10th.

Payne will start Race 5 in 17th, having struggled a little more in the qualifying session. Evans will follow him at the rear of the field in 22nd.

Feeney clinched back-to-back pole position victories, this time with a flying lap time of 1.47.171s.

“Stoked, two from two is awesome. So we are just focusing on ourselves and improving; I still feel like I can do a bit better of a job out there. I’m still making some small mistakes, but the team is doing a great job; I’m looking forward to this afternoon.” said Feeney.

Waters redeemed himself, qualifying 6th for tomorrow’s race. Can he make it to the front in 19 laps? One to watch in tomorrow’s race as he strives to continue his fantastic start to the 2025 Supercars season.

Header Image: Supercars