Broc Feeney produced a commanding performance to secure pole and convert it into victory in Race 25, the final race of the weekend at Queensland Raceway, wrapping up a dominant campaign with his 12th win of the season.
The Triple Eight driver’s final Top 10 Shootout lap of 1:08.349 was in a league of its own, nearly half a second quicker than the rest of the field and setting the tone for the day.
Joining Feeney on the front row was rookie Kiwi Ryan Wood, whose superb one-lap effort briefly held provisional pole before settling alongside Feeney.
Will Brown and Anton De Pasquale earned second-row starts, with wildcard Zach Bates impressing in fifth ahead of Brodie Kostecki, James Golding, Cameron Hill, Chaz Mostert, and David Reynolds.
Among the other Kiwi competitors, Richie Stanaway and Matt Payne just missed the Shootout cut, qualifying 11th and 12th respectively, while Andre Heimgartner and Jaxon Evans lined up 20th and 21st.
When the 63-lap, 200km final got underway, Feeney shot cleanly into the lead, with Wood holding firm in second as they powered into Turn 1. Brown and De Pasquale settled in behind, while Bates slipped back to sixth after Kostecki made an early move.
Reynolds gained two places on the opening lap to reach eighth, while Cameron Hill dropped two to 10th.
Cooper Murray and Will Davison also moved forward, climbing three positions each to 14th and 15th, but Nick Percat endured a disastrous start, plummeting six places to 21st.
The track began to drizzle early in the race, intensifying battles behind the leaders. Brown and De Pasquale fought wheel-to-wheel for third, with De Pasquale eventually getting around Brown to claim the position.
The rain grew heavier, prompting Kostecki to make a bold pass on Brown to move into third. Meanwhile, De Pasquale slid back two spots to fifth as the slippery conditions took their toll.
By lap four, Brown, De Pasquale, and Bates were locked in a fierce battle for fourth through sixth, while James Courtney was the only driver to pit early for wet tyres.
Feeney, undeterred by the wet track, extended his lead to 1.8 seconds over Wood, who in turn had pulled out a 1.7-second gap to Kostecki in third.
Race control issued a five-second penalty to Will Davison for contact with Jack Le Brocq on lap six, adding to the race’s tension.
By lap seven, the rain had eased, with heavier showers forecast in the next 25 minutes. Feeney’s lead grew to 2.9 seconds as Wood maintained a solid second.
The Kiwi contingent experienced mixed fortunes midway early in race. Wood comfortably held second, Stanaway improved two places to ninth, Payne slipped to 14th, Evans climbed two spots to 19th, and Heimgartner dropped one to 21st.
Mostert battled closely with Bates for sixth, making an audacious inside move at Turn 6 that caused Bates to momentarily lose control, though Bates managed to hold the position.
Notable race movers included Bryce Fullwood (+9 places to 16th), Kai Allen (+9 to 13th), and Thomas Randle (+8 to 15th).
Pit stops began on lap 18 with Payne, followed by Hill and Percat a lap later. Mostert was first among the top 10 to pit on lap 19, attempting an undercut on Bates.
By lap 20, Brown pitted, aiming to undercut Kostecki, but emerged behind James Courtney, compromising his strategy.
Feeney continued to extend his lead, reaching 6.6 seconds by lap 21, as Kostecki closed in on Wood.
On lap 22, Kostecki, Le Brocq, and Evans made their pit stops, with Kostecki rejoining just ahead of Brown. Brown, with warmer tyres, quickly overtook Kostecki despite defensive blocking.
Bates and Wood pitted on lap 23, but Bates suffered a slow stop after overshooting his pit bay and encountering problems with his left-front tyre, costing him around seven seconds and dropping him to 18th.
Stanaway pitted on lap 26, while Feeney, Allen, Waters, Heimgartner, Cameron Crick, and Jones remained out.
On lap 30, Cameron Crick became beached in the gravel at Turn 6, triggering the race’s first safety car.
The timing played perfectly into the hands of Allen, Waters, and Heimgartner, who completed their compulsory pit stops under caution, vaulting from outside the top 15 to the race lead group.
Others, including Feeney and Brown, took the opportunity for their second and final stops, with Feeney and Brown double-stacking in the pits. Waters narrowly beat Allen out of the pit lane by taking less fuel, while Heimgartner emerged just behind Allen.
The safety car shuffle dramatically reshaped the field: Waters led from Allen, Heimgartner, Feeney, and Wood. Brown, Kostecki, De Pasquale, Mostert, and Golding filled out the top ten. Payne and Stanaway sat 11th and 12th, with Evans 20th.
Crick was recovered from the gravel and returned to the pits, but his race was effectively over.
At the restart, Feeney wasted no time, swiftly passing Heimgartner and Allen to claim second behind leader Waters.
Meanwhile, mid-pack tensions boiled over. Bates tried to charge forward but was repeatedly hit in the door by Cameron Hill, culminating in contact that forced Bates onto the grass.
Bates rejoined, albeit a few places back but was then met with Percat who made contact with Bates and sent him off track, rejoining at the back of the field.
The incident led to an investigation and penalties for Hill (drive-through) and Percat (15-second penalty).
With 21 laps remaining, Wood and Brown collided at the Turn 3 hairpin, spinning Brown and relegating him to the back.
Wood received a 15-second penalty for the incident. Mostert capitalised on the chaos to move into fifth but later received a five-second penalty for a bump-and-run move on De Pasquale.
Feeney engaged in a thrilling duel with Waters, taking the lead at Turn 3 only to be repassed moments later on the exit with Waters’ perfect switchback.
Waters defended into Turn 4 but was unable to hold off Feeney’s second attack, who reclaimed the lead and began pulling away.
As the race neared its conclusion, Heimgartner defended tenaciously, causing a train of cars behind to battle hard for position. Mostert, Payne, and Kostecki all passed Heimgartner, while Wood continued to lose ground following his penalty.
Feeney extended his lead to 6.3 seconds with three laps remaining, cruising to a decisive victory.
Waters secured second place in his milestone 300th Supercars start, with Allen completing the podium and moving up to 11th in the championship after his double podium this weekend.
To add, Brown and Payne have secured their places in the finals after this weekend. Regardless of how the endurance season unfolds, Feeney, Brown, and Payne are guaranteed to finish inside the Top 10.
Final Top 10 Classification:
- 1st: Broc Feeney
- 2nd: Cameron Waters
- 3rd: Kai Allen
- 4th: Brodie Kostecki
- 5th: Matt Payne
- 6th: Chaz Mostert* (penalised, classified 6th)
- 7th: Andre Heimgartner
- 8th: Anton De Pasquale
- 9th: James Golding
- 10th: Richie Stanaway
Ryan Wood crossed the finish line in sixth but was demoted to 22nd after his penalty. Brown salvaged 16th after his spin, and Jaxon Evans finished 15th.
Feeney’s dominant drive capped off a spectacular weekend at Queensland Raceway, marking a high note for the Ipswich Super 440 event, cementing his place in the finals as well as officially winning the Sprint Cup title and $50,000 payday and adding another memorable chapter to his season.
Header Image: Supercars
