V8 Supercars: Six drivers to watch during Perth Super 440
The Perth Super 440 is building as an early championship shaper as the V8 Supercars complete their first day in Wanneroo.
The grid had two practice sessions on Friday, ahead of the circuit reaching its 100th race on Sunday, and there was barely more than a second separating the fastest from the slowest.
Hometown hero Brodie Kostecki left his best for last on Friday but was slower than expected while some of the grid's younger racers strutted their stuff atop the time sheets.
Championship leader Broc Feeney showed his strong form and will be one of the drivers to watch.
Broc Feeney
Feeney enters the fifth round of the Championship with his first-ever driver's standings lead, having leapfrogged Red Bull teammate Will Brown with a tremendous weekend in Tasmania last month.
The 22-year-old was handed one of the toughest tasks in Australian motorsport when he entered the Supercars in 2022, replacing legend Jamie Whincup while also partnering Shane Van Gisbergen.
However, the youngster embraced the challenge, walking in his predecessor's shoes with a sixth-placed rookie season before being pipped at the post for the Championship last year by Brown.
He has also started in style in 2025, winning three races and claiming six podiums.
And he made a bright start in Perth, tiptoeing through the early laps while the field layed down rubber after the circuit was scoured by rain during the week, before putting the foot down to finish in the top five in both 30-minute practise sessions.
Will Brown
Fellow Red Bull racer Brown put the disappointment of Tasmania behind him on Friday, finding consistent pace to claim lap times inside the top 10.
However, those laps are unlikely to satisfy the reigning champion, who became the first driver in 40 years to podium at every round during his first year with Triple Eight.
Brown has been a regular inside the top five to start the season but has just one win among his six podiums and would love to knock Feeney back down to second with a win or two in Perth.
There is no doubt the 28-year-old from Toowoomba is the hunted this year and will be under intense pressure again in Wanneroo.
Brodie Kostecki
Hometown hero Kostecki will be hopeful that he can be the one applying the pressure as he adjusts to his new team.
Kostecki won the title in 2023, but a turbulent year off the track ruined his hopes last year before he made the switch to Dick Johnson Racing.
The 27-year-old has yet to break through in the Shell V-Power Mustang and looked to be on struggle street in first practice, finishing 21st.
The Ballajura product saved his best for last, recording his best two times on his last two laps, but could only go 18th fastest.
The increase in pace offers Kostecki hope, and he will be eager to fight towards the top of the grid in qualifying on Saturday.
Matthew Payne
A man who had no issues in practice was 22-year-old Kiwi Matthew Payne.
Payne has the weight of expectations on his shoulders, touted as the next big thing out of New Zealand after Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen.
But that weight did nothing to stop him in Perth on Friday, topping the second practice time charts.
The youngster has showed wisdom and patience beyond his years so far in 2025.
Chaz Mostert
Chaz Mostert was one of only a handful of drivers who found consistency during practice, going seventh and sixth fastest.
Consistency has been a feature of the 33-year-old's campaign to date, with the two-time Bathurst winner claiming one win.
However, he will be hoping to grab his first pole position of the season, with Perth always a friendly track for those at the front.
Should he fall into the middle of the pack, though, he has the skills and hunger to put on a show for the fans.
Cam Waters
Always a divisive driver, Cam Waters will undoubtedly put his Monster Energy car in the thick of the action as the weekend progresses.
He sits fourth in the championship hunt with three wins and having earned three pole positions.
Practise will have left the two-time Supercars runner-up and three-time Bathurst podium-finisher wanting, however.
He managed to crack the top 10 with the eighth fastest time in practice one but fell outside of the 10 in the eleventh the second time around.
But as he has shown this year already, qualifying is where his competitive juices flow strongest.
And if anyone needed a reminder of how well Waters can perform in the spotlight, just remember how he earned his start in 2011.
At just 17, he tackled Mount Panorama in a Kelly Racing Commodore with Grant Denyer as his prize for winning the inaugural Supercar Showdown TV series.
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The ACT Brumbies have booked a Super Rugby Pacific semi-final berth with a gutsy 35-28 playoffs win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. "The process this year has been about going one better than last year, so there's a big challenge in front of us against the Chiefs in Hamilton," said Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. "We've been in this situation multiple times. "Very happy that we've won the game, but we know that there's a lot of work to do." The Brumbies were lethal when given a sniff in the opposing 22, but Larkham said it would be a completely different story with the Chiefs next week. "I thought our scrum was outstanding. Our lineout let us down a little bit and put us under the pump a little bit with turnover ball," he said. "But obviously those two opportunities there from the maul put 14 points on the board for us." The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives from lineouts, which the Brumbies had relied on all season, paid dividends. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. With three minutes left in the first half, the Brumbies opted not to take a penalty goal from right in front, instead chancing their arms again with another lineout. Their gamble paid off with Pollard managing to break off the blindside of another maul and dive onto the tryline to give the Brumbies a seven-point lead at the break. The sides traded seven-pointers in the second half, with a try to Brumbies fullback Tom Wright after fast handiwork from Rob Valetini cancelled out by one from Bailyn Sullivan. Veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper scored with another pick-and-drive before Hurricanes substitute Pasilio Tosi narrowed the gap to one try to ramp up the tension in the dying minutes. The Hurricanes burst into the Brumbies half through a Callum Harkin linebreak in the final minute but Luke Reimer stepped up for the home side to steal back possession and settle the victory. The defending champion Blues' last-gasp win over the Chiefs earlier in the night heaped the pressure on the third-placed Brumbies, who knew a loss would consign them to bowing out before the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. Instead it was the fourth-placed Hurricanes who reached the end of the road in their season. Coach Clark Laidlaw has been dealt a tough hand this season, with a rash of injuries ruling out key players for extended periods. But it's meant the Scotsman has been able to develop the squad's depth, having had to field 40-odd players over the course of the competition. "We've just got to suck it up, I guess, and take our disappointment and lick our wounds and move into the off-season," he said. If the Brumbies win in Hamilton next weekend and the Blues upset the Crusaders in Christchurch, the Canberrans will host a home grand final for the first time since 2004 (excluding Super Rugby AU). The ACT Brumbies have booked a Super Rugby Pacific semi-final berth with a gutsy 35-28 playoffs win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. "The process this year has been about going one better than last year, so there's a big challenge in front of us against the Chiefs in Hamilton," said Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. "We've been in this situation multiple times. "Very happy that we've won the game, but we know that there's a lot of work to do." The Brumbies were lethal when given a sniff in the opposing 22, but Larkham said it would be a completely different story with the Chiefs next week. "I thought our scrum was outstanding. Our lineout let us down a little bit and put us under the pump a little bit with turnover ball," he said. "But obviously those two opportunities there from the maul put 14 points on the board for us." The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives from lineouts, which the Brumbies had relied on all season, paid dividends. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. With three minutes left in the first half, the Brumbies opted not to take a penalty goal from right in front, instead chancing their arms again with another lineout. Their gamble paid off with Pollard managing to break off the blindside of another maul and dive onto the tryline to give the Brumbies a seven-point lead at the break. The sides traded seven-pointers in the second half, with a try to Brumbies fullback Tom Wright after fast handiwork from Rob Valetini cancelled out by one from Bailyn Sullivan. Veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper scored with another pick-and-drive before Hurricanes substitute Pasilio Tosi narrowed the gap to one try to ramp up the tension in the dying minutes. The Hurricanes burst into the Brumbies half through a Callum Harkin linebreak in the final minute but Luke Reimer stepped up for the home side to steal back possession and settle the victory. The defending champion Blues' last-gasp win over the Chiefs earlier in the night heaped the pressure on the third-placed Brumbies, who knew a loss would consign them to bowing out before the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. Instead it was the fourth-placed Hurricanes who reached the end of the road in their season. Coach Clark Laidlaw has been dealt a tough hand this season, with a rash of injuries ruling out key players for extended periods. But it's meant the Scotsman has been able to develop the squad's depth, having had to field 40-odd players over the course of the competition. "We've just got to suck it up, I guess, and take our disappointment and lick our wounds and move into the off-season," he said. If the Brumbies win in Hamilton next weekend and the Blues upset the Crusaders in Christchurch, the Canberrans will host a home grand final for the first time since 2004 (excluding Super Rugby AU).
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
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Highs and lows for Wood as Feeney boosts Supercars lead
Broc Feeney admits his surprise at claiming a victory in Perth after youngster Ryan Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins. Wood endured a roller-coaster ride at Wanneroo Raceway after suffering a suspension failure in the second 120km sprint on Saturday, just hours after his maiden race victory. Pole-sitter Wood had given up the lead off the starting line to Tickford's Cam Waters, but proved his mettle by valiantly reclaiming top spot on lap 22. Just as the 21-year-old looked set to cruise to a second victory, he lost control at turn six and ventured into the dirt. He went straight to pit lane after recovering and finished 24th out of the 25 drivers. Triple Eight was the beneficiary of Wood's bad luck, with Feeney and reigning champion Will Brown jumping the pack with masterful use of the undercut. "Probably a little bit surprised to walk away with the win in that one," Feeney said. "Running around in fourth, you probably didn't expect to play out like that." Wood's Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Chaz Mostert was also in disbelief after finishing third. "Nothing's for certain in this," Mostert said. "Started in 11th, didn't expect to sit here. Who knows? "This championship all year has been a little bit unpredictable." New Zealand product Wood had earlier on Saturday shed tears after crossing the finish line first. "To achieve my lifelong dream just doesn't feel real," Wood said. Wood secured the lead on lap 11 out of 50 after almost forcing pole-sitter Mostert off-track with a dive on the inside on the way to turn seven. He then fought off Feeney after being caught at pit exit with cold tyres, before Brown chased him down across the final 15 laps. In the end, Wood claimed victory with a 0.612-second margin over Brown. Mostert crossed the line third, with Feeney fourth. Wood will have an opportunity to find redemption when qualifying for the final Perth sprint gets under way at 1pm (AEST) on Sunday. RACE 14 RESULTS: 1. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 3. Chaz Mostert (WAU) 4. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) RACE 15 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 3. Chaz Mostert (WAU) 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 5. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1036 pts 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) -27 3. Matt Payne (Grove) -107 4. Cam Waters (Tickford) -117 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) -251 Broc Feeney admits his surprise at claiming a victory in Perth after youngster Ryan Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins. Wood endured a roller-coaster ride at Wanneroo Raceway after suffering a suspension failure in the second 120km sprint on Saturday, just hours after his maiden race victory. Pole-sitter Wood had given up the lead off the starting line to Tickford's Cam Waters, but proved his mettle by valiantly reclaiming top spot on lap 22. Just as the 21-year-old looked set to cruise to a second victory, he lost control at turn six and ventured into the dirt. He went straight to pit lane after recovering and finished 24th out of the 25 drivers. Triple Eight was the beneficiary of Wood's bad luck, with Feeney and reigning champion Will Brown jumping the pack with masterful use of the undercut. "Probably a little bit surprised to walk away with the win in that one," Feeney said. "Running around in fourth, you probably didn't expect to play out like that." Wood's Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Chaz Mostert was also in disbelief after finishing third. "Nothing's for certain in this," Mostert said. "Started in 11th, didn't expect to sit here. Who knows? "This championship all year has been a little bit unpredictable." New Zealand product Wood had earlier on Saturday shed tears after crossing the finish line first. "To achieve my lifelong dream just doesn't feel real," Wood said. Wood secured the lead on lap 11 out of 50 after almost forcing pole-sitter Mostert off-track with a dive on the inside on the way to turn seven. He then fought off Feeney after being caught at pit exit with cold tyres, before Brown chased him down across the final 15 laps. In the end, Wood claimed victory with a 0.612-second margin over Brown. Mostert crossed the line third, with Feeney fourth. Wood will have an opportunity to find redemption when qualifying for the final Perth sprint gets under way at 1pm (AEST) on Sunday. RACE 14 RESULTS: 1. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 3. Chaz Mostert (WAU) 4. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) RACE 15 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 3. Chaz Mostert (WAU) 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 5. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1036 pts 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) -27 3. Matt Payne (Grove) -107 4. Cam Waters (Tickford) -117 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) -251 Broc Feeney admits his surprise at claiming a victory in Perth after youngster Ryan Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins. Wood endured a roller-coaster ride at Wanneroo Raceway after suffering a suspension failure in the second 120km sprint on Saturday, just hours after his maiden race victory. Pole-sitter Wood had given up the lead off the starting line to Tickford's Cam Waters, but proved his mettle by valiantly reclaiming top spot on lap 22. Just as the 21-year-old looked set to cruise to a second victory, he lost control at turn six and ventured into the dirt. He went straight to pit lane after recovering and finished 24th out of the 25 drivers. Triple Eight was the beneficiary of Wood's bad luck, with Feeney and reigning champion Will Brown jumping the pack with masterful use of the undercut. "Probably a little bit surprised to walk away with the win in that one," Feeney said. "Running around in fourth, you probably didn't expect to play out like that." Wood's Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Chaz Mostert was also in disbelief after finishing third. "Nothing's for certain in this," Mostert said. "Started in 11th, didn't expect to sit here. Who knows? "This championship all year has been a little bit unpredictable." New Zealand product Wood had earlier on Saturday shed tears after crossing the finish line first. "To achieve my lifelong dream just doesn't feel real," Wood said. Wood secured the lead on lap 11 out of 50 after almost forcing pole-sitter Mostert off-track with a dive on the inside on the way to turn seven. He then fought off Feeney after being caught at pit exit with cold tyres, before Brown chased him down across the final 15 laps. In the end, Wood claimed victory with a 0.612-second margin over Brown. Mostert crossed the line third, with Feeney fourth. Wood will have an opportunity to find redemption when qualifying for the final Perth sprint gets under way at 1pm (AEST) on Sunday. RACE 14 RESULTS: 1. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 3. Chaz Mostert (WAU) 4. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) RACE 15 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 3. Chaz Mostert (WAU) 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 5. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1036 pts 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) -27 3. Matt Payne (Grove) -107 4. Cam Waters (Tickford) -117 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) -251
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Brumbies into Super Rugby semi-final with 'Canes win
The ACT Brumbies have booked a Super Rugby Pacific semi-final berth with a gutsy 35-28 playoffs win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives paid dividends for the Brumbies. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. With three minutes left in the first half, the Brumbies opted not to take a penalty goal from right in front, instead chancing their arms again with another lineout. Their gamble paid off with Pollard managing to break off the blindside and dive onto the tryline to give the Brumbies a seven-point lead at the break. The sides traded seven-pointers in the second half, with a try to Brumbies fullback Tom Wright cancelled out by one from Bailyn Sullivan. Veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper scored with another pick-and-drive before Hurricanes substitute Pasilio Tosi narrowed the gap to one try to ramp up the tension in the dying minutes. The Hurricanes burst into the Brumbies half through a Callum Harkin linebreak in the final minute but Luke Reimer stepped up for the home side to steal the pill and settle the victory. The defending champion Blues' last-gasp win over the Chiefs earlier in the night heaped the pressure on the third-placed Brumbies, who knew a loss would consign them to bowing out before the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. Instead it was the fourth-placed Hurricanes who reached the end of the road in their season. The ACT Brumbies have booked a Super Rugby Pacific semi-final berth with a gutsy 35-28 playoffs win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives paid dividends for the Brumbies. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. With three minutes left in the first half, the Brumbies opted not to take a penalty goal from right in front, instead chancing their arms again with another lineout. Their gamble paid off with Pollard managing to break off the blindside and dive onto the tryline to give the Brumbies a seven-point lead at the break. The sides traded seven-pointers in the second half, with a try to Brumbies fullback Tom Wright cancelled out by one from Bailyn Sullivan. Veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper scored with another pick-and-drive before Hurricanes substitute Pasilio Tosi narrowed the gap to one try to ramp up the tension in the dying minutes. The Hurricanes burst into the Brumbies half through a Callum Harkin linebreak in the final minute but Luke Reimer stepped up for the home side to steal the pill and settle the victory. The defending champion Blues' last-gasp win over the Chiefs earlier in the night heaped the pressure on the third-placed Brumbies, who knew a loss would consign them to bowing out before the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. Instead it was the fourth-placed Hurricanes who reached the end of the road in their season. The ACT Brumbies have booked a Super Rugby Pacific semi-final berth with a gutsy 35-28 playoffs win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives paid dividends for the Brumbies. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. With three minutes left in the first half, the Brumbies opted not to take a penalty goal from right in front, instead chancing their arms again with another lineout. Their gamble paid off with Pollard managing to break off the blindside and dive onto the tryline to give the Brumbies a seven-point lead at the break. The sides traded seven-pointers in the second half, with a try to Brumbies fullback Tom Wright cancelled out by one from Bailyn Sullivan. Veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper scored with another pick-and-drive before Hurricanes substitute Pasilio Tosi narrowed the gap to one try to ramp up the tension in the dying minutes. The Hurricanes burst into the Brumbies half through a Callum Harkin linebreak in the final minute but Luke Reimer stepped up for the home side to steal the pill and settle the victory. The defending champion Blues' last-gasp win over the Chiefs earlier in the night heaped the pressure on the third-placed Brumbies, who knew a loss would consign them to bowing out before the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. Instead it was the fourth-placed Hurricanes who reached the end of the road in their season.
