
How 22-year-old Supercars leader is handling the hype
Two race wins, three podiums and one pole - this Supercars haul is nothing special to Broc Feeney.
The 22-year-old has surged from fourth to first in the series standings in one weekend, but won't be getting carried away with it.
The Red Bull ace is putting off championship talk as he eyes a complete sweep at Perth's Wanneroo Raceway this weekend to back up his near-perfect performance in Tasmania.
"I don't think that I've really done anything too special," Feeney told AAP.
"I've won a few races and I'm leading the points. To me, that doesn't really mean much. I want to win a championship.
"The big one for me is, no one's really backed up a good result from the weekend before, so I want to roll out in Perth and go one better - get three race wins.
"All the other stats for me, I'm not really worried about it."
What is Feeney worried about? Mistakes.
The youngster wants to make as little of them as possible, given his slim 33-point lead over teammate and reigning champion Will Brown.
Cam Waters is the only driver so far to have pulled off a weekend sweep, cleaning out Sydney after spectacularly winning the second race with a 0.0308-second margin over Feeney.
But Tickford driver Waters, who re-committed to the Ford team amid interest from Chevrolet, has yet to recapture his dominance and dropped to fourth in the championship.
Grove Racing's Matt Payne is third after denying Feeney in Tasmania, winning by 0.0550 seconds after starting the final sprint in 11th.
"The championship could be even better for me without a couple of hiccups along the way," Feeney said.
"It's just putting it together and not really having many mistakes - like at the Grand Prix, I qualified on pole four times and I won one race.
"I'm in my fourth year now, so I expect to be at a level where I can drive well enough and execute."
A 'no mistakes' approach is key at the 2.4km-long Western Australian track, where clinching pole position is as crucial as ever.
The tight raceway has just seven turns, giving little room for overtaking.
The past seven races held at Wanneroo have been won from pole position, with a total of 69 out of 97 races since 1973 won from the front row.
Clean air will also be an advantage, with drivers dialling up on-track aggression following a relaxing of racing rules.
"It's pretty wild. I've been pretty lucky to stay out of it for most of the year," Feeney said.
"The further you go down the pack, the more out of control it gets and the more wild it is.
"It's something different. It's exciting for the fans. Sometimes it's exciting for us, other times not.
"It's just going to be about qualifying well and staying out of trouble, which is a lot easier said than done."
Supercars action gets underway at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday, with practice starting at 2.05pm (AEST).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Wildcard driver lucky to not flip car
MOT: Wildcard Supercars driver Lochie Dalton should consider himself lucky after he almost flipped his car in Practice 2 in Perth


The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Practice makes perfect as Payne pips Supercars rivals
Supercars youngster Matt Payne saved his best for last to top the final practice session in Perth. The Grove Racing driver set a lap time of 54.390 seconds in a last-gasp effort to top the time sheet at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday. He pipped Team 18's Anton De Pasquale by 0.085 seconds with the final lap of the 30-minute session. Payne will be looking to back up his race win in Tasmania, having moved into third in the series after denying championship leader Broc Feeney by 0.0550 seconds in the final sprint. "We've made huge gains with our car," Payne said. "Last year we were just too inconsistent to be fighting for the championship. "We've really tried to, coming into this week, up the prep and just make sure we're across everything." Thomas Randle, rewarded by Tickford with a two-year deal earlier in the week, was third fastest. Randle is still chasing his first career win, having joined Supercars full-time in 2022. "When will that happen? Hopefully, this weekend," Randle said. The red flag was brought out after 13 minutes on Friday when Tickford wildcard Lochie Dalton got stuck in the gravel at the first turn. Dalton's Mustang nearly rolled on to its side when the Super2 driver locked his rears going into turn one. He avoided any damage and was able to rejoin the fray. Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans was fastest in the opening practice session, clocking 55.086 seconds after putting on new soft tyres. He was 0.359 seconds quicker than fellow sophomore driver Ryan Wood, with Feeney third fastest. Rookies and drivers in their second year are allotted an extra set of tyres for practice, allowing Evans to post his time. "It's really nice to finish the session on top. It's the first time I've done it in Supercars," Evans said. Triple Eight ace Feeney is out to extend his 33-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown, eyeing a clean sweep of the three sprint races in Perth. Meanwhile, Walkinshaw Andretti United's Wood will hope to break through for a maiden career win after finishing on the podium for the first time in New Zealand. Drivers return to the track for back-to-back qualifying sessions at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday before Race 14 of the season at 2.55pm. Supercars youngster Matt Payne saved his best for last to top the final practice session in Perth. The Grove Racing driver set a lap time of 54.390 seconds in a last-gasp effort to top the time sheet at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday. He pipped Team 18's Anton De Pasquale by 0.085 seconds with the final lap of the 30-minute session. Payne will be looking to back up his race win in Tasmania, having moved into third in the series after denying championship leader Broc Feeney by 0.0550 seconds in the final sprint. "We've made huge gains with our car," Payne said. "Last year we were just too inconsistent to be fighting for the championship. "We've really tried to, coming into this week, up the prep and just make sure we're across everything." Thomas Randle, rewarded by Tickford with a two-year deal earlier in the week, was third fastest. Randle is still chasing his first career win, having joined Supercars full-time in 2022. "When will that happen? Hopefully, this weekend," Randle said. The red flag was brought out after 13 minutes on Friday when Tickford wildcard Lochie Dalton got stuck in the gravel at the first turn. Dalton's Mustang nearly rolled on to its side when the Super2 driver locked his rears going into turn one. He avoided any damage and was able to rejoin the fray. Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans was fastest in the opening practice session, clocking 55.086 seconds after putting on new soft tyres. He was 0.359 seconds quicker than fellow sophomore driver Ryan Wood, with Feeney third fastest. Rookies and drivers in their second year are allotted an extra set of tyres for practice, allowing Evans to post his time. "It's really nice to finish the session on top. It's the first time I've done it in Supercars," Evans said. Triple Eight ace Feeney is out to extend his 33-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown, eyeing a clean sweep of the three sprint races in Perth. Meanwhile, Walkinshaw Andretti United's Wood will hope to break through for a maiden career win after finishing on the podium for the first time in New Zealand. Drivers return to the track for back-to-back qualifying sessions at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday before Race 14 of the season at 2.55pm. Supercars youngster Matt Payne saved his best for last to top the final practice session in Perth. The Grove Racing driver set a lap time of 54.390 seconds in a last-gasp effort to top the time sheet at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday. He pipped Team 18's Anton De Pasquale by 0.085 seconds with the final lap of the 30-minute session. Payne will be looking to back up his race win in Tasmania, having moved into third in the series after denying championship leader Broc Feeney by 0.0550 seconds in the final sprint. "We've made huge gains with our car," Payne said. "Last year we were just too inconsistent to be fighting for the championship. "We've really tried to, coming into this week, up the prep and just make sure we're across everything." Thomas Randle, rewarded by Tickford with a two-year deal earlier in the week, was third fastest. Randle is still chasing his first career win, having joined Supercars full-time in 2022. "When will that happen? Hopefully, this weekend," Randle said. The red flag was brought out after 13 minutes on Friday when Tickford wildcard Lochie Dalton got stuck in the gravel at the first turn. Dalton's Mustang nearly rolled on to its side when the Super2 driver locked his rears going into turn one. He avoided any damage and was able to rejoin the fray. Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans was fastest in the opening practice session, clocking 55.086 seconds after putting on new soft tyres. He was 0.359 seconds quicker than fellow sophomore driver Ryan Wood, with Feeney third fastest. Rookies and drivers in their second year are allotted an extra set of tyres for practice, allowing Evans to post his time. "It's really nice to finish the session on top. It's the first time I've done it in Supercars," Evans said. Triple Eight ace Feeney is out to extend his 33-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown, eyeing a clean sweep of the three sprint races in Perth. Meanwhile, Walkinshaw Andretti United's Wood will hope to break through for a maiden career win after finishing on the podium for the first time in New Zealand. Drivers return to the track for back-to-back qualifying sessions at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday before Race 14 of the season at 2.55pm.


West Australian
6 hours ago
- West Australian
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.