Broc Feeney takes second victory from Supercars Wanneroo round
The Triple Eight Chevrolet driver took pole position by an emphatic 0.20s, sprinted away on the opening lap and, after a late-race scare, went on to take a narrow 0.5671s victory over the 83-lap journey on the Soft Dunlop control tyre.
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Second place was a reward for Matt Payne, who started fourth and ran in touch with the leaders until his first pitstop, when a fuel-flow problem delayed him. But Payne was saved by a late-race safety car, allowing him to pit under yellow, vault up through the order and chase Feeney all the way to the flag.
If second came as a surprise to anyone watching mid-race, third place was a complete shock. James Courtney started 13th in the Blanchard Racing Team Ford and stayed in the mid-pack for the opening part of the race. But when the safety car appeared, he followed Payne into the pitlane and vaulted all the way up to fourth, which became third when he picked off Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United).
'The key was the start,' Feeney said. 'To manage the pace in those two stints, it was a matter of getting it home.
Broc Feeney, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Broc Feeney, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
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Edge Photographics
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'I've had three of the best starts of my life this weekend but from the second row, there's not much you can do! The car has been awesome and the pitstops this weekend have been second to none.'
Payne was on a fuel-saving mission after not enough fuel went into the Grove Racing Ford at his opening pitstop.
'It's really hard to fuel save that much,' he admitted.
'I couldn't believe it when I saw the car stopped at Turn 6. I came out behind Broc and thought, no way am I second! I had already accepted that that was where we were going to finish.'
Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT
Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT
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After the maiden podium finish for BRT, veteran Courtney, who will retire at the end of the season, was an emotional man.
'It's been a tough 18 months for these guys, who have put in so much work,' he said, after his 45th Supercars race in Perth.
'Qualifying was tough for us. I was crying in the car like a little kid. There was a bit of hustle at the restart, and I managed to gap those guys [behind].'
Cam Waters took fourth place in the Tickford Racing Mustang after being in the wars mid-race, and Will Brown gained ground late in the race to take fifth place, in spite of dealing with a fuel pressure problem.
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The defending champion finished ahead of WAU's Chaz Mostert, who started from 14th on the grid and moved up steadily. His cause was aided when James Golding (PremiAir Racing Chevrolet) carted Wood off the road at Turn 4.
Up to that point Wood had driven a heady race, moving from seventh on the grid to fourth in the opening 10 laps and finding a way past Waters on lap 41.
As a result Feeney has extended his championship points lead over Brown, 1181-1109. Payne maintains third place on 1058 ahead of Waters (1028) and Mostert (877). Tickford Racing's Thomas Randle is sixth on 773.
The Supercars drivers and teams will return to the track in two weeks, at Hidden Valley near Darwin, for the second of the series' four winter rounds, on 20-22 June.
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