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The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'New Jamie Whincup' arrives with thrilling Ipswich win
Broc Feeney is being lauded as the new Jamie Whincup after the Supercars championship leader spoiled Cam Waters' 300th race with a spectacular chase down in Ipswich. Pole-sitter Feeney was comfortably leading Sunday's 200km sprint at Queensland Raceway until wildcard entrant Cameron Crick put himself in the gravel at turn six near the halfway mark of the 63-lap race. With the safety car bringing about a change in strategy, milestone man Waters - despite qualifying 19th - found himself at the top of the grid because he hadn't made any of the two compulsory pit stops. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen and Brad Jones Racing's Andre Heimgartner were also up there after starting 22nd and 20th respectively. The trio pipped the pack by visiting pit lane under the yellow flag, but a relentless Feeney had the faster car. Feeney easily overtook Allen and Heimgartner following the restart on lap 34 before reaching Waters nine laps later to set up a restaging of their Sydney showdown. Waters had pipped Feeney at the season opener in February by 0.0308 seconds on the finish line. This time in Ipswich, Feeney blitzed Waters by 8.633 seconds. "Broc's thing was way too quick for us, but I didn't want to give it to him too easy," Waters said. Allen held on to finish third, while Heimgartner dropped to seventh. Tony Quinn, a Triple Eight shareholder and owner of Queensland Raceway, drew parallels between Feeney and seven-time champion Whincup, now the team principal. "We all talk internally that Broc is the new Jamie Whincup," Quinn said. "He's got that precision about him." Feeney will leave Ipswich with the inaugural Sprint Cup trophy and a spot in finals after claiming three poles and two race wins over the weekend. The 22-year-old holds a 337-point lead from defending champion Will Brown heading into The Bend 500 in September - the first stop of the Enduro Cup. Feeney's only blemish in Ipswich was a five-second penalty for jumping at the starting line in Saturday's second race that effectively gifted teammate Brown victory. Brown was unlucky to spin out late in Sunday's race, crossing the finish line in 16th after qualifying third. A spell of torrential rain had threatened to upset the order early but the clouds cleared before the 10th lap was completed. Supercars veteran James Courtney was bamboozled by the conditions, having gone to the Blanchard Racing garage early for wet tyres only to pit again moments later after the rain ceased. Courtney finished 25th out of the 26 drivers. RACE 25 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 3. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 4. Matt Payne (Grove) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 2063 points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +337pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +345pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford) +515pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +652pts Broc Feeney is being lauded as the new Jamie Whincup after the Supercars championship leader spoiled Cam Waters' 300th race with a spectacular chase down in Ipswich. Pole-sitter Feeney was comfortably leading Sunday's 200km sprint at Queensland Raceway until wildcard entrant Cameron Crick put himself in the gravel at turn six near the halfway mark of the 63-lap race. With the safety car bringing about a change in strategy, milestone man Waters - despite qualifying 19th - found himself at the top of the grid because he hadn't made any of the two compulsory pit stops. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen and Brad Jones Racing's Andre Heimgartner were also up there after starting 22nd and 20th respectively. The trio pipped the pack by visiting pit lane under the yellow flag, but a relentless Feeney had the faster car. Feeney easily overtook Allen and Heimgartner following the restart on lap 34 before reaching Waters nine laps later to set up a restaging of their Sydney showdown. Waters had pipped Feeney at the season opener in February by 0.0308 seconds on the finish line. This time in Ipswich, Feeney blitzed Waters by 8.633 seconds. "Broc's thing was way too quick for us, but I didn't want to give it to him too easy," Waters said. Allen held on to finish third, while Heimgartner dropped to seventh. Tony Quinn, a Triple Eight shareholder and owner of Queensland Raceway, drew parallels between Feeney and seven-time champion Whincup, now the team principal. "We all talk internally that Broc is the new Jamie Whincup," Quinn said. "He's got that precision about him." Feeney will leave Ipswich with the inaugural Sprint Cup trophy and a spot in finals after claiming three poles and two race wins over the weekend. The 22-year-old holds a 337-point lead from defending champion Will Brown heading into The Bend 500 in September - the first stop of the Enduro Cup. Feeney's only blemish in Ipswich was a five-second penalty for jumping at the starting line in Saturday's second race that effectively gifted teammate Brown victory. Brown was unlucky to spin out late in Sunday's race, crossing the finish line in 16th after qualifying third. A spell of torrential rain had threatened to upset the order early but the clouds cleared before the 10th lap was completed. Supercars veteran James Courtney was bamboozled by the conditions, having gone to the Blanchard Racing garage early for wet tyres only to pit again moments later after the rain ceased. Courtney finished 25th out of the 26 drivers. RACE 25 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 3. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 4. Matt Payne (Grove) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 2063 points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +337pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +345pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford) +515pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +652pts Broc Feeney is being lauded as the new Jamie Whincup after the Supercars championship leader spoiled Cam Waters' 300th race with a spectacular chase down in Ipswich. Pole-sitter Feeney was comfortably leading Sunday's 200km sprint at Queensland Raceway until wildcard entrant Cameron Crick put himself in the gravel at turn six near the halfway mark of the 63-lap race. With the safety car bringing about a change in strategy, milestone man Waters - despite qualifying 19th - found himself at the top of the grid because he hadn't made any of the two compulsory pit stops. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen and Brad Jones Racing's Andre Heimgartner were also up there after starting 22nd and 20th respectively. The trio pipped the pack by visiting pit lane under the yellow flag, but a relentless Feeney had the faster car. Feeney easily overtook Allen and Heimgartner following the restart on lap 34 before reaching Waters nine laps later to set up a restaging of their Sydney showdown. Waters had pipped Feeney at the season opener in February by 0.0308 seconds on the finish line. This time in Ipswich, Feeney blitzed Waters by 8.633 seconds. "Broc's thing was way too quick for us, but I didn't want to give it to him too easy," Waters said. Allen held on to finish third, while Heimgartner dropped to seventh. Tony Quinn, a Triple Eight shareholder and owner of Queensland Raceway, drew parallels between Feeney and seven-time champion Whincup, now the team principal. "We all talk internally that Broc is the new Jamie Whincup," Quinn said. "He's got that precision about him." Feeney will leave Ipswich with the inaugural Sprint Cup trophy and a spot in finals after claiming three poles and two race wins over the weekend. The 22-year-old holds a 337-point lead from defending champion Will Brown heading into The Bend 500 in September - the first stop of the Enduro Cup. Feeney's only blemish in Ipswich was a five-second penalty for jumping at the starting line in Saturday's second race that effectively gifted teammate Brown victory. Brown was unlucky to spin out late in Sunday's race, crossing the finish line in 16th after qualifying third. A spell of torrential rain had threatened to upset the order early but the clouds cleared before the 10th lap was completed. Supercars veteran James Courtney was bamboozled by the conditions, having gone to the Blanchard Racing garage early for wet tyres only to pit again moments later after the rain ceased. Courtney finished 25th out of the 26 drivers. RACE 25 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 3. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 4. Matt Payne (Grove) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 2063 points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +337pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +345pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford) +515pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +652pts
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Controversial penalty denies 'gutted' Supercars star
Supercars champion Will Brown has denied Triple Eight teammate Broc Feeney's bid for back-to-back wins in Ipswich thanks to a controversial five-second penalty. Pole-sitter Feeney was comfortably leading the pack at Queensland Raceway before being made to serve the time penalty - and give up the top spot to Brown - for a false start in the second sprint on Saturday. The 22-year-old desperately tried to hunt down defending champion Brown across the final 13 laps, but his teammate prevailed by 0.884 seconds. Walkinshaw Andretti United's Ryan Wood followed in third. Feeney, who was sharing the front row with Wood, was adjudged by race stewards to have begun moving off the starting line just marginally before lights off. "I'm obviously gutted that I slipped up there and cost us a win," Feeney told Fox Sports. Feeney will at least find consolation in having automatically qualified for this year's inaugural finals by claiming the Sprint Cup with a victory in Saturday's opening sprint. He won largely unchallenged, leading Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen in second and sophomore driver Wood in third for the youngest-ever Supercars podium. Feeney now boasts a 232-point lead ahead of Brown with one race left in Ipswich and will take 25 bonus points into the elimination finals series. Brown had to settle for a finish in fourth in the opening race, which ended under the safety car. The yellow flag had been brought out with three laps remaining when David Reynolds, in a bid to overtake James Golding, veered off track after locking up. The safety car came out again before the first lap of the second sprint could be completed when Blanchard Racing Team driver Aaron Cameron spun off track at the first turn, causing a traffic jam. Cameron tried to evade a red-hot Matt Payne on his tail but instead misjudged the open space between Tickford's Thomas Randle and Erebus rookie Cooper Murray. Murray's teammate Jack Le Brocq and Brad Jones Racing driver Jaxon Evans suffered race-ending damage in the jam. RACE 23 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 3. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 4. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) RACE 24 RESULTS: 1. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 3. Ryan Wood (WAU) 4. Anton De Pasquale (Team 18) 5. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1918points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +232pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +309pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) +499pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +599pts Supercars champion Will Brown has denied Triple Eight teammate Broc Feeney's bid for back-to-back wins in Ipswich thanks to a controversial five-second penalty. Pole-sitter Feeney was comfortably leading the pack at Queensland Raceway before being made to serve the time penalty - and give up the top spot to Brown - for a false start in the second sprint on Saturday. The 22-year-old desperately tried to hunt down defending champion Brown across the final 13 laps, but his teammate prevailed by 0.884 seconds. Walkinshaw Andretti United's Ryan Wood followed in third. Feeney, who was sharing the front row with Wood, was adjudged by race stewards to have begun moving off the starting line just marginally before lights off. "I'm obviously gutted that I slipped up there and cost us a win," Feeney told Fox Sports. Feeney will at least find consolation in having automatically qualified for this year's inaugural finals by claiming the Sprint Cup with a victory in Saturday's opening sprint. He won largely unchallenged, leading Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen in second and sophomore driver Wood in third for the youngest-ever Supercars podium. Feeney now boasts a 232-point lead ahead of Brown with one race left in Ipswich and will take 25 bonus points into the elimination finals series. Brown had to settle for a finish in fourth in the opening race, which ended under the safety car. The yellow flag had been brought out with three laps remaining when David Reynolds, in a bid to overtake James Golding, veered off track after locking up. The safety car came out again before the first lap of the second sprint could be completed when Blanchard Racing Team driver Aaron Cameron spun off track at the first turn, causing a traffic jam. Cameron tried to evade a red-hot Matt Payne on his tail but instead misjudged the open space between Tickford's Thomas Randle and Erebus rookie Cooper Murray. Murray's teammate Jack Le Brocq and Brad Jones Racing driver Jaxon Evans suffered race-ending damage in the jam. RACE 23 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 3. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 4. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) RACE 24 RESULTS: 1. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 3. Ryan Wood (WAU) 4. Anton De Pasquale (Team 18) 5. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1918points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +232pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +309pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) +499pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +599pts Supercars champion Will Brown has denied Triple Eight teammate Broc Feeney's bid for back-to-back wins in Ipswich thanks to a controversial five-second penalty. Pole-sitter Feeney was comfortably leading the pack at Queensland Raceway before being made to serve the time penalty - and give up the top spot to Brown - for a false start in the second sprint on Saturday. The 22-year-old desperately tried to hunt down defending champion Brown across the final 13 laps, but his teammate prevailed by 0.884 seconds. Walkinshaw Andretti United's Ryan Wood followed in third. Feeney, who was sharing the front row with Wood, was adjudged by race stewards to have begun moving off the starting line just marginally before lights off. "I'm obviously gutted that I slipped up there and cost us a win," Feeney told Fox Sports. Feeney will at least find consolation in having automatically qualified for this year's inaugural finals by claiming the Sprint Cup with a victory in Saturday's opening sprint. He won largely unchallenged, leading Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen in second and sophomore driver Wood in third for the youngest-ever Supercars podium. Feeney now boasts a 232-point lead ahead of Brown with one race left in Ipswich and will take 25 bonus points into the elimination finals series. Brown had to settle for a finish in fourth in the opening race, which ended under the safety car. The yellow flag had been brought out with three laps remaining when David Reynolds, in a bid to overtake James Golding, veered off track after locking up. The safety car came out again before the first lap of the second sprint could be completed when Blanchard Racing Team driver Aaron Cameron spun off track at the first turn, causing a traffic jam. Cameron tried to evade a red-hot Matt Payne on his tail but instead misjudged the open space between Tickford's Thomas Randle and Erebus rookie Cooper Murray. Murray's teammate Jack Le Brocq and Brad Jones Racing driver Jaxon Evans suffered race-ending damage in the jam. RACE 23 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 3. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 4. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) RACE 24 RESULTS: 1. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 3. Ryan Wood (WAU) 4. Anton De Pasquale (Team 18) 5. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1918points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +232pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +309pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) +499pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +599pts
7NEWS
a day ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Broc Feeney punches ticket to Supercars finals as inaugural Sprint Cup champion
Broc Feeney has punched his ticket to the Supercars finals after claiming the inaugural Sprint Cup in Ipswich with two races to spare. Championship leader Feeney blitzed his rivals from pole position to take the chequered flag under a safety car in Saturday's opening 120km sprint at Queensland Raceway. Aside from a brief exchange of the top spot with Triple Eight teammate Will Brown in the opening laps, Feeney went largely unchallenged on the way to his 11th win of the season. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen was second, while sophomore driver Ryan Wood followed in third for the youngest-ever Supercars podium. Defending champion Brown crossed the finish line in fourth. The safety car had been brought out with three laps remaining when David Reynolds, in a bid to overtake James Golding, veered off track after locking up. Triple Eight ace Feeney now boasts a 243-point lead - a gulf that second-placed Brown will be unable to cross given there are only 230 points up for grabs with two races left in Ipswich. By winning the Sprint Cup, Feeney automatically qualifies for this year's inaugural finals and nets 25 bonus points to take into the elimination series. The 22-year-old's race haul so far consists of 13 podium finishes and 11 race wins from 11 poles. He is poised to add to his remarkable record after snaring pole for the second 120km lap on Saturday. Wood's experienced teammate Chaz Mostert finished second-last in 25th after a braking issue threatened to end his race early. Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Mostert qualified in fourth but was forced to start from pit lane after reporting he had no brakes while on the warm-up lap. Brad Jones Racing driver Macauley Jones was 26th after suffering a gearbox issue. In his 600th race since his 2005 debut, James Courtney could only finish 14th. Fellow milestone man Cam Waters, in his 300th race, finished 19th. RACE 23 RESULTS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering) 2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) 3. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 4. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 5. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 1844 points 2. Will Brown (Triple Eight) +243pts 3. Matt Payne (Grove) +288pts 4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) +482pts 5. Chaz Mostert (WAU) +574pts Stream free on
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Triple Eight heavyweights go fastest in Ipswich return
Broc Feeney is poised to claim the inaugural Sprint Cup title and punch his ticket to a maiden Supercars finals appearance after setting the early pace in Ipswich. But teammate Will Brown is threatening to spoil the party after claiming Friday's second practice session at Queensland Raceway. Series leader Feeney first clocked a lap time of one minute 9.2078 seconds to mark the first championship event at the recently upgraded venue since 2019. Boasting new tyres, defending champion Brown returned serve in the second session with a lap time of one minute 8.4927 seconds, going 0.141 seconds faster than Feeney. Feeney leads Brown by 220 points heading into the category's Sprint Cup finale and will automatically qualify for the upcoming finals series if he retains top spot at the end of the weekend. Drivers will then contest the Enduro Cup across two rounds - The Bend 500 and centrepiece Bathurst 1000 - before the top 10 drivers go toe-to-toe in a three-round elimination finals series. Grove Racing rival Matt Payne is third in the standings and Tickford Racing's Cam Waters fourth. Drivers will return to the track at 9.05am (AEST) on Saturday for back-to-back qualifying sessions ahead of race 23 jumping at 12.15pm.
The Advertiser
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Supercars leader calls for Darwin format reversal
Broc Feeney pulled off an unprecedented clean sweep to claim the Darwin Triple Crown, but a contentious rule change could cheapen the feat. With his dominant victory in race 19 of the Supercars season on Sunday, the Triple Eight prodigy became the first driver to win all three races at the Top End event since the three-race format was first introduced there in 2016. The trophy had been previously won by Scott McLaughlin - who succeeded in 2019 by claiming both races and a pole when the event was switched to a two-race format - and by Jamie Whincup, who won in 2020 when Supercars awarded the victory on round points during the COVID-19 pandemic. But this season, event organisers changed the format so the Triple Crown would be awarded to the driver who won the most points across the weekend, even if they did not sweep all three races. That change was made redundant by Feeney's hat-trick. But he called for the format to be reverted back to its previous structure to preserve the difficulty which makes it such a sought-after prize. "I just remember so clearly watching Scotty win it back in 2019 and just how hard it was to, I suppose, win it in its natural way," Feeney said. "I think it should probably go back to the old way. I don't think it should be the round winner, I think it should be either all three races or two races and the shootout. "Obviously Bathurst and the championship are the main ones, but I think just how difficult this one is to win, it was right up the top of my list. "So I've obviously had a good run here the last couple of years, and just really wanted to tick that box. So to do it this year is pretty awesome." Feeney's red hot weekend extended his lead in the standings to 183 points. But because of the new finals series - also introduced to the category this year - he can't rely on his points buffer to cement his claim for the Supercars title, despite sitting on eight race wins and nine poles from just 19 starts. The top 10 drivers will have their points reset at round 11 on the Gold Coast, with just 126 points separating 10 drivers between eighth and 18th in a tense race to make the cut-off. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen has suddenly put his name right in the mix, after the breakout weekend of his young Supercars career. After securing a maiden podium with a third-place finish in Saturday's second race, the 19-year-old went one better by coming second to Feeney on Sunday. His confidence boosted, Allen is setting his sights on hauling in Feeney and his Red Bull teammate Will Brown to score his first race win. "To get some podiums this early is pretty cool. But yeah, it's not time to back off now. It's full steam ahead because we've got some Bulls to catch and they're still pretty quick," he said. Broc Feeney pulled off an unprecedented clean sweep to claim the Darwin Triple Crown, but a contentious rule change could cheapen the feat. With his dominant victory in race 19 of the Supercars season on Sunday, the Triple Eight prodigy became the first driver to win all three races at the Top End event since the three-race format was first introduced there in 2016. The trophy had been previously won by Scott McLaughlin - who succeeded in 2019 by claiming both races and a pole when the event was switched to a two-race format - and by Jamie Whincup, who won in 2020 when Supercars awarded the victory on round points during the COVID-19 pandemic. But this season, event organisers changed the format so the Triple Crown would be awarded to the driver who won the most points across the weekend, even if they did not sweep all three races. That change was made redundant by Feeney's hat-trick. But he called for the format to be reverted back to its previous structure to preserve the difficulty which makes it such a sought-after prize. "I just remember so clearly watching Scotty win it back in 2019 and just how hard it was to, I suppose, win it in its natural way," Feeney said. "I think it should probably go back to the old way. I don't think it should be the round winner, I think it should be either all three races or two races and the shootout. "Obviously Bathurst and the championship are the main ones, but I think just how difficult this one is to win, it was right up the top of my list. "So I've obviously had a good run here the last couple of years, and just really wanted to tick that box. So to do it this year is pretty awesome." Feeney's red hot weekend extended his lead in the standings to 183 points. But because of the new finals series - also introduced to the category this year - he can't rely on his points buffer to cement his claim for the Supercars title, despite sitting on eight race wins and nine poles from just 19 starts. The top 10 drivers will have their points reset at round 11 on the Gold Coast, with just 126 points separating 10 drivers between eighth and 18th in a tense race to make the cut-off. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen has suddenly put his name right in the mix, after the breakout weekend of his young Supercars career. After securing a maiden podium with a third-place finish in Saturday's second race, the 19-year-old went one better by coming second to Feeney on Sunday. His confidence boosted, Allen is setting his sights on hauling in Feeney and his Red Bull teammate Will Brown to score his first race win. "To get some podiums this early is pretty cool. But yeah, it's not time to back off now. It's full steam ahead because we've got some Bulls to catch and they're still pretty quick," he said. Broc Feeney pulled off an unprecedented clean sweep to claim the Darwin Triple Crown, but a contentious rule change could cheapen the feat. With his dominant victory in race 19 of the Supercars season on Sunday, the Triple Eight prodigy became the first driver to win all three races at the Top End event since the three-race format was first introduced there in 2016. The trophy had been previously won by Scott McLaughlin - who succeeded in 2019 by claiming both races and a pole when the event was switched to a two-race format - and by Jamie Whincup, who won in 2020 when Supercars awarded the victory on round points during the COVID-19 pandemic. But this season, event organisers changed the format so the Triple Crown would be awarded to the driver who won the most points across the weekend, even if they did not sweep all three races. That change was made redundant by Feeney's hat-trick. But he called for the format to be reverted back to its previous structure to preserve the difficulty which makes it such a sought-after prize. "I just remember so clearly watching Scotty win it back in 2019 and just how hard it was to, I suppose, win it in its natural way," Feeney said. "I think it should probably go back to the old way. I don't think it should be the round winner, I think it should be either all three races or two races and the shootout. "Obviously Bathurst and the championship are the main ones, but I think just how difficult this one is to win, it was right up the top of my list. "So I've obviously had a good run here the last couple of years, and just really wanted to tick that box. So to do it this year is pretty awesome." Feeney's red hot weekend extended his lead in the standings to 183 points. But because of the new finals series - also introduced to the category this year - he can't rely on his points buffer to cement his claim for the Supercars title, despite sitting on eight race wins and nine poles from just 19 starts. The top 10 drivers will have their points reset at round 11 on the Gold Coast, with just 126 points separating 10 drivers between eighth and 18th in a tense race to make the cut-off. Grove Racing rookie Kai Allen has suddenly put his name right in the mix, after the breakout weekend of his young Supercars career. After securing a maiden podium with a third-place finish in Saturday's second race, the 19-year-old went one better by coming second to Feeney on Sunday. His confidence boosted, Allen is setting his sights on hauling in Feeney and his Red Bull teammate Will Brown to score his first race win. "To get some podiums this early is pretty cool. But yeah, it's not time to back off now. It's full steam ahead because we've got some Bulls to catch and they're still pretty quick," he said.
