Bathurst 1000: Broc Feeney devastated after first great chance of victory at Mount Panorama collapsed

While one side of Triple 888 garage was celebrating, the other was devastated. In his fourth race at Bathurst, Broc Feeney came close to winning at Mount Panorama before disaster struck.

As one side of the Triple 888 garage celebrated a Bathurst 1000 victory, the other was devastated by a win that got away.

Broc Feeney’s devastation and tears in the car in the pit lane will be added to Bathurst history after the young gun and one of the sport’s greatest Jamie Whincup got so close to winning at Mount Panorama.

The duo had worked their way to second in the race and were chasing down teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway with 25 laps to go before disaster struck for the team.

Slowing after Forrest Elbow, down Conrod Straight, the team had a gear shift issue which forced Feeney to pit and end his first great chance of winning Australia’s biggest race.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” Feeney said.

Absolutely heartbreaking for Broc Feeney 💔#7Motorsport#RepcoSCpic.twitter.com/CyhDyjYSWv

— 7Sport (@7Sport) October 8, 2023

“The track was coming to us.

“We were real fast out there and this place can not only be the best but it can be the worst.

“Hopefully I can come back to this place plenty of times and have another crack at it.

“But it felt like it slipped through today (Sunday).”

The result continued the streak for Whincup of not being on a podium at the Bathurst 1000 with the four-time winner last finishing in the top-three in 2013.

The team were able to get the car back out, finishing 23rd, but it meant little in the end.

The issue also ended Feeney’s chances of winning the title with the 20-year-old now 408 points behind championship leader Brodie Kostecki with four races to go on the Gold Coast and Adelaide.

Triple 888 confirmed the issue was a similar one which ruled out the Supercheap Auto Racing wildcard of Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard in the early stages of the race.

“It seems like a similar thing to what Triple 888 had,” Whincup said.

“The tower for the gearstick has come unstuck and he can’t get any gears in there,” Whincup said.

“One small issue and your day is done.”

Jamie Whincup was full of praise for Broc Feeney, despite his devastating exit. Picture: Getty Images.

Whincup was full of praise for Feeney who impressed in just his fourth Bathurst 1000, qualifying second in his first top-ten shootout before being one of the contenders in the race.

The Triple 888 team principal added the six-time Supercars winner and Sandown 500 champion will bounce back.

“Broc did a fantastic job,” he said.

“We were well and truly there.

“But today (Sunday) is not the day but he’ll have his day.

“He has got plenty of years left in him.”

UNLUCKY RUN CONTINUES FOR TOP FORD CHANCE

—Rebecca Williams and Shane Jones

Top Ford chance Cam Waters has suffered another unlucky blow this year after his Bathurst 1000 campaign came to an early end when his co-driver James Moffat put their Mustang into the wall.

After the Tickford Racing pair started the race from third place on the grid, Moffat suffered heavy damage after he slammed the pair’s Ford into the concrete at the Dipper on lap 71.

Triggering a safety car, Moffat nursed the stricken Mustang back to the pits before it came to a complete stop at the entrance to pit lane and had to be towed to the garage.

The parked Mustang caused chaos for other cars trying to pit under the safety car, forcing them to drive around the stalled car.

It continued a luckless year for Waters, who is still chasing a maiden Bathurst 1000 win after finishing on the podium the past three years at Mount Panorama.

James Moffat SLAMS into the wall at The Dipper!

The third BP Ultimate Safety Car is triggered for the Great Race.

Follow every moment of the @RepcoAustralia Bathurst 1000 LIVE in RaceHQ: https://t.co/dwVWgm3juW#RepcoSC#Supercars#Bathurst1000pic.twitter.com/w3h2GJzyWv

— Supercars (@supercars) October 8, 2023

In a series of misfortunes in 2023, Waters was lucky to walk away unharmed when he was forced to flee a burning car after it erupted into flames at the Darwin Triple Crown.

Then in a freak mishap at the Sandown 500, his race hopes were cruelled after the rear wing of his Mustang was knocked off the car by a stray wheel – which had flown off the Mustang of Garth Tander/David Reynolds – while co-driver Moffat was behind the wheel.

Moffat took responsibility for the crash and apologised to the team for ending their race.

“I just clipped the inside wall there at the Dipper and that just fired me into the outside wall,” Moffat said.

“I’m hugely disappointed, but I know I’m not the first person to do something like that and I won’t be the last.

“I’m just disappointed in myself. I pride myself on not making errors like that and I’m just sorry for all the team and all the guys.

“We were definitely fighting with one, maybe both hands tied behind our back today.

“It was tough out there, but no excuse for what I did.”

The crash brought Waters’ run of three consecutive Bathurst podium finishes to an end.

Waters was runner-up at Bathurst in 2020 and again in 2021 before finishing third at the mountain last year.

The retired car of Cameron Waters after co driver James Moffat crashed into the wall at The Dipper. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“It’s what we do, isn’t it? That’s what Bathurst is all about, it just throws everything at you,” Waters said.

“We’ve had some good experiences here and some bad ones.

“Moff was doing an unbelievable job and he was hanging with Chaz (Mostert) and he’s been great this enduro season.

“He either slipped on oil and hit the wall, or he has just made a little mistake.

“He’ll be pretty dirty on himself.”

Waters was the fastest Ford qualifier in the top-10 shootout, but had earlier complained his Ford was a “sitting duck down the straights”.

There was heartbreak again for the Brad Jones Racing combination of Andre Heimgartner and Dale Wood.

After getting taken out of the race in the opening laps last year amid early carnage, the pair’s 2023 campaign ended on lap 70 after their Camaro suffered an engine failure.

“We got an oil pressure alarm earlier on for a couple of laps but thought it was a temperature thing,” Wood said.

“On Conrod it gave a massive bang and the day was done.

“I’m so gutted, it’s just not working at the moment. I’m so spewing for the team, it’s a frigging awesome joint and the results in this car should have come today.”

Originally published as Bathurst 1000: Broc Feeney devastated after first great chance of victory at Mount Panorama collapsed