Supercars 2023: Broc Feeney makes title claim after snatching victory at the death in Melbourne

Just a day after becoming the youngest-ever driver to put his car on pole, Broc Feeney has underlined his Supercars championship hopes

Broc Feeney on track in Melbourne

Broc Feeney underlined his Supercars Championship hopes with a stunning drive to snatch victory at the death in the final race of the Melbourne SuperSprint at Albert Park.

A bold call to stop early for the soft tyre paid dividends when the No.88 Red Bull flew past a logjam in the pits on the final lap to meet the chequered flag ahead of Andre Heimgartner and Brodie Kostecki.

Just a day after Feeney became the youngest-ever driver to put his car on pole, the Red Bull young gun got his race strategy picture perfect to claim his second career Supercars victory.

The 20-year-old said it was a “flip of a coin” as to what strategy he would run with on Sunday and was thankful he chose to start on the hard tyre.

“What a win on Grand Prix Sunday – I’ve dreamt of this for a long time,” said Feeney, who was joined on the podium by his father.

“I saw Chaz (Mostert) before the race and he said, ‘I’m on supers (soft tyre)’ and I thought, ‘This is going to be fun’.

“When I finished the (first) lap nearly on their bumper I knew we were in a good place and I just had to buckle down.

“Bloody awesome.”

Broc Feeney celebrates his thrilling win. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Erebus ace Kostecki rose from 14th on the grid to the third step of the podium and in the process secured both the championship lead and Larry Perkins Trophy as the top point scorer for the round.

He crossed the line one place ahead of last year’s winner Shane van Gisbergen, who finished five points behind Kostecki in the race for the coveted silverware.

“I said today we just needed to make sure we finish and don’t make any bad mistakes that can put us out of the race and when I got told I was a chance for the podium I couldn’t believe it,” Kostecki said.

“This car is an absolute jet – it’s a pleasure driving this car right now.

“(Winning the Larry Perkins Trophy) means a lot to myself and our team, especially (team owner) Barry (Ryan).

“It was a bit emotional crossing the line knowing we would collect the trophy. I can’t wait to put it in the teams’ hands.”

Broc Feeney leads the pack around Albert Park. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Kostecki’s podium pushed him into the outright championship lead ahead of Chaz Mostert, who started the race in P2 but struggled with tyre degradation late to tumble out of the top 10.

After three days of sheer carnage at Albert Park, Sunday’s relatively worry-free finish was a welcome sight.

The race began under safety car conditions as a late precautionary measure by Supercars, in response to the engine fires that plagued Nick Percat and James Courtney’s Ford Mustangs in previous days.

Supercars said in a statement on Sunday morning it would “conduct a further review into this weekend’s incidents over the coming weeks in advance of the Perth SuperSprint”.

The category heads to Perth for the April 28-30 round with Erebus Motorsport leading both the teams and drivers’ championship standings.

RACE 6 TOP 10

1. Broc Feeney

2. Andre Heimgartner

3. Brodie Kostecki

4. Shane van Gisbergen

5. Jack Le Brocq

6. Will Davison

7. Macauley Jones

8. David Reynolds

9. Todd Hazelwood

10. Cam Waters

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1. Brodie Kostecki (514pts)

2. Chaz Mostert (482pts)

3. Shane van Gisbergen (428pts)

4. Andre Heimgartner (386pts)

5. Will Brown (383pts)

6. Cam Waters (369pts)

7. Broc Feeney (368pts)

8. David Reynolds (325pts)

9. Jack Le Brocq (325pts)

10. Bryce Fullwood (275pts)

Originally published as Supercars 2023: Broc Feeney makes title claim after snatching victory at the death in Melbourne