‘New Jamie Whincup’ arrives with thrilling Ipswich win
Joanna Guelas |
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
AAP
