Le Brocq thrilled to score “unreal” maiden Matt Stone Racing win

Jack Le Brocq Matt Stone racing darwin winMH1_5070

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 18 June 2023

The 2023 Darwin Triple Crown was one for the underdogs with Team 18 and now Matt Stone Racing fittingly scoring maiden wins at Hidden Valley this weekend.

Just 24 hours after seeing Team 18 break a decade-long wait when Mark Winterbottom took victory, Matt Stone Racing got to taste the winning feeling itself.

After taking a stunning pole position by just 0.0102s Jack Le Brocq controlled the race just like the very best to secure his second Supercars success and the first for the small two-car team from Yatala.

Fittingly the first win for Matt Stone Racing arrived at Hidden Valley Raceway, the same track where Shane van Gisbergen steered Stone Brothers Racing to its final win in 2011.

Shane van Gisbergen salutes Stone Brothers Racing’s final Supercars win at Darwin in 2011. Image: Channel 7

“It is fantastic and great to have the Stone name back at the front,” Matt Stone reflected post race.

“It is great to tick that box and I cannot thank the team enough for believing in what we were doing and putting in the effort to get us to where we are now.”

The Matt Stone Racing story is one of a true underdog, being one of the newest and smallest operations on the Supercars grid having started as a single-car team in 2017 as a wildcard before going full time the following season.

After finding its feet and getting through COVID-19, Matt Stone Racing has become a new force in the Gen3.

Having scored just 14 top 10s in the 92 races between 2020 and 2022, MSR has already achieved 11 this year, with the win the cherry on top.

Jack Le Brocq and Matt Stone soak up the podium. Image: Mark Horsburgh

This kind of form gave the team belief and Stone is so proud to see it all come together with such a complete performance where Le Brocq took pole, led through Turn 1 and controlled the race after a well-executed pit stop by the team under pressure.

“We said to the boys yesterday Sunday was a front row day. We could see it coming,” he said.

“So to go out there and get pole position, lead from start to finish with a great pit stop and the team putting it all together was exactly what we wanted to see. Just fantastic.”

For the man who guided Matt Stone Racing to historic success, Le Brocq, it was also a major landmark.

Across his first 184 races, he has raced for a lot of different teams and makes and landed at Matt Stone Racing in what appeared to be a step back after a short stint with Tickford.

Pre-Race contact changed Le Brocq's strategy - Photo: InSyde Media

Jack Le Brocq scored his only prevuous career win for Tickford at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2020.

But the pair has clicked with Le Brocq leading from the front in 2023.

Despite the clinical nature of the victory, the weekend was far from smooth sailing for the #34 side of the garage with regular engineer Jack Bellotti on parental leave and Matt Saunders stepping up as sub.

Even after scoring pole for the final race, Le Brocq could not avoid trouble in the second race, sustaining significant damage to the rear after contact with Jack Smith.

It led to a frantic repair job for Matt Stone Racing to ensure the Camaro was presented on pole position even if cable ties were required.

Although the #34 driver had already tasted victory at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2020, he has no doubt which trophy will take pride and place in the cabinet with his maiden win heavily dictated by tyre allocations.

Jack Le Brocq shocked the Supercars paddock to take a maiden pole for Matt Stone Racing. Image: Mark Horsburgh

“The first one is always nice, but this is definitely more special,” Le Brocq said.

“The win in Sydney was tainted by the tyre rule, but we earned this one.

“It is cool to reward Matt and the team because they have poured their heart and soul into Gen3.

“It has been coming. We have shown good pace, especially in quail, but it is great to convert it into race pace and get the first win for Matt Stone Racing.

“I am over the moon.”

For more of the latest motorsport news, pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION.

PODCAST: The latest episode of the Auto Action RevLimiter podcast is out now!

In the latest podcast we discuss this weekends Darwin Supercars preview & news, F1 Canada preview, Winton ARG and LeMans 24Hour wrap-up.

Listen to the RevLimiter podcast on your podcast app of choice or here on the RevLimiter website

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Le Brocq thrilled to score “unreal” maiden Matt Stone Racing win

Read more about Matt Stone Racing’s rise to the front of the grid in the latest issue of AUTO ACTION

Fittingly the first win for Matt Stone Racing arrived at Hidden Valley Raceway, the same track where Shane van Gisbergen steered Stone Brothers Racing to its final win in 2011.

After finding its feet and getting through COVID-19, Matt Stone Racing has become a new force in the Gen3.

“We said to the boys yesterday Sunday was a front row day. We could see it coming,” he said.

Across his first 184 races, he has raced for a lot of different teams and makes and landed at Matt Stone Racing in what appeared to be a step back after a short stint with Tickford.

Even after scoring pole for the final race, Le Brocq could not avoid trouble in the second race, sustaining significant damage to the rear after contact with Jack Smith.

“The first one is always nice, but this is definitely more special,” Le Brocq said.

“It has been coming. We have shown good pace, especially in quail, but it is great to convert it into race pace and get the first win for Matt Stone Racing.

Listen to the RevLimiter podcast on your podcast app of choice or here on the RevLimiter website

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