Feeney leads home Brown in Triple Eight one-two

Triple Eight has sent a statement by dominating another Supercars season opener with Broc Feeney leading home Will Brown as the Safety Car finished proceedings at Bathurst.

A tense tussle for the lead between Feeney, Brown and third placed Chaz Mostert was unable to be resolved due to a late Safety Car caused by Aaron Love when he had his second crash at The Cutting on Lap 38.

The Triple Eight cars were followed by Mostert and Richie Stanaway who impressed on his return to full-time racing, while Cameron Hill achieved his maiden top five finish.

The race also contained the first ever Full Course Yellow in a Supercars race, which caused by an oddity.

Cameron Waters lost his front left wheel on the exit of Griffins Bend. Thankfully unlike 2005 the tyre just missed the leaders and the new SC measure was used to clear it.

Brown led early from pole before Feeney regained track position at the first round of stops. Car #88 then reconsolidated its lead by staying out for six extra laps for the run home.

A nail-biting finish was in store but the Safety Car meant the race ended in anticlimactic fashion and confirmed Triple Eight’s domination.

The powerhouse team has topped all five sessions so far in 2024 and this is its 16th season opener win in 19 attempts since 2006 not including last year.

“I am pumped (this is) my first win on a Saturday,” Feeney joked in victory lane

“Fantastic job by the team to come out with two new cars, a new teammate and finish one two in qualifying and the race.

“I did not expect that (lead change) to be honest. We had plenty if speed in the that second stint so I just have to work on a. few things with myself for tomorrow.

“Pretty awesome start to the year.”

Lively start

The 2024 Supercars season begins.

There was drama even before the lights went out for James Golding, who could not get off the line on the warmup lap and had to start from the pit lane, sacrificing grid position six.

When the race did get underway neither Red Bull got a fast start and they had to get their elbows out to shut down Hill and Mostert and keep them behind.

Brown made good use of the inside to lead the field through Hell Corner as there was drama further back.

Rookie Ryan Wood unfortunately found himself in the Hell Corner sand trap after being sandwiched between Andre Heimgartner on the inside, Golding on the outside, plus Thomas Randle behind.

Contact between the cars sent the #2 WAU Mustang into the sand after four into one did not go, while Golding suffered more bad luck getting caught out wide but could escape.

Ryan Wood gets retrieved from the gravel trap after the first lap incident. Image: Peter Norton

Amid the drag race up Mountain Straight Feeney restored a Triple Eight one-two ahead of Hill who put MSR up to third after overcoming Mostert.

“I probably did not get off to the best start which put me in the position I was in,” Wood said.

“Unfortunately I just ended up between two cars and it was a pinball effect.

“Gutted to have some damage and not get 40 laps under my belt but we will punch on.”

Settling in

Will Brown led the field away from pole. Image: Peter Norton

The first stretch of green flag racing of the year began on lap 3 where Brown quickly built an advantage over Feeney.

Within a lap car #87 was a second ahead of #88 as Hill showed no nerves in third with the pack settling into a rhythm and spread out.

Despite racing out of the blocks, Brown was unable to completely drop his teammate with Feeney holding the gap to just under a second.

De Pasquale and Payne made the early strategy moves both being the first to pit on lap 5 from the top 10.

De Pasquale jumped Payne by taking rears only, while Reynolds followed them a lap later and the trio wrestled for track position, resulting in an off track excursion for the Kiwi at the Chase.

Ryenold won that battle and used the undercut to eventually slot into effective fourth.

Brown made his move at quarter race distance, boxing on lap 10 having held a 0.8s margin.

Feeney came in a lap later and a shorter stop enabled him to jump Brown and in a straight swap snatch the effective lead with the same 0.8s margin.

Through stopping earlier and his MSR rival having a major scare at Hell Corner, Mostert was also displaced Hill, who would be kicking himself due to the error that almost sent him into the turn 1 gravel.

Cam Hill leads Chaz Mostert holding third and fourth place. Image: Peter Norton

The driver error plus a slightly slow left front tyre change not only saw Hill fall behind the #25 Mustang but also Reynolds, Stanaway and Hazelwood to slip from third to seventh.

His teammate Percat did the opposite, going long and not stopping until lap 20.

At midway Feeney led the way by 2s over Brown with Mostert a further 7s adrift, while Reynolds lost fourth to Stanaway due to a mistake at The Chase. 

Strategy games

Just as teams started thinking about completing their second and final stops, full-time rookie Aaron Love whacked the wall at The Cutting.

The BRT driver got off line and could not avoid sliding the rear right into the concrete.

Despite carrying damage, he was able to snake his car back to the pits and the race stage green.

Second placed Brown took the opportunity to pit on lap 24 to try and undercut his teammate who stayed out for another six laps.

Brown tried to gain time on fresher rubber, while Feeney hoped to reduce the sitting time in the lane by burning fuel.

The latter strategy proved to be the one as Feeney rejoined with a 0.6s lead over Brown, setting up a 10-lap duel to the finish.

Tyre trouble

Cameron Waters suffered a horror start to the 2024 season, with a tyre coming off. Image: Peter Norton

Cam Waters and Tickford were having a shocker, running down in 22nd and it reached a new low on lap 34.

Just two laps after pitting, the safety clip of Waters front left came off on the exit of Griffins Bend and the tyre suddenly parted company from the Monster Mustang.

The wheel rolled along the outside fence before bouncing in front of the leaders as they negotiated the right hander.

Thankfully Brown and Mostert just missed the stray Dunlop before the Full Course Yellow was implemented to retrieve it when it finally came to rest on corner entry.

Waters stayed in the pits for the remainder of the race, while teammate Thomas Randle came home 14th.

Tense tussle cut short

Broc Feeney leads home Will Brown in a Triple Eight one-two. Image: Peter Norton

Prior to the Full Course Yellow, Brown made good use of his warmer tyres to apply the pressure on Feeney with the gap coming down to half a second by the end of the latter’s out lap.

While the Triple Eight teammates tussled for the lead, Mostert started to bring himself into the picture and add an extra dimension to the race.

The #25 WAU Mustang had lighting late-race pace and cut the gap down to just 2s having reset the fastest lap.

His charge was momentarily halted by the FCY and when the tyre was cleared, all eyes turned to the battle for the lead.

After 2 minutes the green flag returned on lap 34 and two laps later Feeney had opened his lead over Brown to a second.

But this was wiped out by a last minute safety car due to Love’s second incident at The Cutting.

His second crash was an instant replay of his first, but with the hit being a lot harder, he was unable to escape and the Safety Car was required with just two laps left.

The Safety Car led the field home cementing Triple Eight’s perfect start to the year.

After leading all five sessions across the first two days, the question is can the team be beaten on Sunday?

2024 Bathurst 500 race 1 results

2024 Bathurst 500 Supercars schedule

Friday, February 23

Practice 1: 1: B. Feeney 2: N. Percat 3: W. Brown

Practice 2: 1: W. Brown 2: T. Hazelwood 3: B. Feeney

Saturday, February 24

Qualifying: 1: B. Feeney 2: W. Brown 3: D. Reynolds

Top 10 Shootout: 1: W. Brown 2: B. Feeney 3: C. Mostert

Race 1 (40 laps): 16.10

Sunday, February 25

Qualifying: 09.30

Top 10 Shootout: 12.05

Race 2 (40 laps): 15.05

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