Brown leads uncertain Larry Perkins Trophy race

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 16 March 2025

A maiden victory with the #1 may have sent Will Brown into the lead of both the series and round standings, but the fight for the Larry Perkins Trophy is wide open heading into a wet final race.

A Saturday evening triumph in Race 6 sent Brown to the top of both the overall championship and Melbourne SuperSprint.

This is pivotal as the round winner takes home the coveted Larry Perkins Trophy, which Brown is defending.

He heads into the fourth and final race with 212 points, 10 clear of teammate Broc Feeney, while Cameron Hill is next best with 176.

With 75 points on offer for victory and a further five for the fastest lap, the top seven drivers that also include Nick Percat, Brodie Kostecki, Cameron Waters and Anton De Pasquale are all still a mathematical chance.

However, thanks to a dramatic qualifying on Saturday morning, Feeney is the firm favourite having taken all four poles.

Meanwhile, leader Brown has it all to do from 20th on the grid, but Hill could be a wildcard joining Feeney on the front row and the last time that happened the MSR driver pulled off an underdog win.

Will Brown leads Broc Feeney in the Larry Perkins standings after Race 6 victory. Image: Peter Norton

The only other contender starting from the top eight is Waters, who has an unlikely 57-point deficit to Feeney to regain.

Since first being up for grabs in 2018, the Larry Perkins Trophy has grown in prestige with Jamie Whincup, Chaz Mostert, Shane van Gisbergen, Kostecki and Brown previous winners.

Brown is desperate to become the first repeat winner.

“The championship lead is cool, but I am more focused on the Larry Perkins Trophy to be honest,” he said.

“I won it last year and it was a great thing to win.

“I know Larry and co-drove with Jack which was amazing.

“I have a lot of work cut out for me because Broc is only a couple of points off me and is the favourite going in but I will do everything I can.”

Thanks to his heroics, Cameron Hill is Triple Eight’s nearest rival for the Larry Perkins Trophy. Image: Peter Norton

But Brown knows he faces a significant uphill battle to lift it with just 14 likely wet laps to deal with after he struggled in qualifying and blocked Mostert.

Whilst the team did not inform Mostert was on a hot lap, the reigning champion still put his hand up for the “rookie error.”

“It was a brain fade on my behalf to be honest,” Brown said.

“I locked up and ran off on my first lap so I had to do a second one and then did a cool down lap.

“I was probably a bit frustrated but I thought I got the chequered flag and just was not thinking.

“I thought I was on an in lap and generally the team would say Mostert is on a fast lap.

“But because he stuffed up his first lap it was just him on his own and there were so many things that combined.

“I did not get told by the team so it was not until he actually hit me and I thought ‘what the hell was that? Has a bulldozer come out on the track’ and then I saw Chaz and thought ‘oh no what have I done?

Nick Percat is a contender after his special knee work on Saturday night. Image: Supplied

“I am upset with myself because that was a rookie mistake I have seen rookies do and try not to do that.

“I pride myself in not holding people up in qualifying so it was completely on me.”

Feeney already holds the record of the most Supercars poles at Albert Park, but admits his focus is simply winning the race rather than the round.

“Obviously it is awesome but I am just focusing on myself and what I can do better,” he said.

“There is a great prize to winning this round but I am mainly worrying about trying to execute my start better tomorrow and if I can lead into Turn 1 I am confident I will have a good shot at winning.

“All I am trying to do is win the race and we will see where we will end up.”

Larry Perkins Trophy leaderboard

1: Will Brown 212

2: Broc Feeney 202

3: Cameron Hill 176

4: Nick Percat 160

5: Brodie Kostecki 157

6: Cameron Waters 145

7: Anton De Pasquale 132

8: Ryan Wood 116

9: Will Davison 114

10: Andre Heimgartner 107

2025 Australian Grand Prix schedule

Thursday, March 13

Supercars Practice 1: R. Wood 1:47.8448 2: R. Stanaway +0.0704 3: W. Davison +0.4168

Supercars Practice 2: 1 J. Golding 1:46.1632 2: B. Feeney +0.1279 3: W. Brown +0.3220

Supercars Qualifying

Race 1 (19 laps) 1: B. Feeney 2: W. Brown +1.0924 3: C. Hill +3.7603

Race 2 (12 laps) 1 C. Hill 2: N. Percat +0.5745 3: W. Brown +0.8244

Saturday, March 15

Supercars Saturday qualifying

Race 3 (15 laps) 1 W. Brown 2 B. Feeney +0.5211 3 N. Percat +5.2238

Sunday, March 16

Time Category Session

9.00 Formula 3 Feature Race (23 laps)

10.25 Supercars Race 4 (14 laps)

11.30 Formula 2 Feature Race (33 laps)

15.00 Formula 1 Grand Prix (58 laps)

Grand Prix week signals the launch for Auto Action’s all-new monthly printed magazine – coffee-table reading packed with in-depth features from around the motorsport world. On sale at newsagents from tomorrow.

A full F1 car by car preview can also be found in the LATEST ISSUE OF AUTO ACTION DIGITAL HERE

For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.

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