Second is tough for Brown as Feeney Dominates
Will Brown says he is in the middle of one of the toughest seasons of his Supercars career, even as he sits second in the championship standings behind his Triple Eight team-mate Broc Feeney, who clinched the inaugural Sprint Cup at Queensland Raceway with another display of dominance.
Triple Eight has owned 2025, but it is Feeney’s staggering nine wins from the last 12 races that have put him firmly in control of the points lead. Brown has stayed in the fight, banking podiums and two wins of his own, but admits the relentless pace from the other side of the garage has made this year a grind like no other.
“It’s one of the toughest years I’ve had,” Brown said. “There’s so much competition inside our own team. You have to be perfect every weekend because if you’re not, your teammate is going to beat you. It’s a good problem for Triple Eight to have, but it’s tough when you’re the one chasing.”
At Queensland Raceway, Feeney took a win and a second place, which could have been a win without a penalty for jumping the start, from the two races, locking away the Sprint Cup before the final flag fell. The title, introduced this year to recognise the best performer across the sprint-format races, came with 25 bonus championship points — and that, Feeney said, was the real target.
“It’s nice to win the Sprint Cup, but for me the main thing was those 25 points,” Feeney said. “Once we get past Bathurst and the Finals start, everything gets reset and bunched up. Those points could be the difference in a really tight fight.
“I’ve said it all year, the way the Finals work now changes the way you think about the championship. You can dominate the season, but you still need to carry every advantage you can find into that last round.”
Brown knows how quickly momentum can swing. While he has been a constant podium threat, Feeney’s hot streak has pushed him onto the defensive.
“Broc’s been on a massive run and I’ve had to watch it from the other side,” Brown said. “We’re pushing each other hard and that’s how it should be, but it’s not easy when you’re up against that kind of form. I’m still second in the points, but it hasn’t come easy this year.”
Feeney’s nine-from-12 run sits alongside the most dominant periods in modern Supercars history. Scott McLaughlin’s 2019 season included an eight-from-12 start and another nine-from-12 later in the year, while Shane van Gisbergen’s 2022 charge produced 12 wins from 14 starts. The difference this year is that Feeney’s form has come at the expense of a team-mate who is still second in the championship.
“That’s what makes this year so tough,” Brown said. “If you’re not on your game, you’re getting beaten by the guy across the garage, not someone in another team. It’s great for Triple Eight, but it makes it hard to enjoy when you’re chasing.”
Feeney’s focus remains simple — win everything possible before the reset. “The Sprint Cup’s great, but honestly, it’s the points I was after,” he said. “It’s all about putting yourself in the best position when the Finals start. Once Bathurst is done, it’s like starting again.”
For Brown, the goal now is to keep the gap close enough to pounce when the Finals begin. “I need to be there when it counts,” he said. “That means banking points now, but also making sure I’ve got the car and the pace when it all gets reset. The last thing you want is to be behind after Bathurst.”
The Triple Eight garage has been the benchmark in 2025, but with the championship format ensuring nothing is settled until the final race in Adelaide, the fiercest intra-team rivalry in recent memory is far from over. The question is whether Brown can halt Feeney’s charge before the Finals, or whether Feeney’s bonus points will tip the balance his way in the title decider.
Image: Mark Horsburgh
2025 Ipswich Super440 (All Times AEST)
Friday 8 August
Practice 1 – 1: Broc Feeney 1:09.2078 2: Anton De Pasquale +0.1965 3: Cameron Hill +0.2271
Practice 2 – 1: Will Brown 1:08.4927 2: Broc Feeney +0.1419 3: Ryan Wood +0.2088
Saturday 9 August
Qualifying Race 23: 1 Broc Feeney 1:08.1301 2 Will Brown +0.1119 3 Ryan Wood +0.1866
Qualifying Race 24: 1 Broc Feeney 1:19.8014 2 Ryan Wood +0.4782 3 Will Brown +0.9097
Race 23 – 39 laps 1 Broc Feeney 2 Kai Allen +0.4739 3 Ryan Wood +1.1230
Race 24 – 39 laps 1 Will Brown 49:05.3349 2 Broc Feeney +0.8842 3 Ryan Wood +9.8118
Sunday 10 August
10:20am, Qualifying Part 1 – Race 25 (10 mins)
10:40am, Qualifying Part 2 – Race 25 (10 mins)
11:40am, Qualifying Part 3 – Race 25 Top Ten Shootout (30 mins)
3:15pm, Race 25 – 63 laps (200 km)
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