ADELAIDE, Australia — Broc Feeney did everything he needed to with victory at the VAILO Adelaide 500, but crucial overtakes in the final stint have helped Will Brown secure the Repco Supercars Championship.
Feeney recorded a runaway sixth win of the season and first since Darwin in June, but an 18th podium in 23 starts for Brown ensured the title was out of reach for Saturday’s winner.
The Toowoomba-born driver passed Tickford Racing teammates Cam Waters and Thomas Randle during the final stint to shore up his maiden title, and Triple Eight’s third in four seasons.
Brown became the first driver since the driver he replaced, Shane van Gisbergen, in 2016 to win the championship in his first year with a new team. He also became the first since Dick Johnson in 1984 to record at least one podium at every event of the season.
The title was sealed with a pass on Randle on lap 57, with Brown catching and passing Waters to deliver yet another championship to Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Matt Payne caught Waters in the closing laps and had a crack on the last lap at Turn 7, but Waters did enough to hang on.
“I think I was more glad that it finished because it was so hot out there,” Brown beamed. “Awesome day, Broc did a great job. I made it hard for myself in the pits having the steering wheel locked, the boys couldn’t get the pit stop done there, but awesome to drive back, and to win the championship in front of all these people.
“For everyone coming out today, thank you, bunch of legends, I wish I could go out and get on the beers tonight, but I can’t I’ve got to behave, that’s tomorrow night.
“I’m just stoked, to finally wrap it up today is awesome, takes a bit of pressure off tomorrow so we’ll go out there and have some fun.”
Payne finished fourth, with Randle fifth.
Brodie Kostecki came home sixth, while Andre Heimgartner, James Courtney, Anton De Pasquale and Ryan Wood completed the top five.
The Repco Supercars Championship will conclude on Sunday with Race 24. Watch it LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1.