Broc Feeney claims victory at the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint finale, but it was Brodie Kostecki who emerged as the ultimate winner, taking the series lead and the coveted Larry Perkins Trophy. Feeney, who won his first race last year, drove his Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet to the checkered flag, beating Andre Heimgartner and Kostecki in a race filled with exciting overtakes and unfortunate penalties.
Feeney started the race from pole position, a remarkable achievement that made him the youngest pole-sitter in Supercars history. He made the most of his position and kept his lead throughout the race, while fellow Chevrolet drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Jack Le Brocq finished in the top five. Will Davison took the honors as the first Ford driver to cross the line, finishing in sixth place.
However, the race wasn’t without its dramas. Bryce Fullwood of Brad Jones Racing was on track for a podium finish, but was penalized for an unsafe release for the second time in two days. This resulted in him being classified 18th with a 15-second time penalty applied. Chaz Mostert, who was the erstwhile points leader, had a disappointing race and finished in 14th place, ceding the championship lead to Kostecki.
Kostecki started the race in 14th position but made his way up the field with impressive results of second, first, first, and third, clinching the Larry Perkins Trophy in the process. This achievement also saw him take the lead in the Supercars drivers’ championship, a first for an Erebus Motorsport driver.
Feeney led the field to the green flag after the race started behind the safety car. Mostert, who was on super soft tires, quickly overtook Feeney, with Brown following closely behind. Feeney made a pit stop at the end of the first green lap, switching to super softs along with Heimgartner and Kostecki.
Brown made a move on Mostert at Turn 11 on lap 4, but Mostert spun out at the next corner. Fullwood capitalized on the situation and took the lead on lap 8, defending his position at Turn 3 before stretching his lead. Mostert’s race went from bad to worse as he dropped down the order and finished in ninth place by lap 11.
Feeney and Heimgartner took the top two spots ahead of Kostecki, Fullwood, and van Gisbergen. However, Fullwood was later penalized for an unsafe release and was relegated to fourth place, giving van Gisbergen the final podium spot.
Kostecki claimed victory in the series and the Perkins Trophy, finishing ahead of van Gisbergen by five points. Feeney finished 26 points behind Kostecki, while Mostert was 77 points adrift. Kostecki now leads Mostert by 32 points in the championship standings, with van Gisbergen in third place, 86 points behind.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Perth SuperSprint on April 28-30, where the drivers will once again battle it out on the track for the ultimate prize.
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