Albert Park Supercars: Feeney wins strategic finale

The race obtained underway in distinctive circumstances, the protection automobile main the sphere for a lap earlier than releasing the automobiles single-file.

That was a part of the mitigation measures put in place by Supercars following two seperate engine fires on Friday and Saturday.

Polesitter Feeney led initially, though beginning on the arduous compound Dunlop meant he would all the time be a sitting duck.

He was shortly swamped by each tremendous softs-clad Mostert and Will Brown who dived both facet of the Purple Bull Camaro on the primary inexperienced flag lap.

Feeney and the remainder of the arduous runners, together with Andre Heimgartner and Brodie Kostecki, all dived into the pits on the finish of that first inexperienced flag lap to tackle the tremendous smooth tyres.

That left Mostert main Brown till Lap 4 when the Erebus driver made a play for the lead on the surface of Flip 13.

It proved to be unsuccessful, although, Brown shedding management of his Camaro on the exit of the nook and spinning into the wall.

Mostert then led Bryce Fullwood till Lap 8 when a clearly faster Fullwood dived into the lead at Flip 1.

As Fullwood pulled away issues obtained worse for Mostert, who was swamped by Will Davison, Shane van Gisbergen and Jack Le Brocq on the following lap.

What later proved to be a blistered tyre noticed him drop even additional again within the subject earlier than he stopped.

On the similar time the early stoppers began to emerge within the image with the likes of Feeney, Heimgartner and Kostecki closing to inside a cease of the lead, regardless of being on the again finish of the highest 10 on the highway.

When the highest eight all took their obligatory service on the penultimate lap the early cease technique paid off.

Feeney rocketed by to the lead from Heimgartner and Kostecki, with Fullwood dropping to fourth forward of van Gisbergen.

Fullwood’s day then obtained worse through the stops, contact with Mark Winterbottom within the lane drawing a 15-second time penalty.

There have been no modifications on the entrance on the ultimate lap, Feeney scoring a second profession victory by just below a second from Heimgartner.

“Once I survived the primary lap, and I used to be practically quicker than [Mostert and Brown] over the again, I used to be like, ‘that is good’,” mentioned Feeney.

“I let Chaz and Will go and tried to fit in behind them.

“Contemporary air was superior. This morning it was a flip of the coin as to what we had been going to do, however we actually made the correct technique.

“What a method to win, Grand Prix Sunday. I’ve dreamt about this for a very long time.”

Third place for an in-form Kostecki meant he walked away with the Larry Perkins Trophy.

The Erebus driver additionally took over the collection lead from Mostert who struggled to 14th due to that tyre problem.

Fullwood crossed the road in fourth however was demoted to 18th due to his penalty.

That promoted van Gisbergen to fourth forward of Le Brocq, Davison, Macauley Jones, David Reynolds, Todd Hazelwood and Cam Waters.

The 2023 Supercars season continues with the Perth SuperSprint on the final weekend in April.