Broc Feeney says the pressure of leading for so long was hardly nerve-racking at all as he clinched his first Supercars Championship win at the Valo Adelaide 500.
The 20-year-old was in first position for the majority of Race 34, including the 30-lap green flag run to the finish when Race 33 winner Chaz Mostert was never much more than one second behind.
Feeney held his nerve, however, to take the chequered flag 0.9643s clear of the Mobil 1 NTI ZB Commodore after 78 laps around the Adelaide Parklands Circuit.
Roland Dane, who signed the tyro in one of his final major acts as Triple Eight Race Engineering Team Principal before his retirement, likened the maiden victory to that of his successor in the business, eventual seven-time drivers’ champion Jamie Whincup.
Dane highlighted that, as Whincup was by Todd Kelly that Sunday in Adelaide in 2006, Feeney was kept honest by Mostert for a considerable period of time.
What was different 16-and-a-half years ago, however, was that the race leader had two full seasons in the championship under his belt already at that point, unlike the young man now driving Car #88.
The 30-lap run to the finish is right at the upper reaches of any Super2 race which Feeney has completed, let alone having the pressure of leading a Championship affair with a two-time Bathurst 1000 winner just behind.
However, the daunting task was not a real problem.
“I’m pretty good out front,” asserted the rookie.
“Probably calmer than what I do when I’m normally in the pack.
“I could just focus on what I had to do and just focus on a lap time and trying to manage the gap behind.
“For sure, I mean, that last stint, I was trying not to get ahead of myself and just try to focus pushing and keeping myself concentrated because it’s pretty easy to get carried away.
“But, nah, I was just doing my thing, I was driving around.
“Just told the guys on the radio to keep me nice and calm and keep me focused, and just had to keep chipping away.”
There are few bigger stages in Supercars than the Adelaide 500, one of the category’s marquee events.
Asked in the post-race press conference if the achievement had sunk in yet, Feeney said, “I suppose it did when I walked out on the podium and everyone was screaming.
“I didn’t realise how much stuff goes on when you win a race you get out and get pulled in every direction so, nah, it’s been pretty cool, but I’m sure, later on tonight, it’ll sink in and [I will] realise what we’ve achieved.
“But, it was a pretty special moment, walking out in front of all the fans, everyone cheering, and good send-off for Holden.”
Feeney finished the season sixth in the drivers’ championship while team-mate Shane van Gisbergen won the title for the second year in a row.
Together, they also delivered the teams’ championship for Red Bull Ampol Racing, while Declan Fraser clinched the Super2 Series crown for Triple Eight in Adelaide as well.
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