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The Triple Eight driver has revealed that he was initially part of the team’s plans to contest two overseas rounds of the Intercontinental GT Challenge – the 24 Hours of Spa and the Indianapolis 8 Hour.
However he decided to inform Triple Eight that he won’t be available for the races in a bid to focus on his Supercars commitments.
Both races fall a week before a Supercars race weekend, with Spa right before the Townsville 500 and Indy right before the Bathurst 1000.
“I haven’t really spoken about it openly, but I was locked in for [Intercontinental GT Challenge], so the [Bathurst] 12 Hour I was in the Pro car and then Spa 24 and Indy 8 Hour,” Feeney told The Driver’s Seat radio show.
“For me it’s very exciting to have these opportunities to race in them with Triple Eight, but I had to come to myself and have a really good think about it this year.
“My 100 per cent focus is always Supercars, and I feel this year more than ever.
“I’ve knocked back to do those races, I’ve told them I don’t want to do Spa 24 and Indy 8 Hour just because it falls a week before Townsville and the Bathurst 1000.
“Everyone I talk to is like, ‘oh my god, are you serious? You’re turning down these events?’. But I’m trying to be a bit more mature about it.
“I spoke to everyone at the team. I sort of go, I believe I’m in a position where in a couple of years, or next year, I will be able to go and do these races. I feel like the opportunity will still be there. So I’m trying to take it in as much as I can this year to really focus on Supercars.
“It was a hard one. These are bucket list races that I could have done. But I feel I’ve made the right decision.
“Obviously I’m going to be kicking myself watching it on TV. But I couldn’t live with myself if I had shocker the next weekend.
“Racing on the other side of the planet, there is a lot of complications that come with it. So I think I’ve mad the right decision.”
The T8 IGTC programme will be run in conjunction with Johor Motorsports Racing, with Mercedes-AMG junior Jordan Love to anchor the car at Spa and Indy.
