Feeney fended off a spirited Kai Allen – who eventually suffered a mechanical failure – to take his second win from three starts in Sydney.
But it was heat, rather than his rivals, that proved Feeney’s biggest challenge aboard the Red Bull Ampol Racing Ford.
The 23-year-old revealed post-race that he’d been battling with his cool suit in the early stages of a race that began in sweltering conditions.
A clearly distressed Feeney sat down beside his Mustang in victory lane, soon attended to by crew and medical staff as he attempted to cool down.
“In the first couple of laps I’m like, ‘man, I’m getting heated’. My body was getting hotter and I could feel the tubes warming up my body,” he said.
“I was playing around with it and then obviously we got the plastic bag in the front, so the car was overheating as well.
“After the Safety Car I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it worked for about a lap, but after that I had Kai all over me so I couldn’t keep doing it.
“I did it again on the in-lap and it started cooling me down again. It’s obviously hot here today.
“I worked hard for that one… sorry I’m so cooked but I had nothing left there at the end.
“Sorry I couldn’t do a burnout for all the Ford fans as well.”
Ambulance service staff also attended Feeney’s BP Cooldown room commitments ahead of the podium ceremony.
Feeney’s teammate Will Brown also suffered in the heat and was taken to the medical centre after finishing 18th.
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