Feeney wins slippery Sydney 500 closer, agony for Allen

Feeney staved off an attack from Matt Payne in the #19 Penrite Mustang at the start of the race and another assault from his teammate Kai Allen driving the #26 Penrite Mustang to secure victory in the #88 Red Bull Ampol Mustang.

Payne claimed second while Cameron Waters in the #6 Monster Mustang pulled off an impressive drive from 20th to third.

At the start, Payne and Feeney banged doors on the way down to Turn 1. Payne tried to hang around the outside of Turn 2 but couldn’t complete the switchback at Turn 3 and conceded.

There was an awkward clash that skittled several cars on Lap 2, which began with Jobe Stewart putting a pass on David Reynolds at Turn 4, which cast them wide.

Jayden Ojeda, Cameron Hill, and Rylan Gray all looked like they had cleared Stewart and Reynolds. However, moments later, Gray got into the left rear corner of Hill’s car and sent the #14 Dare Supra spinning.

Simultaneously, the #20 Snowy River Camaro spun off the nose off the #9 Chiko Camaro. The only penalty to come out of that was Gray getting a 15-second penalty.

By Lap 5, Feeney had a one-second gap on Allen. Golding was third and De Pasquale fourth while Brown was the last of the top five runners.

Kostecki was one of the biggest movers in the first 10 laps, moving up five places to sixth. Cameron Waters also made big strides up 10 places to 10th.

Payne was the first top 10 driver to pit at the end of Lap 12 out of seventh. Feeney, from the lead, pitted on Lap 16. Kostecki ran long, pitting on Lap 21.

Once the first round of pit stops were completed, it was Feeney who led Allen to the tune of nearly three seconds. De Pasquale leap-frogged Golding, though they swapped places on Lap 23. Payne, meanwhile, rose to fifth thanks to the undercut.

Golding’s hopes of another Supercars podium were dashed when the left rear wheel came loose. The wheel finally parted company at the final sweeper and crossed the track before coming to a rest on the verge of the track.

Despite the looming threat of rain, everyone who could came to the pits. Feeney retained the lead of the race ahead of Allen, De Pasquale, Brown, and Kostecki.

In the midst of the Safety Car, the rain arrived. Ojeda and Fraser pitted for wet tyres – a spirited call that ultimately didn’t pay dividends.

Despite the rain, most elected to stay out.

The race resumed on Lap 34 with Feeney in front of Allen, De Pasquale, Brown, Kostecki, Payne, Cameron, Waters, Mostert, and Le Brocq.

Allen kept pace with Feeney on the restart and threw it around the outside at Turn 1 with a remarkable pass. However, Allen’s mistake at Turn 8 opened the door for Feeney to retake the lead.

Behind them, there was bedlam as Brown tried to go up the inside of Kostecki, who had De Pasquale on his outside. Kostecki got stuck in the sandwich, and the #888 Red Bull Ampol Mustang and the #18 DeWalt Camaro went spinning. Brown was investigated and given a 15-second penalty.

Waters was the biggest mover amid all the madness to fourth by Lap 35.

At the front of the field, the Penrite Mustangs piled pressure on Feeney. On Lap 37, Allen got into the back of Feeney at Turn 2 and nearly spun the race leader.

There was drama on Lap 46 when Allen’s left front wheel began to wobble. He pulled the #26 Penrite Mustang into the pits where it lost several laps with a suspected steering arm failure.

The final stanza of the race was an uneventful affair. Feeney stretched his legs out to a lead nearing four seconds over Payne while Waters was third.

Aaron Cameron was the quiet achiever in the #3 Liqui-Moly Blahst Mustang in fourth, but spun on the last lap thanks to wheel-to-wheel contact with Kostecki’s #17 Shell V-Power Mustang.

Kostecki was duly delivered a 15-second post-race time penalty, which dumped him from fourth to 12th.

That promoted the two Walkinshaw TWG Racing Toyotas of Mostert and Wood to fourth and fifth respectively.

Jack Le Brocq, Andre Heimgartner, Cameron Hill, Thomas Randle, and Macauley Jones completed the top 10.

The Repco Supercars Championship has a one-weekend break before returning for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Dunlop Sydney 500, Race 3