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In 2021, then-Erebus Motorsport driver Will Brown eased to victory after Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup fought hard for second and cost each other valuable time.
Coming through the field, van Gisbergen looked to have more pace than Whincup but was forced off the track by his seven-time title-winning teammate.
Brown took victory while Whincup and van Gisbergen had to settle for second and third respectively.
Three years later, Brown finds himself at the team he beat, and there’s every chance he and Triple Eight Race Engineering stablemate Broc Feeney could be at loggerheads at the same track.
“We’re allowed to race each other but don’t run into each other,” Brown told Speedcafe.
Look away, @redbullampol fans!
Relive the tense Race 28 finale between Whincup and van Gisbergen 👁👄👁 #RepcoSC pic.twitter.com/AKxweLyOol
— Supercars (@supercars) November 17, 2021
The pair have been top of the class this year. What’s clear though is that they’ve set the rules for engagement — race hard, but fair.
“Things do play in if there’s other cars close by and stuff like that that we can hinder each other’s results, so it’s a bit of a not one size fits all,” Brown told Speedcafe.com.
“We’re definitely allowed to race each other.”
The best battle between them to date took place in Taupō where the pair went bumper-to-bumper.
Although Feeney came out the other side of that battle worse off, he’s conscious that’s the way they’ll fight going forwards.
“I mean, it was pretty awesome racing,” Feeney told Speedcafe.
“Obviously I didn’t come off the best foot in that, but I think to race together for probably eight laps or something like that – I think he kissed me a couple of times on the rear bar, but that was about it – that’s the standard the team expects. We don’t want to touch.
“The team and us drivers, we don’t want to be running into each other. It’s not a good look for our partners or our team. Our 100 percent goal is not to do that, but the team will make sure we’re in a position not to be doing that.”
With six rounds run and six rounds to come, the title race is delicately poised as the season of endurance approaches.
Brown leads on 1515 points while Feeney trails him by a meagre 78 points.
“It’s a great chat to always be having if we’re at the front and fighting each other,” Feeney added.
“We want to beat everyone else. The rules have always been the same. You want to beat everyone else before you start fighting each other.
“So I think as we saw in Taupō, we had such a good margin that it was just free to race. Don’t touch each other, so it’s always like that.
“It was the same in Darwin – free to race, just look after each other. So it’s never ‘You’re not allowed to race each other’ or anything like that.”
Taking it to the track through a Sydney Sunset 🌅 #RedBullAmpol pic.twitter.com/VP9rsv29G3
— Red Bull Ampol Racing (@redbullampol) July 19, 2024
Feeney said he’s conscious that there will be times where either he or Brown is quicker, so a sensible approach is the way to go.
“Honestly, it is at a point where we are both fighting each other for a championship, so you do want to race each other,” said Feeney.
“But then on the flip side, like Townsville, Will was coming through with a lot of pace. I’m not going to hold him up and block him because I know that’ll go both ways for sure.”
Feeney is conscious that qualifying could be the decisive factor in whether he or Brown can win the title.
With the pair so evenly poised, there’s every chance the pair could suffer from ill-timed safety cars and double-stacking.
“We’re both focused so much on doing a good job in qualifying and setting each other up for the races,” said Feeney.
“Obviously, the fuel races there’s a bit more stacking risk, so you do want to be the car in front.
“It’s a big focus at the moment is trying to out-qualify the other car and try and stay in front throughout the races.
“As I said, we’re focused on beating everyone else first, but it’s obviously important to get some points back at this time of the year, for sure.”
