After Matt Payne snatched pole position by a tiny margin of 0.0078s in morning Qualifying, Cam Waters won the start and Payne snuck past after a lap. But before that lap ended, and under pressure from Broc Feeney’s Chevrolet Camaro, the two Mustangs clashed at the final corner.
Tickford’s Racing’s Waters ended up climbing out of his Mustang that was wedged against a concrete carrier while Payne, with broken suspension, was parked on the grass verge on the outside of the last corner.
Waters remonstrated with Payne before walking back to the pits, while a Safety Car led the remaining cars through the pitlane.
“Obviously I didn’t quite get the start I said I was going to get,” Payne shrugged.
“I didn’t think there was any need to hit me off at the second-to-last corner. I was there, he didn’t know I was there. “Disappointing, but it is what it is.”
Waters had a different view; “I pulled a pretty cool pass on me at [Turn] 11, I tried to get him at 12. I came across, I don’t know if he didn’t know I was there; if he didn’t, it’s pretty bad spatial awareness. “I will pick my bottom lip up and try again tomorrow.”
While the mess was being cleared away, Feeney, Brown and WAU’s Chaz Mostert led the remaining cars around and, with the race shortened to just 10 of the scheduled 14 laps, not even a strong challenge from Mostert could dislodge the Red Bull-backed T8 cars, Feeney winning by 1.79sec.
“Another ripper start, which was great,” said Feeney, after his second win of the weekend. “Those boys were racing for sheep stations, I tried to capitalize when I could.
“That is the first time I think everyone had pushed flat-out. “We have to pass a few more cars tomorrow.”
Brown was pleased with second, and to maintain his series lead, after starting from sixth on the grid.
Behind Mostert, David Reynolds had a great run to fourth in the Team18 Chevrolet, ahead of the Erebus Camaros of Jack Le Brocq and Todd Hazelwood, who gained eight places during the race.
Brown still leads the championship on 506, ahead of Feeney on 494 and Mostert on 423.
Sunday’s race will see the two adversaries line up second (Payne) and third (Waters), with Mostert starting on pole position. After a troubled qualifying session Feeney will start from sixth and Brown from ninth.
