Supercars News: Feeney race 3 of Sydney 500 weekend

Broc Feeney capped off the Repco Supercars Championship’s season-opening Dunlop Sydney 500 with a hard-fought victory in Race 3, navigating a race riddled with drama, rain, and mechanical failures to claim the win in his #88 Red Bull Ampol Mustang.

Key Highlights

– Early Clash (Lap 2): Multi-car incident involving Stewart, Reynolds, Gray, Hill, and others; Gray penalized.
– Golding’s Wheel Drama (Lap 29): Left-rear wheel detachment triggered Safety Car, with sparks flying as Golding limped back.
– Rain-Soaked Restart (Lap 34): Allen’s audacious outside pass on Feeney at Turn 1, followed by his costly mistake at Turn 8.
– Mid-Pack Mayhem (Lap 35): Brown’s contact spun Kostecki and De Pasquale; Brown penalized.
– Late Failures: Allen’s steering arm issue and Cameron’s final-lap spin after clashing with Kostecki, who was penalized post-race.
– Waters’ Charge: From 20th to third, showcasing strong recovery pace

Starting from pole after a stunning Top 10 Shootout performance, Feeney fended off early challenges from Matt Payne and teammate Kai Allen, only to face escalating chaos as the weather turned and rivals faltered. This marked Feeney’s second win of the weekend, bookending the event after his Race 1 success.

The race kicked off under dry conditions, with Feeney holding off a bold door-banging move from Payne’s #19 Penrite Mustang into Turn 1. Payne attempted to stick around the outside through Turn 2 but couldn’t complete the pass at Turn 3, settling into second. Behind them, Lap 2 brought early turmoil when Jobe Stewart overtook David Reynolds at Turn 4, sending both wide. This triggered a chain reaction: Rylan Gray clipped Cameron Hill’s #14 Dare Supra into a spin, while the #20 Snowy River Camaro pirouetted off the #9 Chiko Camaro’s nose. Gray earned a 15-second penalty for his role in the incident.

By Lap 5, Feeney had built a one-second buffer over Allen, with James Golding in third, Anton De Pasquale fourth, and Will Brown fifth. Erebus Motorsport’s Brodie Kostecki climbed five spots to sixth, while Cameron Waters surged from 20th on the grid to 10th in the opening stint. Pit stops began shaking up the order—Payne pitted early on Lap 12, Feeney on Lap 16, and Kostecki ran long until Lap 21. Post-stops, Feeney led Allen by nearly three seconds, with De Pasquale jumping Golding before they swapped back on Lap 23. Payne’s undercut propelled him to fifth.

Disaster struck for Golding on Lap 29 when his #7 CoolDrive Mustang’s left-rear wheel worked loose, sparking dramatically before detaching entirely at the final sweeper and rolling across the track. This prompted a Safety Car, and as the field bunched up, rain arrived in force. Most teams gambled on staying on slicks, but Jayden Ojeda and Declan Fraser switched to wets—a bold but ultimately fruitless call as the downpour eased.

The Lap 34 restart was pure bedlam on the slick, greasy surface. Allen executed a breathtaking outside pass on Feeney at Turn 1, briefly seizing the lead. However, Allen’s error at the resurfaced Turn 8 hairpin allowed Feeney to reclaim the top spot. Further back, Brown attempted an inside move on Kostecki, who was sandwiched with De Pasquale on his outside. The contact spun Kostecki’s #888 Mustang and De Pasquale’s #18 DeWalt Camaro; Brown copped a 15-second penalty. Waters capitalized on the melee, rocketing to fourth by Lap 35.

Want insane racing? Just add water 💧#RepcoSC #Supercars pic.twitter.com/rviLlzprPQ

— Supercars (@supercars) February 22, 2026

Allen continued pressuring Feeney, even tapping him at Turn 2 on Lap 37, but his charge ended abruptly on Lap 46 when his #26 Penrite Mustang’s left-front wheel wobbled, forcing a pit stop for a suspected steering arm failure and costing him multiple laps. The closing stages settled into relative calm, with Feeney pulling away to a near-four-second lead over Payne. Waters secured third after his remarkable charge from the back.

On the final lap, Aaron Cameron—running a strong fourth in the #3 Liqui-Moly Mustang—spun after contact with Kostecki’s #17 Shell V-Power Mustang. Kostecki received a post-race 15-second penalty, dropping him from fourth to 12th and elevating Walkinshaw TWG Racing’s Toyotas: Chaz Mostert to fourth and Ryan Wood to fifth. Jack Le Brocq, Andre Heimgartner, Cameron Hill, Thomas Randle, and Macauley Jones rounded out the top 10. Notably, all five new Toyota Supras finished in the top 10, a strong showing for the marque.

Feeney’s win wasn’t without personal drama. He battled a failed cool suit from the early laps, which trapped warm water against his body in a cockpit exceeding 50°C, leaving him “cooked” by race’s end. A plastic bag lodged in his Mustang’s front grille also caused engine temperatures to spike to 97°C—perilously close to critical failure—forcing an early pit stop. Despite these hurdles, Feeney delivered a masterclass in resilience.

Driver Reactions and Insights

Feeney’s victory was hailed as a testament to endurance, with reports emphasizing his physical toll. Post-race, he revealed battling a malfunctioning cool suit that turned into a “heating pad,” combined with an overheating engine from debris: “It’s pretty hard… I was like ‘man I’m getting heated.’ I worked hard for that one… sorry I’m so cooked.” Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup noted the engine hit 97°C, “three degrees away from very bad.”

Other outlets focused on the broader championship implications, noting how the “manic” finale derailed several contenders like Golding, Allen, Brown, De Pasquale, Kostecki, and Cameron. The wet-dry conditions amplified the drama, with the safety car restart described as a “thriller” that exposed strategic gambles. Despite the chaos, Feeney’s composure secured the win, setting a strong tone ahead of the series’ next round at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Race Results: Sydney 500, Race 3 – 52 Laps