MOTORSPORT: Camaros dominate in the West
Red Bull and Coca-Cola crews star as intrateam battle fires upRed Bull Ampol Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney, plus Coca-Cola Racing’s Will Brown were winners in the West, while the latter’s teammate Brodie Kostecki extended his championship lead as the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship made its annual journey to Wanneroo Raceway on the weekend.
A highlight of the weekend was the opening race battle between van Gisbergen and Kostecki, with the reigning champion ultimately forging his way to victory.
“It’s pretty awesome,” van Gisbergen said of the encounter.
“It was on the edge of what’s legal and what’s not. I love that stuff, but it’s a fine line with what’s allowed in our rules.
“He got a bad sportsmanship flag, and I’m not allowed to bump him out of the way.
“It’s a grey area in our rules, in a one-on-one battle, you should be allowed to do what you want.
“They gave him a warning, [but] you want to be allowed to race for the lead.”
At the start of that opening race, Kostecki jumped ahead of polesitter van Gisbergen, however, the duo engaged in an entertaining scrap just prior to the compulsory pit stop.
Running long on the first stint, but coming home strongly on fresh tyres in the closing laps, van Gisbergen had to work his way through from fourth on the track to the lead, which he spectacularly claimed with two circuits remaining following an extended stoush with Kostecki.
Kostecki, for his part, finished the race under the shadow of a bad sportsmanship flag, while his Erebus team protested van Gisbergen’s driving, which was struck out by the stewards.
David Reynolds was a close third at the finish, from Todd Hazelwood and James Courtney.
Will Brown bounced back from a lacklustre Saturday to claim pole for the Sunday opener, and dominated proceedings to lead home the team’s first-ever one-two, with Kostecki a clear second place ahead of James Courtney, who returned to form after an incident-packed opening to the season.
Chaz Mostert was another improver in fourth, ahead of van Gisbergen, who claimed fifth from ninth on the grid.
The top Ford runners were otherwise in the wars, with Anton De Pasquale assessed a 15sec penalty for his part in an incident with Reynolds, which dropped the latter down the finishing order.
In the finale, Broc Feeney converted pole into his third win in four events, racing away from the field for a convincing victory over Brown, Kostecki, Reynolds and Mostert.
Next up for the Supercars Championship is the Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint at Symmons Plains Raceway over May 19-21.
* Meantime yesterday former Aussie Supercars champ Scott McLaughlin drove to his first victory of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park.
McLaughlin drove to his fourth career victory in the No.3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet by 1.7854sec over runner-up and NTT P1 Award winner Romain Grosjean in the No.28 Delaware Life/DHL Honda. The Kiwi and 2021 NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year was the fourth different winner in as many races this season.
Reigning series champion Will Power from Toowoomba finished third in the No.12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, notching up his first podium of the season.
Australian Supercars Wanneroo results:
Race 7 – 42 laps
- Shane van Gisbergen (Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet Camaro)
- Brodie Kostecki (Coca-Cola Chevrolet Camaro)
- David Reynolds (Penrite Ford Mustang)
- Todd Hazelwood (CoolDrive Ford Mustang)
- James Courtney (Snowy River Ford Mustang)
- Matthew Payne (Penrite Ford Mustang)
- Tim Slade (Nulon Chevrolet Camaro)
- Will Davison (Shell V-Power Ford Mustang)
- Thomas Randle (Castrol Ford Mustang)
- Broc Feeney (Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet Camaro)
Race 8 – 42 laps
- Will Brown (Coca-Cola Chevrolet Camaro)
- Brodie Kostecki
- James Courtney
- Chaz Mostert (Optus Ford Mustang)
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Will Davison
- Todd Hazelwood
- Cameron Waters (Monster Ford Mustang)
- Matthew Payne
- Andre Heimgartner (R&J Batteries Chevrolet Camaro)
Race 9 – 42 laps
- Broc Feeney
- Will Brown
- Brodie Kostecki
- David Reynolds
- Chaz Mostert
- Cameron Waters
- Will Davison
- Tim Slade
- James Courtney
- Scott Pye (Toyota Forklifts Chevrolet Camaro)
Championship points:
- Brodie Kostecki – 784
- Chaz Mostert – 684
- Shane van Gisbergen – 648
- Will Brown – 613
- Broc Feeney – 569
- David Reynolds – 533
- Cameron Waters – 523
- Andre Heimgartner – 492
- Will Davison – 463
- Jack Le Brocq – 433
Related: MOTORSPORT: Two TCR World Tour events for Oz
Related: MOTORSPORT: Supercars ace racing for a cause at Bathurst
Related: MOTORSPORT: Kostecki breaks through at Albert Park
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