MOTORSPORT: Heimgartner and Brown share NZ Supercars success

The Repco Supercars Championship has made a successful return to New Zealand, with the ITM Taupo Super400 turning on a contrasting pair of races in front of a packed house at Taupo International Motorsport Park on the weekend.

While the race wins were split between local favourite Andre Heimgartner and championship leader Will Brown, Anton De Pasquale had a welcome return to form for the Shell V-Power Racing squad, claiming overall honours and the coveted Jason Richards Trophy.

Saturday’s race was held exclusively on a wet track, which paved the way for some mixed results, while Sunday’s dry encounter saw a resumption of Triple Eight Race Engineering’s dominance of the early season rounds, with Broc Feeney finishing a close second behind his teammate.

Cameron Waters’ pole position didn’t count for much in a sodden race one.

The Monster Mustang driver got entangled with Tim Slade and Brown on the run to the first turn, which saw Slade and Waters make significant contact, bringing out the safety car to retrieve Slade’s stricken machine.

Broc Feeney and Matthew Payne also spun down the order at the opening corner.

The race didn’t resume for long before Bryce Fullwood was spun at the far hairpin, but with engine issues he was unable to restart, resulting in the second safety car appearance.

Subsequently, chaos ensued, with practically all of the field stopping, which resulted in teams double stacking and multiple cars coming into contact.

Brodie Kostecki’s first outing for 2024 proved to be tough – the reigning champion earned a 15-second penalty for his part in an incident that temporarily sidelined James Courtney and David Reynolds.

By this stage, Heimgartner found himself in the lead and engaged in a brilliant battle with Chaz Mostert, who fell by the wayside on lap 42 of 60 when a rear wheel fell off his Mustang following his second pit stop.

Heimgartner retained the lead as the rain increased in the run to the chequered flag, finishing ahead of the Dick Johnson Racing duo of Will Davison and De Pasquale, with Ryan Wood highly impressive in fourth.

Jack Le Brocq was fifth from Richie Stanaway, James Golding, the recovering Waters, championship leader Brown and Jaxon Evans, the second Kiwi rookie after Wood to claim a top-10 at home.

Despite threatening skies, Sunday ran in dry conditions throughout, resulting in a much more straightforward race.

Payne led the field away from his maiden pole position, heading Feeney and De Pasquale, before fading prior to the first pit stops.

From fifth on the grid, Brown proved to be the mover in the race, with his battle with teammate Feeney a highlight.

With seven laps to go, Brown made a forceful move for the ultimate win stick, with Feeney holding on for second from De Pasquale, Payne, Golding, a fast-finishing Heimgartner, Mostert, Le Brocq, Waters and Wood in 10th.

Next up for the Supercars championship is the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint at Wanneroo Raceway, with a pair of twilight races to be held over May 18-19.

Race 1 – 60 laps

Race 2 – 60 laps

Championship points:

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