Dual podiums in Darwin keeps streak alive 🏆
Round 5 - Supercars Championship
DARWIN, Northern Territory - Red Bull Ampol Racing star Wil Brown has continued his push towards the 2024 Supercars Championship, after posting two consistent results in Darwin to claim dual podium finishes in the top end.
After a busy schedule following Perth consisting of a NASCAR Cup start in Sonoma, Brown quickly flew back to Australia and headed to Darwin for Round 5 of the championship, shaking off the accompanying jet lag as he hit the Hidden Valley circuit.
The Red Bull Ampol Racing Team had the #87 dialled in the moment Brown was on track, scorching to the fastest lap time in opening practice, and then earning a spot in Saturday’s shootout after qualifying.
Tricky conditions wreaked havoc for the field by the time the shootout arrived on Saturday, with a high track temperature and intermittent winds creating technical conditions. Brown knuckled down for his one-lap sprint, charging to P6 in what was a hotly contested session.
Race 11 of the championship featured a long, gruelling 48 laps in the Northern Territory heat, with Brown making a series of passes throughout the race, slicing his way up into P3 by the time the checkered flag flew.
A busy Sunday greeted drivers, as qualifying, shootout, and race all featured on the same day. With temperatures climbing into the mid-30s, a tough afternoon was again on the horizon, testing the driver's performance and concentration in the heat.
Another blistering lap in qualifying saw Brown post the top time before an ultra-intense top-ten shootout saw the #87 line up in P3 for the race. Launching off the dirty side of the race track well, Brown quickly climbed to P2 and stalked the race leader for the remainder of the race.
A strategy play by the team saw the #87 pit a couple of laps after his teammate and race leader, with fresher tyres set to create a nail-biter in the dying stages of the race. Despite taking chunks of time out of the margin as the final laps arrived, it wasn’t enough for Brown to overcome the leader, earning him second place on the day.
With that, Brown’s lead atop the series standings is 108, as the series now heads to the streets of Townsville for Round 6 in July.
“It’s always a great weekend when you’re disappointed with two podiums,” commented Brown. “Broc did a better job in both qualifying sessions which allowed him to get the two wins. I felt like I had a really fast car and did what I had to in both races, but ultimately up here in Darwin, it’s very hard to pass, so if you don’t qualify well you’ll generally finish where you started. I was trying hard in the closing stages of the race to pass Broc but I knew by the time I got to him I’d be short on tyre life. I got within a second but then I started to get some wheel spin and struggled. After that, I knew it would be hard to close the gap further to make an attack, but overall I’m happy with the weekend we’ve had.”
Next Event (Round 6): July 5-7 – Townsville, Queensland
Supercars Championship Results Race 11 (Darwin Triple Crown):
- Broc Feeney, (Chevrolet)
- Mark Winterbottom, (Chevrolet)
- Will Brown, Red Bull Ampol Racing (Chevrolet)
Supercars Championship Results Race 12 (Darwin Triple Crown):
- Broc Feeney, (Chevrolet)
- Will Brown, Red Bull Ampol Racing (Chevrolet)
- Brodie Kostecki, (Chevrolet)
Supercars Championship Results after 5 of 12 rounds
- Will Brown, 1353 points
- Broc Feeney, 1245
- Chaz Mostert, 1074