Cruel luck for Cam Waters set up a fairytale victory for DEWALT Racing’s Mark Winterbottom in the first race of the Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley.
Polesitter Cam Waters made the best start in his Monster Energy Racing Ford Mustang at the end of the first lap, but it failed to continue after the opening corner of the second when it burst into flames. Water stopped exiting Turn 4 as the Mustang was engulfed by flames, with him exiting and marshals aiding in putting the fire out.
This wasn’t the end of bad news for the Tickford Racing team as James Courtney was spun entering the front straight and dropped to the back.
A safety car was the result and pit stops ensued leading to a Team 18 tyre being knocked into the fast lane from Scott Pye’s Hino Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 leading to a penalty post-race. On the restart, there was a concertina effect within the midfield, which aided the frontrunners to break away.
With all this chaos, Winterbottom led the way from Feeney and Davison, while championship leader Brodie Kostecki moved to fifth behind Bryce Fullwood in the Middy’s Racing Chevrolet, but ahead of both Shane van Gisbergen as well as key title rival, but also teammate Will Brown.
Behind van Gisbergen and Brown, Optus Mobil 1 Racing’s Chaz Mostert was undertaking a big charge from 17th to eighth in a weekend he has struggled in so far. Anton De Pasquale made it two Shell V-Power Racing Mustangs in the top 10 as the squad targeted a turnaround of form.
Tim Slade completed the top 10 in the Nulon Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, but had Jack Le Brocq, Scott Pye, Cameron Hill, Macauley Jones, James Golding, Andre Heimgartner and Thomas Randle for company.
Up the front, Feeney was making one last play on the win as Winterbottom still held a 0.5s margin, with Davison a distant third. The gap between the two closed at Turn 6, but the veteran held on to take a breakthrough victory for the team.
Only two retirements occurred with Waters and TRADIE Racing teammate Declan Fraser, who was spun off exiting Turn 4 causing a grass fire, while Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds endured a delaminating tyre on his Ford Mustang at the start.
Tomorrow’s action begins with qualifying for Races 14 and 15 at 9:30am ACST/10:00am AEST.