Supercars champ storms from last to first in extraordinary Adelaide ‘smash up derby’

The 2024 Supercars season has ended in extraordinary drama with newly crowned champion Will Brown storming from last to first to claim victory in a race filled with carnage in Adelaide.

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Brown, who on Saturday secured the championship, wasn’t the first across the line in Sunday’s street circuit event – that honour belonged to Red Bull Racing teammate Broc Feeney.

But Feeney was holding a 30-second penalty at the chequered flag for two massive incidents with rival Chaz Mostert that ruined both drivers’ shot at victory.

Mostert had led the majority of the race after starting on the front row alongside Feeney. But the race unravelled for the duo after they tangled exiting pit lane on lap 50, with Feeney penalised for an unsafe release.

With that 15-second penalty hanging over his head, the youngster threw everything at Mostert – and it ended in heartbreak when the Red Bull star made contact once again.

“Why wouldn’t he have just let him go?” Supercars great Mark Skaife questioned of Mostert.

Describing it as “unbelievable scenes”, racing legend Neil Crompton could not understand why Mostert had not let Feeney through – given that time penalty – and avoided the drama.

“It’s an extraordinary scenario,” he said.

“Mark was openly questioning why you would bother to race – I responded with ‘there’ll be pride in this and the risk if you play too hard, there’ll be contact’ and bam!

“What a moment.

“(Mostert) wasn’t in the mood to yield and Broc wasn’t in the mood to take any notice of the 15-second penalty.”

As a result of the secondary contact, Feeney copped another 15-second penalty and with the time added on finished seventh, while Mostert was left fighting off the pack with a damaged rear.

Despite the drama for Feeney, the event belonged to his teammate Brown who became the toast of the Supercars world.

“I’m actually speechless! That’s an extraordinary comeback,” Crompton said.

“That is surreal to be able to climb back through the field.”

After already securing the crown heading into Sunday’s final race, Brown impressed after being sent to the back of the grid in a lap 10 tangle with Brodie Kostecki – the man he claimed the title of series champion from.

Brown had been sitting in third when he attempted to make a move on Red Bull Racing teammate Broc Feeney, but instead tagged the wall and lost pace.

As a result, Kostecki tried to get the jump but made contact with Brown, turning the 2024 champion around.

That moment sparked a flurry of “absolutely mad” moments through the field with Tim Slade turned around tussling with Mark Winterbottom, Cam Waters got up on two wheels after contact with Will Davison and Cooper Murray went into the tyres from contact with Waters.

As a result, Waters, Kostecki, Winterbottom and Anton de Pasquale – who made the contact with Ryan Wood that sparked the Waters/Davison tussle – all copped 15-second penalties.

“It looks bad for Brodie,” Supercars great Mark Skaife said of the Brown/Kostecki contact.

“That one (penalty) is pretty harsh one I reckon. At the end of the day, it comes mostly from Will Brown being around the outside when he made contact with the fence.

“Brodie really had nowhere to go, he fired down the inside.”

Brown refused to give in after his Kostecki bump and mowed down the field – taking a damaged Mostert with more than 10 laps to go to get into second.

Matt Payne finished the race laps down and without a front bonnet after his early race drama.

The Kiwi was one of a host of drivers who limped home after a race that resembled “the wacky races”, Crompton said.

“It’s a smash-up derby!” Skaife added.

Speaking after hanging onto his podium spot, Mostert admits he was driving “blind” as he tried to fight off Feeney.

“I was probably a little bit worried about his pace to be honest,” he said of the decision not to let Feeney through.

“If he got in clean air, he was going to be really fast.

“I didn’t have the right hand mirror at that point … I’m like, I don’t think he’s up that far up. I was kind of blind there – it happens.

“I had to drive a three-tyre car back across the line.

“There’s probably three or four guys pretty p**sed off with me.”

Thomas Randle rounded out the podium after fighting off veteran Will Davison in the final laps.