Feeney optimistic about 2023 title chances
With a maiden victory in tow, Broc Feeney hopes he can fight for the 2023 Supercars title.
Feeney broke through at the VALO Adelaide 500 to claim his first Supercars win.
The 20-year-old became the second-youngest driver — after Scott McLaughlin in 2013 — to win a race.
The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver won’t have the ‘rookie’ tag for 2023.
He is still a chance to become the youngest ever champion should he get it done next year.
Craig Lowndes was aged 21 years, 11 months and 11 days when he won the 1996 title.
Feeney will be 22 years old before the 2024 season is out, meaning 2023 is his only chance to steal Lowndes’ record.
Roland Dane suggested Feeney's win was the birth of a champion, mirroring Jamie Whincup's 2006 win.
When asked if he could mount a title challenge next year, he replied: "I’d like to hope so, but it’s small steps at a time.
"No one knows what’s going to happen next year yet… we go to Gen3 and it’s a big reset for everyone.
"I’m sure we’re all hoping that we can challenge next year but maybe it’s someone we’re not even thinking about, so we’ll wait and see.
"It’s certainly a good way to end the year, though, and I’ve got the experience of leading a race now, and got the first win emotions out of the way.”
Feeney finished sixth overall, and also scored podiums in Tasmania and Sandown.
He recorded just one DNF — on the Gold Coast, in the chicane pile-up — and tallied 26 top 10s in 34 starts.
The Adelaide win was a smart result considering he claimed the Saturday race was his worst of the year.
"I think the second half has been better than the first half,” Feeney said of his 2022 campaign.
"We’ve been more competitive, a lot closer to the front, and probably more consistently in that top six… I felt like the pace has been there.
"Just had that early podium in Tassie, which probably got everyone’s hopes up.
"I think we’ve been pretty strong from probably Tailem Bend onwards. We’ve been in the mix.
"Gold Coast was a tough one… [yesterday] I came out and said it was my worst race because I ended up in the fence twice and made a lot of mistakes.
"I knew if I didn’t make mistakes [in Race 34], we had a fast car, and I qualified reasonably well.
“Then did a good lap in the Shootout and it just sort of all fell into place.
"I think all the stars aligned, but it’s good to get the first win and the monkey off the back.
"Hopefully we can kickstart next year on the right foot.”
Feeney is currently at a Red Bull training camp in Austria, with Gen3 testing to commence in late January and early February.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle next March.
Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
