Brown takes points lead in action-packed Race 6

Defending Supercars champion Will Brown has taken the points lead in an incident-packed Race 6 at the MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint, which was shortened due to two Safety Cars.

The 2024 Larry Perkins Trophy is in the box seat to win again in 2025 after stealing the lead away from Triple Eight Race Engineering teammate Broc Feeney through Turn 1.

Brown held off Feeney to win by 0.5211s in the second Red Bull Ampol one-two of the weekend, with Nick Percat surviving a late scare to deny Brodie Kostecki and Will Davison the final spot on the podium.

Cam Waters recovered from 19th to ninth, but Brown claimed the maximum 80 points available to turn a pre-event 60-point deficit into an 11-point leading heading into Sunday. Brown also took the weekend points lead away from Friday winner Cameron Hill, who finished 10th.

The finishing order and Brown's lead remain provisional, though, with four post-race investigations set, including one involving seventh-place finisher Chaz Mostert.

Mostert sent James Golding into the Turn 11 gravel trap on lap 1 to trigger the first Safety Car, before Cooper Murray crashed at the same corner on lap 6.

"It feels really good to get another podium here in front of this massive crowd, it's amazing," Brown said.

"I started off second, and I wanted to get the jump, we were able to do that and manage the race from there.

"It was a really fast pace then, I think with the Safety Cars everyone was going flat out, so it was hot out there. We weren't sure what the tyres were going to do, but we ended up bringing it home in first."

Just as Hill did to Feeney on Friday, Brown got the jump and took the lead through Turn 1. Behind them, the race kicked off; Davison got into Murray, who sent Matt Payne into a spin at Turn 1. The incident left Thomas Randle with nowhere to go, with the #55 Castrol Ford sustaining front right damage.

Through Turn 4, Bryce Fullwood collided with David Reynolds as Randle slowed, with the #20 TRADIE Energy Chevrolet spinning in front of the field.

Up at Turn 8, Murray bowled a wide and narrowly avoided the wall, before Mostert careened into Golding at Turn 11.

With the #31 PremiAir Chevrolet beached, the Safety Car was deployed. Brown led the field to green on lap 4, with Feeney, Percat, Davison, Kostecki, Ryan Wood, Richie Stanaway, Hill, Mostert and Murray the top 10.

Wood immediately got on the offensive, forcing Kostecki to defend along pit wall and through Turn 1.

Percat then attacked Feeney and got down the inside at the final corner, and took second through Turn 1. Behind them, Mostert passed Stanaway for seventh, with Waters passing Murray and Hill to get into the top 10.

Despite nursing damage, Mostert set the fastest lap of the race on lap 5 as Percat hounded Brown. Kostecki then jumped teammate Davison for fourth, as Murray was sent into the Turn 11 gravel trap by Macauley Jones.

Brown took the green flag on lap 9, and Feeney pounced on Percat for second at Turn 1. As Feeney closed on Brown, Waters passed Stanaway for ninth at Turn 3.

Feeney made a statement by setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 10, before Brown responded with the fastest lap of his own on lap 12. Down the field. Hill passed Stanaway through Turn 3, opening the door for Payne to take 11th.

Brown held sway from there, controlling the race to claim an 11th victory in Supercars. Percat, meanwhile, fought off power steering woes on the final lap to deny Kostecki and Davison the final spot on the podium.

The Supercars action will conclude on Sunday with Race 7 at 10:25am local time.