Brown, Feeney 'lucky' to avoid out-lap collision

Will Brown, Broc Feeney 'lucky' to avoid out-lap collision
Brown beat Feeney to Larry Perkins Trophy
Triple Eight teammates separated by 17 points heading to Taupō

Will Brown and Broc Feeney have detailed how their Melbourne weekend nearly went awry following an out-lap near-miss.

Red Bull Ampol Racing teammates Brown and Feeney finished second and third in a chaotic finale won by Matt Stone Racing driver Nick Percat.

Brown raced from ninth to second, clinching the Larry Perkins Trophy, with Feeney racing from sixth to third.

However, both drivers’ days — and Perkins Trophy hopes — almost ended before they even started, with Brown nearly wiping out Feeney on the way to the grid.

"I was just not looking to be honest, it was probably my fault,” Brown recounted.

“I was warming up my tyres and Broc went past me, and it scared the shit out of me.

"I thought, 'frig, I nearly just took out both of our cars on the warm-up lap.’ Luckily it didn't happen, I would have been in trouble, I might have been fired already!

“It was very lucky.”

Feeney admitted he nearly did the same before Saturday’s race, which he won after a clash between Ford rivals Matt Payne and Cam Waters.

It wasn’t the first instance of out-lap drama in Melbourne, with Feeney citing the 2019 clash that ruled out Waters and Scott McLaughlin.

"I did the same yesterday actually, cause I was starting a row ahead,” Feeney said.

"So, I thought I would just try and pass him here, and as I went to go pass, I saw him sort of jink to the left. I'm like, 'I wonder what he's doing.’

“It was nearly Cam and Scotty Mac here a few years ago. But it didn't happen, we haven't touched, and we'll try not to.”

Brown leads Feeney by 17 points heading to the next round in New Zealand on April 19-21.