A dramatic oil spill caused chaos in the race, but Feeney emerged victorious in Adelaide's qualifying round, leaving Mostert in his wake.
Feeney, in the #88 Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro, set an impressive time of 1:18.9640s, narrowly beating Chaz Mostert in the #25 Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford Mustang by a mere 0.1643s.
The race took a turn when Andre Heimgartner's engine gave out, which may have been the deciding factor in Feeney securing pole position. Cameron Waters and Brodie Kostecki were poised to challenge for the top spot, but fate had other plans. As they approached the final turn, they slipped on oil from the #8 Brad Jones Racing Camaro, causing Waters to veer onto the grass and Kostecki to collide with the tyre barrier at high speed.
Waters managed to secure third place, while Kostecki, despite the damage, finished fourth. Feeney's performance was record-breaking, surpassing Scott McLaughlin's previous record of 16 from 26 races in 2017. Feeney expressed his excitement, acknowledging the advantage of starting at the front of the pit lane.
But here's where it gets controversial. Feeney admitted to struggling during the qualifying session, barely making it to Q2. However, a quick tune-up transformed his car's performance. Mostert, on the other hand, secured his fastest lap before Heimgartner's car malfunctioned, attributing his success to good track position and warm tyres.
The first qualifying leg was intense, with Will Brown and Kai Allen initially placing 16th and 17th, respectively. Allen climbed to eighth, while Brown's efforts fell short, leaving him 12th, just outside the top 10. The second leg saw Kostecki set the initial pace, only to be surpassed by Waters and ultimately Feeney, whose time remained unbeaten.
And this is the part most people miss—the drama that unfolded with Heimgartner's engine explosion. Despite the smoke signals, Kostecki went off-road, and Waters missed the apex by a significant margin. This sealed the order, with Feeney taking the top spot, followed by Mostert, Waters, Kostecki, and Wood. The top 10 was completed by Murray, Allen, Payne, De Pasquale, and Heimgartner.
What do you think about Feeney's record-breaking performance? Was it a result of skill, luck, or a combination of both? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
