What happened in the opening Boost Mobile Qualifying session?
Broc Feeney celebrates pole after a dramatic Queensland Raceway qualifying
The first part of Race 23 qualifying at the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 ended in unusual circumstances. With the clock running down, most drivers sought clear track space to complete two flying laps. Instead, several cars bunched together, approaching Turn 3. Cam Waters made contact with Kai Allen, while David Reynolds passed both drivers. The incident disrupted the flow of the session, causing prominent names such as Waters and Matt Payne to miss the cut for Q2.
Cars bunch up at Turn 3 in a bizarre qualifying traffic jam
Broc Feeney kept his cool to take his group to pole position with Triple Eight teammate Will Brown the second-fastest. Feeney clocked 1:08.1886s in Q1 and 1:08.1301s in Q2,respectively, to earn him the pole position in the Ipswich opener.
How did drivers react to the Q1 traffic jam?
Cam Waters described the situation as “a bit of a laugh” due to the scramble for position on the out lap. He explained that drivers were eager to be at the front to secure two timed laps. James Courtney, starting his 600th race from 12th, criticised the slow pace of front runners, stating it made life difficult for those further back in the pit lane.
Commentator Neil Crompton called the incident a “car park Grand Prix.” Former champion Mark Winterbottom said the championship leaders at the front were relaxed, while those at the back were pushing hard to get their tire temperature up. He added that such a scenario was unprecedented in his two decades of racing.
Were teams partly to blame for the congestion?
Garth Tander attributed the congestion to teams releasing cars too late from the pit lane. He noted that Jack Le Brocq, who went out early, was forced to abort a fast lap due to the traffic at Turn 3. Tander remarked he had not seen the situation “that bad before,” describing the last two minutes of Q1 as chaotic.
The plan by Erebus Motorsport to launch Le Brocq prematurely did not pay off, as he got stuck in the group of the slower cars. Due to the congested track conditions, some drivers were unable to complete a single flying lap, including Will Davison and James Golding.
Who made it through to Q2?
Despite the Q1 disruption, Feeney topped both qualifying segments, narrowly beating Brown by 0.1119s in Q2. The second row for the Ipswich opener will feature Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert. Brodie Kostecki, Anton De Pasquale, Cooper Murray, Kai Allen, Aaron Cameron, and Cam Hill completed the top 10 starters.
Wildcards Zach Bates and Cameron Crick qualified 21st and 25th, respectively. For Davison and Golding, the congestion proved costly, as they will start 24th and 26th.
What is at stake for Broc Feeney this weekend?
Feeney edged teammate Will Brown by just 0.1119s in Q2
Feeney could take the $50,000 bonus as the leader in the pole-position seasonal standings this weekend by capturing the three qualifying races. He is also a points leader with 220 points ahead of Brown, and he is in a good position to realise the first ever Supercars Sprint Cup Champion. With or without a Bathurst 1000 outcome, Feeney has enough points to his name to make it to the Finals.
How is the Ipswich Super 440 structured?
The Ipswich Super 440 features three races across the weekend. Saturday includes two qualifying sessions followed by 39-lap races on different tyre compounds. Sunday’s schedule has qualifying, a Top 10 Shootout, and a 63-lap race. The event marks Supercars’ return to Queensland Raceway after a five-year absence, with upgrades made under new ownership.
Support categories include the Super2 Series, Porsche Carrera Cup, GR Cup, and the Australian Superbike Championship.
Final thoughts
The strange finish of the Q1 at the Queensland Raceway made the beginning of the Ipswich Super 440 weekend not easily challenging. Though it was infuriating to a few of the drivers, Feeney used the traffic to place himself in pole position and give his championship hopes again. Having several races and qualifying duels to go, the choice of track positioning and pit line up strategy will continue to be a determining measure in the rest of the round.
