Brown's Bathurst Warning Shot Fired...
Will Brown has pledged to "have a crack" at the Mountain after securing an unexpected top-five finish due to penalties delaying the #888 Red Bull Ampol Ford Mustang.
Brown and Scott Pye finished fifth in Sunday's AirTouch 500 at The Bend, which turned into fourth after a post-race penalty was given to Penrite Racing's Matt Payne — one of nine different driving penalties that day.
Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup acknowledged that "too many errors" kept the Ford team from contending for victory, emphasizing the mistakes made in the early hours.
Pye himself received two 15-second penalties before handing over to Brown, who had a lot to accomplish. Pye was forced into the lane for repairs after a collision with James Courtney, followed by a clash with Reuben Goodall later on.
The #888 Mustang came to life for Brown, who climbed back into the top 10 after serving his penalties. Notably, Brown completed the 30 seconds of penalties following the third Safety Car, after which the race continued without interruption.
Brown ended up 44.4 seconds behind the winner, but only 25.9 seconds behind the second-placed Kai Allen car. Considering the #888 was stuck in traffic and the race circumstances favored Chaz Mostert's win, it was a matter of what might have been.
Brown was taken aback by the result, stating: "For us [#888], to receive two 15-second penalties, totaling 30 seconds, plus damage, a flat tire, and everything that happened to our car today... I was actually near the back going into the second last stint. To then finish in fourth place — amazing."
"It's promising for Bathurst, we'll be giving it our all — bring it on.”
Brown could only watch as his co-driver battled the conditions, with the latter's crash with Goodall being a significant setback after Pye had recovered from an earlier incident. The seasoned Pye kept the car on track, and as conditions improved, Brown re-entered the competition — but not without a close call.
On lap 100, Brown hit the damp pit exit line while attempting to pass Jack Le Brocq. He locked up, skidded across the wet grass and gravel, and managed to control a wild slide after hitting a puddle. “Those conditions were insane — we really didn't anticipate it,” Brown remarked. “We expected a bit of rain around 9/10 o'clock, but the rain today was unbelievable. The co-drivers, honestly, they all did an excellent job. The aquaplaning and the difficulty of those conditions were certainly on another level out there.”
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