Testing Times At T8...

Will Brown provides insight into the situation and supports Broc Feeney as Triple Eight has relinquished both championship leads to Penrite Racing. Feeney remains in second place, with Brown moving closer to sixth in the standings. Will Brown has discussed Red Bull Ampol Racing's unusual performance in Darwin and Townsville, insisting they are not far off track.

For the first time since 2006, Triple Eight has not achieved a podium finish over a six-race stretch, resulting in the team losing pit lane priority to Penrite Racing and Broc Feeney losing the top spot in the drivers' championship. This year also marks Triple Eight's lowest win and podium rate at this stage of a season since 2016. However, it's important to remember that Shane van Gisbergen secured podium finishes in the last 10 races of 2016 to claim his first title. Unlike 2016, when they had a reliable VF Commodore package, this year presents a different challenge as they work on the Ford Mustang while also offering homologation support to Ford.

With teams like Penrite Racing, Dick Johnson Racing, and Tickford having a three-year advantage, it hasn't been business as usual for the 13-time teams' champions. "To be honest, Broc had a pretty good start to the season. Darwin was obviously a tough round, and then here, to not be that far behind and still second in the championship shows that his first part of the season was actually quite strong," said Brown on his Lucky Dogs podcast. "He also had a DNF at the Grand Prix, which obviously isn't a lot of points due to four races; I think it's about 75 points for a race win, so he lost a few points there.

"He was quite competitive, especially at the beginning of the year, so hopefully we can regain our footing quickly, as Broc is definitely still in contention with the Sprint Cup heading towards Perth. That's obviously significant for us regardless. While you might say 'it is what it is,' losing the lead in both the teams' and driver's championships is quite disappointing. We definitely have work to do." With the Finals approaching, Triple Eight cannot afford their current setback, which has shifted the season's momentum towards competitors like Penrite, Brodie Kostecki, and Cam Waters.

Nonetheless, when they manage to get everything under control, they have repeatedly demonstrated that they remain a threat in 2026, while Brown has shown noticeable improvement throughout the year. However, reminiscent of 2025, the #888 struggled with qualifying speed in Townsville, starting 19th, 12th, and 19th, with the middle position missing a Shootout spot due to a strategic tyre gamble. "It was one of those weekends where we felt like we were pushing hard, yet we were half a second off the pace," Brown remarked. "Especially when Waters clocked a 12.5 in the last qualifying, it was an impressive lap, and sometimes when your car is performing exceptionally and you're in a good rhythm, executing one of those laps or races feels effortless.

"Then you're in the car, giving it your all, and you're P19. So it's a bit disappointing."

Engineer Andrew Edwards admitted during the Equip Super Cool Down Lap that there was an expectation of winning silverware in Townsville. When asked if he felt they were making steady progress, Edwards replied: “I did until this weekend. I really came here thinking we were aiming for top three, top four. And it feels like we took a bit of a step back. We’ll regroup again… it’s all on us. We're working on it, and staying focused. There's really nothing else we can do.”