TRIPLE Eight team manager Mark Dutton has downplayed suggestions of a late-race flashpoint between his drivers Will Brown and Broc Feeney.
Brown finished Race 11 fourth, right on the bumper of Ryan Wood’s Supra, with Feeney fifth.
The latter had been the lead Red Bull Ampol Mustang in the opening stanza of the 37-lapper before being undercut by the #888, with Brown stopping two laps earlier.
Making matters worse for Feeney, he had his second botched pitstop in as many days, meaning he could only get three fresh tyres onto his wagon rather than the planned full allocation of four.
The Supercars broadcast revealed there had been some back-and-forth over team radio regarding a swap of positions to set Feeney free to attack Wood, but no such swap eventuated.
“We said if he is quick enough to catch you, don’t hold him up and definitely let him through, but as Broc caught up he lost a bit of the edge, which will happen automatically with a bit of dirty air,” Dutton explained to media including V8 Sleuth.
“But also, because we did the three tyres on that car, not four, because of a pitstop issue, it wasn’t as strong as it would have been if it had the four tyres.
“If it had the four tyres, I’m confident he would have been able to blaze through and pressure for the podium, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.”
Asked if there was a specific instruction for Brown to cede position, Dutton replied: “There was, if he was there.
“What we’re not going to do is pull over and lose a second to let him past. You don’t brake to let them pass, you just let them run the racing line.
“Will didn’t block him or anything like that, so Will didn’t disobey any orders. The orders were if Broc comes up, let him go.
Mark Dutton. Pic: Mark Walker
“But Broc couldn’t quite get close enough and then Will’s second stint pace actually improved at the end and he started coming back towards Woody.
“So I was happy with that: they were working together, he just didn’t quite enough to get up there and come through.”
It follows a Friday shocker for Triple Eight, with Feeney 10th and Brown 17th (the latter having needed rear diffuser repairs).
Feeney and Brown will line up sixth and 16th respectively for this afternoon’s penultimate race of the Christchurch Super440, starting 2:10pm AEST (4:10pm local).
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