Broc Feeney - Wonderkid Talks Supercars Career, Bathurst Dreams, And NASCAR

Broc Feeney’s rise in the world of Australian motorsport has been nothing short of

impressive. At just 22 years old, he's already a multi-race winner at the highest level

of Supercars, and has claimed marquee wins like the Adelaide 500, and is carrying

the torch for one of the most iconic teams in the sport, the Red Bull Ampol Racing

team as a part of Triple Eight Race Engineering’s driver lineup. But before he was flying down the streets of Surfers Paradise in a beautiful Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaro, Feeney’s first foray into racing wasn’t on four wheels. “I grew up following my dad’s footsteps on motorbikes,” he said in our exclusive interview. “But we went on a holiday to Thailand and went to the hire karts and fell in love with it. We were good friends with the Doohans and Jack had started karting, so we went and watched him and then got into it.” as he talked about his transition to 4 wheels.

That passion quickly evolved into a career path, though the road in Australia is more

focused on one Series compared to those growing up in the United States, where

young racers can choose from NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, or even Supercross. “We

only have the one premier category in Australia,” Feeney explained. “We find young

kids these days try their luck in Europe, but I think there is now a good pathway to

Supercars with the Toyota 86 Series and Super2. But of course, it’s super difficult

and expensive, as all motorsports is.” Since debuting in Supercars in 2020, Feeney

has grown tremendously, and he credits much of that personal and professional

development to the environment at Triple Eight Race Engineering. “I think I’ve

matured quite a bit, and that’s a big reason why I love 888 so much, I have a group

of people that I look up to and want to grow up around. Lucky to be in such a good

team with good morals.”

With young drivers now having access to more data than ever before, there's an

ongoing debate about whether it helps or hinders natural race craft. Feeney is firmly

in the camp that believes data is a tool if used correctly. “I think data is great, there is

no hiding. I really delve into the data and try to understand everything going on. I

think the more you can use it and understand, it will only help.” That attention to

detail is something Feeney picked up from seven-time champion Jamie Whincup,

who now serves as his Team Principal and Managing Director of Triple Eight Race

Engineering. “It was super special to come in under Jamie,” Feeney said. “The first

part where I really started to notice was the first year when he co-drove with me at

Bathurst. I learned so much about his preparation and how he sees things differently to everyone else. I’d like to think that has now washed onto me and I’m much more

critical of the little details.”

Outside of Supercars, Feeney has been exploring opportunities in GT and open-

wheel cars to sharpen his skills. “I’ve just been trying to race more. With 14 events a

year, there is plenty of time to expand my skill set and try to improve. I really enjoy

challenging myself and keeping active in the car.” That openness to new experiences

has fuelled rumours that Feeney could be among the next wave of Supercars stars to race in the US, following in the footsteps of Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin and current teammate Will Brown. “I think since SVG has done it, it’s much more appealing,” Feeney admitted when talking about a potential NASCAR ride. “I’d love to challenge myself, especially on a road course. It looks somewhat similar to a Supercar and I want to see what it’s about and try to learn some new things.” We got a quick word with Van Gisbergen on his way to the grid at Pocono, we asked him is the sky the limit for his former teammate and he smiled and said "of course".

While Feeney isn’t one to tweak some parts on the car himself, he takes pride in

being hands-on with preparation and decision-making. “I don’t touch the car at all,

but I’d like to think I am hands-on away from the track. I focus a lot on preparation by

using documents to fill out before and during each event. I try to learn as much as I

can. It’s hard to develop with these current cars, but it’s something I’ve probably

taken more on since Shane left. We have two young guys now and I really enjoy

being a big part of the decisions we make in and out of the car.”

With 14 events on the Supercars calendar, Feeney believes there’s room to grow.

“For sure, I’d like to do a few more rounds maybe 15. It allows me to race outside of

Supercars, which I really enjoy. So I hope we get a few more, which still allows me to

race other series.” When asked how he would describe Supercars to someone

unfamiliar, especially fans in the U.S. just now discovering the series, Feeney put it

simply: “I’d say it’s Aussie NASCAR but only on road courses. It’s some of the

closest racing in the world. Fields separated by only tenths of seconds on a track.”

Also like NASCAR the Supercars series uses Chevy Camaros and Ford Mustangs

with the Toyota Supra coming soon, who knows maybe Dodge gets in the mix.

Although he only had one full season in the Gen 2 era before the switch to Gen 3,

Feeney already has opinions on what could be improved. “There are still some

things that could be improved, but I do really enjoy the car. The steering has been

brought up a lot it’s still far from perfect but much better than when we started. We

interlock wheels a lot when we race, causing quite a few crashes. And we should

continue developing the tires. Our new tire is a step in the right direction but still can

continue to improve with heat.” 

If he could add tracks to the calendar, his answer was simple. “I think more street

races for us. I’d love to race ONE RACEWAY,” he said. And when I asked what he

wants his trophy cabinet to look like decades from now, he said, “My goal at the

moment is Supercars Championships and the Bathurst 1000. They are the biggest

trophies in Australia. But I’d like to have some of the big 24-hour races. I’m not so

worried about what’s in the cabinet apart from Supercars, but I’d love to compete in

some of the biggest races in the world.”

With all the discourse and online think pieces on who is better between NASCAR

champion Kyle Larson or F1 champion Max Verstappen, I presented with the

hypothetical of would win in a Supercar showdown between Max Verstappen and

Kyle Larson, Feeney gave a great answer. “I think it’s tough in a Supercar. Depends

on how much track time they get. Out the gate, you’d think Kyle due to it being so

similar, but someone like Max is going to get extremely fast. Hopefully Kyle comes

and races Supercars soon.”

Out of all the wins in his young career, none meant more to him than his first.

“Adelaide 500 just being the first win, but also because it was the last for Holden,”

Feeney said. Finally, when asked if Supercars should adopt a NASCAR-style

program where drivers can win money out of a pool of $1 million USD for doing

appearances in commercials, activations and more, Feeney was honest. “Obviously I

like the idea of money, but it might be a stretch for us in Aussie. I think we’d be more

happy to do more appearances if there was more of an incentive, but I’m not worried.

To be honest, I wouldn’t do more just because of the money.”

Whether it’s chasing a Supercars title or trying new disciplines abroad, Broc Feeney

is building a career that blends raw talent, growth, and a deep respect for

motorsports. As fans in both Australia and around the world start to pay closer

attention, one thing is clear: Feeney’s journey is only just beginning and nothing will

stop him.