The Race 2 podium. Image: InSyde Media
Feeney came out on top in a race long battle with Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Ryan Wood, who slowed to let teammate Mostert through on the final lap.
Fellow Grand Final contenders Will Brown and Kai Allen survived a wild late-race battle to bank fourth and fifth.
It means Feeney will carry a 23-point lead into Sunday over Mostert, with Brown and Allen 76 and 88 points adrift of the leader respectively.
Sunday’s 250km finale will carry 125 points to the winner.
It was a dramatic start to the 78-lap contest as title contender Feeney and plucky rookie Aaron Cameron ran side-by-side through the opening corners.
Cameron nosed ahead at Turn 4 and a big slide for the BRT Mustang on exit cost Feeney momentum, allowing Wood to sneak through on the Red Bull Camaro too.
Wood then moved to the lead with an inside pass on Cameron at Turn 9 on lap three, while Feeney began reporting a misfire as he worked the back of the rookie.
One of Feeney’s problems disappeared when Cameron clouted the wall at the exit of the chicane on lap nine, limping down the Turn 4 escape road and into retirement.
By the time of Cameron’s demise Wood was three seconds ahead, while Triple Eight debated what to do with Feeney’s engine, readying a new crank angle sensor in the garage.
Mostert meanwhile was having his own dramas. He’d edged his way from 12th to sixth in the early laps – a rise that included Ford stablemate Brodie Kostecki yielding position.
The WAU star ran wide at the final hairpin on lap nine, allowing Thomas Randle through.
A slight overlap between the two cars resulted in Mostert bouncing off the Castrol Ford and onto the left-side grass, brushing the concrete wall in the process.
Mostert continued unaffected but could not make his way back around Randle before pitting on lap 19.
Feeney meanwhile reported his engine issue had cleared and kept Wood in sight – the pair 3.4s apart when the pitted together on lap 24.
They rejoined in that order but behind De Pasquale, who had pitted from fourth place all the way back on lap four and soon relinquished the places gained as his tyres faded.
At that point Ford’s other title contender Allen led the way as he ran a trademark long first stint – eventually pitting for the first time on lap 31.
That left the order approaching the halfway mark as Wood leading Feeney, Brown, Mostert, De Pasquale, Matt Payne, Allen and Randle.
The focus was on Mostert, whose car was carrying damage to its left-front corner due to a strike of the Turn 1 tyre bundle, while also being warned of triggering the Turn 2 kerb sensor.
Wood’s advantage over Feeney shrunk to less than a second by lap 40, with the former shaping as the wildcard in the championship battle.
Brown, Mostert and Allen ensured all four title contenders were within 10s at that point – Allen having dispatched Payne and De Pasquale following his late first stop to climb to fifth.
Mostert meanwhile found more trouble – brushing against Austin Cindric as he lapped the wildcard Mustang at Turn 5, before again clouting the Turn 1 tyre bundle.
“He is tearing this thing apart out there,” noted commentator Neil Crompton of Mostert. “He’s hitting everything but the Safety Car.”
The final round of stops began with 31 laps to go as Brown and De Pasquale both dived in for service, before Mostert followed two laps later for fuel, tyres and some race tape.
Triple Eight pitted Feeney on lap 50 and WAU covered with Wood a lap later.
Wood rejoined ahead but was vulnerable on his outlap and Feeney pounced – boldly plunging down the inside at Turn 9.
The WAU Mustang was forced over the exit kerb and lightly brushed the tyre wall before rejoining the racing line in pursuit of the Camaro.
No sooner was that battle resolved there was another Triple Eight versus WAU scrap emerging as the wounded Mostert Mustang closed in on Brown.
Mostert took the place on lap 57 with an inside move at Turn 4 – Brown leaving the inside line open as he showed surprisingly little resistance.
Allen was again the last of the contenders to pit, doing so with 25 laps to go, before rejoining and setting after Brown and Mostert.
The run to the flag was intense as Wood stalked Feeney, who never flinched under the intense pressure.
Wood began backing off with three laps to go in preparation to gift Mostert second and the crucial extra points that came with it.
The eventual position swap was made easier by the fact Brown and Allen became embroiled in their own battle.
Allen lunged Brown through the staircase with three to go. The duo made contact and lost momentum, resulting in De Pasquale riding Allen’s rear wheel.
Brown and Allen escaped the chaos unscathed to bank fourth and fifth while Payne, Randle, Cam Waters, James Courtney and Brodie Kostecki completed the top 10.
More to follow
