Just weeks after a spectacular crash at the Australian Grand Prix, Broc Feeney and the #88 Red Bull Ampol Racing Ford Mustang arrived in New Zealand looking to reignite their championship campaign. The weekend took an unexpected turn during the opening race when, while running near the front of the field, the Mustang suddenly lost power exiting Turn 11. Feeney’s radio message—“Engine died, what the hell?”—captured the moment as memories of the engine issues that cruelled his 2025 title campaign immediately came flooding back.
Triple Eight Race Engineering quickly traced the problem to a suspected electrical component rather than the engine itself, replacing the part overnight to ensure the Mustang was ready for the feature race. Feeney recovered to finish fourth in the opening race before producing a superb drive to second in the 200-kilometre feature, securing second overall for the Taupō round. The weekend was then cut short as Cyclone Vaianu forced the cancellation of Sunday’s racing, with the remaining event postponed to Christchurch, making Taupō one of the most unusual rounds of the 2026 Supercars season. Despite the setbacks, Feeney and the Triple Eight crew once again demonstrated the resilience that underpinned their championship campaign.
