Brown Ends Year-Long Drought with Emotional Ipswich Victory, Sealing a Remarkable Triple-Podium Weekend
Will Brown delivered one of the most emotionally charged performances of his career at the 2026 Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440, claiming his first race win in more than 12 months and banking three podium finishes across a stunning weekend at Queensland Raceway. The result, achieved under extraordinary circumstances, confirmed the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver is firmly back to his best.
Race 26 - P3
Brown launched an aggressive opening in Race 26, powering from fourth on the grid to immediately make his presence felt in the leading pack. In a hard-fought sprint that went right to the end of the pit cycle, Brown consistently demonstrated the pace and determination that has defined his championship-winning career. He ultimately crossed the line third to claim a crucial podium — his first since the Taupō Super 440 in April — snapping a 17-race drought and reigniting momentum ahead of the afternoon's second sprint.
Race 27 - P1
Race 27 produced the defining moment of Brown's 2026 season. Starting from the front row, he was immediately in contention and spent the early laps trading position in a fiercely competitive battle at the head of the field. Brown was the first of the lead group to pit on strategy, and when two safety car periods compressed the field in the second half of the race, he produced a series of decisive, fearless overtaking moves to stamp his authority on the result.
Crossing the line 0.8 seconds clear of the chasing pack, Brown claimed his 13th career victory and his first race win since Ipswich 12 months ago. The result carried extraordinary emotional weight. Earlier in the weekend, it had been confirmed that the #87 Ford Mustang had been running with a faulty engine restrictor for a significant portion of the season - a mechanical fault that had artificially hampered Brown's performance in multiple rounds.
Race 28 - P3
Brown carried his Saturday momentum into Sunday's Boost Mobile Top 10 Shootout, setting the fastest time to claim Boost Mobile Pole for Race 28 — edging his Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate by just 0.099 seconds to front the grid. In the 62-lap finale, Brown lost the lead early after an aggressive restart sequence, but kept the #87 Mustang in contention throughout a tense race that saw the Sprint Cup battle reach its dramatic conclusion. He crossed the line third on the road to complete a superb triple podium weekend.
Three podiums from three races, including a race win, leaves Brown and the Red Bull Ampol Racing team heading into the endurance season with renewed confidence and clear proof that the #87 Ford Mustang is back where it belongs. With the Supercars Finals Series now taking shape, Ipswich was exactly the response this team needed.
“What a mega race. It was elbows-out and that’s what racing is all about.”
The 2026 Repco Supercars Championship resumes at the AirTouch 500 at The Bend on
12–13 September.