‘That’s their issue’: Supercars’ seismic shake-up explained… and ‘awkward’ timebomb that ticks

The Supercars Finals Series is upon us, and with it, comes pressure that has rarely before been seen in the competition.

Whilst unforgettable title deciders such as 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2017 live large in the memory, they have all been final round thrillers with two, sometimes three main protagonists.

Now, we’re guaranteed a 10-way title battle on the Gold Coast, before being whittled down to seven at Sandown, and four for the finale in Adelaide.

Here’s why in our Supercars Finals Series explainer!

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The biggest shake-up to the Australian Touring Car Championship in more than half a century, the introduction of a finals series to the Supercars is guaranteed to deliver a final-round title showdown and is sure to generate plenty of intrigue throughout.

The new format fundamentally changes the challenge of winning Australian motorsport’s biggest prize and reconceptualises the entire season.

The campaign has been divided into three segments.

The first was the Sprint Cup, contested over eight rounds comprising 25 races. These events were run to a format similar to those of previous seasons, with every weekend featuring at least three races, including one short opening race followed by two longer feature races.

The Melbourne SuperSprint was the only exception, run to four short races to fit around the packed Australian Grand Prix schedule.

The season then transitioned to endurance mode with the return of the Enduro Cup. Tailem Bend opened proceedings with a 500-kilometre race ahead of the season-highlight Bathurst 1000.

What comes now is something completely different.

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The three-leg finals campaign sees all but 10 drivers eliminated from championship contention heading into round 11 on the Gold Coast this week.

The contenders’ points have been reset to 3000. Bonus points are now awarded based on championship position, with the title leader, Broc Feeney awarded 150 points down to 21 points for the 10th-placed driver, Kai Allen, ensuring season-long consistency is acknowledged.

Championship standings for the Gold Coast

1. First place: 3150 points — Broc Feeney

2. Second place: 3120 points — Matthew Payne

3. Third place: 3096 points — Will Brown

4. Fourth place: 3078 points — Cam Waters

5. Fifth place: 3066 points — Brodie Kostecki

6. Sixth place: 3057 points — Chaz Mostert

7. Seventh place: 3048 points — Anton De Pasquale

8. Eighth place: 3039 points — Thomas Randle

9. Ninth place: 3030 points — Ryan Wood

10. Tenth place: 3021 points — Kai Allen

It’s highly likely that come Saturday evening, someone will be just one step away from fighting for championship glory at the bp Adelaide Grand Final. After all, only one race this year has been won by a driver who didn’t make The Finals: namely Cameron Hill’s Melbourne breakthrough.

The winners of the Sprint Cup and Enduro Cup will receive an extra 25 points each.

Any driver who wins either of the Gold Coast’s two races will automatically progress to the next round.

The three lowest ranked drivers are eliminated.

The seven remaining finalists have their tallies reset to 4000 points for Sandown. Bonus points from 150 down to 48 are awarded based on championship position.

Championship standings for Sandown

1. First place: 4150 points

2. Second place: 4120 points

3. Third place: 4096 points

4. Fourth place: 4078 points

5. Fifth place: 4066 points

6. Sixth place: 4057 points

7. Seventh place: 4048 points

The same rules then apply to leave just four drivers in contention for the Adelaide Grand Final.

The now traditional season closer will see fewer bonus points awarded, with 50, 30 and 15 handed out to the top three respectively and none for the last-placed contender.

Championship standings for Adelaide

1. First place: 5050 points

2. Second place: 5030 points

3. Third place: 5015 points

4. Fourth place: 5000 points

Now it’s all or nothing. End the weekend with the most points and you’ll be Supercars champion.

Max closes in on Oscar after another win | 02:32

For Chaz Mostert, who enters The Finals in sixth position, just 18 points clear of the cut-line, the message to fans is simple: “Expect the unexpected.”

The 33-year-old Walkinshaw Andretti United star is still yet to win a championship in his illustrious career, however this year could represent his best chance yet.

Whilst he’s only recorded a single race win this year, and dropped a position in the standings following an engine failure at Bathurst, Mostert’s experience and ability on street circuits have him well placed to potentially win his way to the Semi Final.

“I think it’s going to be story after story the whole weekend, especially this time of year with our normal championship you’ve kind of got a runaway lead car, and you’re trying to work out who’s in the mix right until the last round,” Mostert said.

“With the reset in Finals, there’s still that little bit of stagger, but it’s all to play for. One bad race in these last three rounds is going to absolutely knock you out.

“There’s pressure that comes with that, we love AFL and NRL so much because when we get to the finals, we see those players give it their all, and it comes all the way down the buzzer, so expect the same with Supercars this year.”

Epic end to an ‘all-time’ Bathurst 1000 | 01:02

For those not inside the top-10 battle, however, an “awkward” reality awaits, according to Nick Percat.

“I didn’t get a full chance to get into the Finals with what happened at Bathurst, so I guess if I’m at the front, it’s probably spoiling people’s days,” Percat said.

“I think anyone who’s not in the 10, it’s going to be probably awkward.

“The guys in the top 10 of the championship in the Finals are probably going to feel a bit entitled to be ahead of other drivers who aren’t.

“But it’s just any other race, so if we happen to take points off them by beating them, that’s their own issue.

“It’s going to be interesting how they race against people not in the Finals championship.”

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RACE SCHEDULE

Practice One

1:40pm Friday

Practice Two

4:25pm Friday

Qualifying – Race 28

12:00pm Saturday

Race 28

4:15pm Saturday

Qualifying – Race 29

11:00am Sunday

Race 29

3:10pm Sunday

— With Supercars.com