The new Supercars Finals concept has been a resounding success – and that’s before the season closing Adelaide Grand Final even roars to life.

After the hugely successful Bathurst 1000, the sport has ridden a Finals introducing high across the Gold Coast and Sandown events.

The intensity in the sport – for the drivers involved and their teams has been tangible.

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It’s provided gripping racing. Engrossing qualifying. And ensured every lap has been pivotal for the contenders.

And that will continue through each of the four days of the Adelaide event.

What’s left – is a brilliant final four to vie for the 2025 crown.

The defending series champion, Will Brown, made it through after two of the most nerve jangling days of his racing career.

His qualifying has been awful the past two months – and that continued across the Sandown weekend (15th and 17th on the grid).

But his racing was sublime – in fact, in a class above – netting truly remarkable second and third placed finishes.

He’s the best racer in the field, but now he simply must qualify better in Adelaide.

His Chevrolet teammate, Broc Feeney, made it through to the final four only after winning Sunday’s Sandown – the 31st race of the year.

Feeney has been the driver of the year – he already has been crowned the Sprint champion earlier this season, he claimed the series’ qualifying award, and now leads the title fight by 20 points ahead of Adelaide.

He’s been the best at qualifying and racing – and if that continues, he will win a maiden championship.

Ford’s best contender is Chaz Mostert – who was the first driver making it through to Adelaide after winning Saturday at Sandown.

He remains the most in form driver in the sport – with three wins from the four Finals races so far.

He is the most experienced driver of the final four, and has the full support of his Walkinshaw Andretti United team as the sole driver in contention.

If Mostert is on, he’s a big shot of stunning Feeney.

So it’s ramped – with everything on the line at Adelaide’s iconic Grand Prix street circuit next week.

The Supercars Finals are here to stay.

Payne and Waters eliminated after battle | 00:23

KIWI KID

The fourth contender of the final four is the greatest surprise.

South Australian rookie Kai Allen’s freakish first season in the main game will see him vie for the title at his home event in Adelaide.

And no one is more surprised that he’s made it this far than himself.

“I can’t really believe it at this stage,” the 20 year-old – the youngest driver on the grid, said after exiting the car on Sunday.

The fact he knocked his teammate, Bathurst 1000 champion Matthew Payne out, sent shockwaves through the garage.

Even in commentary, the suggestion was raised if the team would consider swapping their Mustangs on track to impact which of their two drivers advanced.

Payne had a wretched Sunday – with contact with fellow Ford racer Cam Waters, ending both of their hopes.

It was the first time Payne has finished outside the top 12 this season.

It was a brutally bad day to have a bad day.

But that’s the intensity these Finals have brought to this sport.

Payne woes elevated his teammate Allen into the four – ensuring his meteoric rise in the sport continues.

The worst he can finish in his rookie season is fourth.

And if his Penrite Grove Racing squad can provide him with a Mustang rocket – then he’s every chance to cause the biggest boilover in Supercars’ history.

And all of this would be causing the greatest angst down the pit lane at the sport’s most iconic team, Dick Johnson Racing.

Allen had a longstanding development deal with DJR and was expected to race full-time for the famous Shell team.

But once they waived his deal, Allen was swiftly poached by the Grove family and DJR has been left to rue that decision all season long.

He’s managed five podiums in his rookie season, and now has the chance to fight it out for the title in what has been a truly remarkable first season for the rising star.

The sport continues to evolve – through the rise of Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen, and then the likes of Brodie Kostecki, Brown, Feeney and Payne – but Kai Allen is a lock as a star of the sport for decades to come.

Piastri wins 2025 Don award | 00:48

TICKFORD MESS

Tickford pair Cam Waters and Thomas Randle joined Matt Payne as Finals casualties at Sandown.

Waters and Randle needed a Hail Mary in their Mustangs – and both realistically needed a win to make it through to the final four.

Both needed one of the best weekends of their career.

But both were within striking distance of their worst weekends of the season.

That’ll be tough to review – for both driver and crew.

Randle made a mess of Saturday qualifying – starting a disastrous 22nd on the grid. And he was never a realistic chance from then on to vie for victory all weekend long.

Waters was willing to punch on with anyone and everyone in Sunday’s race.

He copped a time penalty for a contentious contact on Will Brown.

He then ended his hopes after a collision with Matt Payne that the Bathurst champ labelled “a little bit dirty” – that took both of out of contention.

Both Waters and Randle weren’t helped by unimaginative race strategies by their teams.

Their Tickford crew seemed slow to change plans, or not willing to try an alternate strategy in a bid to shuffle either of their drivers up the field.

They simply had to try something different to help their driver advance.

It ensures Waters will finish the season sixth in points, and Randle seventh.

And means one of the sport’s big teams will have a pretty deflating experience at Adelaide – contending for a win, but not a championship with either of their Mustangs.

ADJUDICATING QUESTION

There’s a well worn theory in AFL Finals – that the sport changes their opinion towards suspensions in September.

It’s often said you’d need to knock someone’s head clean off, before a player is banned in finals time.

In simple terms – the AFL wants all of their biggest stars available for the biggest games.

Which is an interesting phase now for Supercars to consider.

Could they – or should they be adjudicating their finals contending drivers differently?

On multiple occasions across the Gold Coast and Sandown – drivers involved in the race for the crown were handed penalties for wildly contentious decisions.

Chevrolet driver Anton De Pasquale copped a time penalty for a late race passing move on James Courtney on the Gold Coast – enough to have him knocked out of advancing.

“I think we’re pretty stiff,” De Pasquale said at the time.

“We miss out on the Finals because of some stewards decision.”

Then there was Cam Waters on Sunday – slapped with a time penalty for a marginal contact with Will Brown.

In fact it was debatable if contact was made at all between the two cars.

“He was probably going off on his own before I even got there,” Waters said.

“I was pretty dirty on that.”

Both Mark Skaife and Garth Tander in commentary were in unison, saying the penalty was harsh.

In the light of day – it proved an awful decision.

And the call triggered Waters – as his race swiftly unravelled following the penalty.

“The driver code of conduct is the same whether it’s the first race of the year or the last,” Supercars Driving Standards Advisor Craig Baird said Sunday night.

But should the sport and its umpire, be more mindful, and perhaps lenient on those contending for the title?

Especially when these calls are in the margins – like they were for both De Pasquale and Waters.

Is it best for the sport when no call is made by the stewards?

Is it best to let the finals protagonists fight it out on track?

And it does nothing for the theatre of the Finals system – when race control effectively ends a driver’s title hopes on the spot.

We hope Baird takes note for Adelaide.