THERE is now a big enough sample size of data to call it: Matt Stone Racing has become first-half specialists.
There is no doubting the Yatala squad has developed superbly to go from genuine backmarkers to a team that has won races in three successive Supercars seasons (something which none other than Triple Eight, Grove and Tickford can also boast).
The thing that’s holding them back from more? An inability to maintain form throughout the second half of the year.
If we split the past four seasons into two segments – February to June (i.e. up to Darwin inclusive, or pre-Townsville) and July to December (i.e. post-Darwin) – there is a clear trend.
In the pre-Townsville block for 2022-25, MSR averages 258.23 points per round.
In the post-Darwin block, that figure plummets to 206.11 per round.
The drop-off has actually been more substantial in three of the four seasons, with 2024 the partial exception per the below numbers.
SeasonPoints per round Feb-JunPoints per round Jul-Dec2022236.67154.572023268.6207.432024296.62762025239.17186.43
It should be noted though there was also a 2024 dip, just that it came later – the team averaged 304.25 per round pre-enduros and 245.25 thereafter.
MSR had sought to address its enduro fortunes by making a splash in the co-driver market last year, signing proven hand Tim Slade and rising star Cameron McLeod.
Reliability issues though haunted the team through the latter months of the season (including a Bathurst engine failure for Nick Percat/Slade) at a time when it became clear driver turnover was imminent.
It will head into the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship with Jack Le Brocq and Zach Bates, and paddock-wide expectations that its Camaros should be speedy at places like Albert Park and Symmons Plains.
But can it keep the points flowing into and through the enduros and finals? That’s the big question for MSR to answer.