Kai Allen. Image: Supplied
The 21-year-old snuck into the last 2025 Finals Series spot thanks to an eighth-place finish and a fortuitous last-lap pass by Broc Feeney that bumped out Andre Heimgarnter.
But Allen’s day could have been so much better had he not suffered a series of hits from seasoned campaigners.
Clashes included a heavy punt from behind by Brodie Kostecki and later knocks from Will Brown and Jack Le Brocq that sent the Grove Mustang off track.
It triggered Allen to himself adopt a more aggressive approach that subsequently took him to the Grand Final and has made him a two-time race winner this year.
“I was quite upset coming out of Bathurst, the way that the driving sort of was,” Allen told Speedcafe.
“I felt like for the level of experience and talent that was involved in causing my race to go pear-shaped was pretty poor.
“I get that it’s in the rain, it’s tricky conditions, but I think there were some pretty dumb moves, and it sort of fired me up a little bit for the finals.
“I’m a bit more experienced now and a bit more mature, so I do look back at it and don’t hold a grudge anymore.
“It was good. It sort of needed to happen.”
Allen said the shift in his own driving post-Bathurst last year reflected his growing experience within the cut-throat championship.
“Looking back, it was the right way to approach [the finals], and it’s sort of how I’ve approached it now this year,” he added.
“I’m getting the elbows out, I’m just not taking the crap.
“I’m learning more about who’s who, how they operate, how they drive, what they think. It’s just learning for me.”
Kai Allen during the ITM Christchurch Super440. Image: InSyde Media
Allen has gone door-to-door with the very best this year, memorably coming out on top in a tangle with the equally uncompromising Kostecki in Perth.
One round later, a hip-and-shoulder on Mostert at Queensland Raceway drew a time penalty that stripped Allen of a podium finish.
The Penrite Mustang driver admits he’s still on a learning curve but hasn’t been afraid to push the limits of the driving code
“I don’t try and be dirty or anything. It’s not that,” Allen added.
“I just feel like before I’d probably be too nice, and then I’d get hurt on the next corner or whatever.
“So now it’s more the mentality of they’re going to do it to me, so I might as well do it while I’ve got the opportunity and get the pass done.
“It’s not driving anyone off the track. I’ve learned a lot about where the limits are. It’s more just, when I’m going to pass, make sure it’s done.
“I’ve definitely let a few slip this year. There’s some opportunities that I look back on that I could have done better and not got myself into those positions.
“But it’s all learning. I’m racing guys that have so much more experience than me. I just need to keep learning.”
Allen will tackle this weekend’s Bathurst 1000 alongside Tim Slade – the pair having combined to finish second at The Bend 500.
It will mark Allen’s fourth start in the Great Race having debuted as a Dick Johnson Racing wildcard in 2023.