The 10 Supercars Finals Series drivers at Surfers Paradise. Image: Supplied
The category’s inaugural Finals Series kicks off this weekend with an ‘Elimination Final’ on the Gold Coast, where 10 contenders will be whittled down to seven.
A ‘Semi-Final’ at Sandown will then cut the seven contenders back to four ahead of the decider, now dubbed the Adelaide Grand Final.
The desire to progress through the Finals rounds – achieved either on points or by winning a race – has led to suggestions teams may deploy tactics to help teammates in certain situations.
While team orders are allowed in Supercars, any instruction from third parties – such as manufacturers – are banned, as is anything deemed to be race manipulation.
Dick Johnson Racing was famously fined $250,000 and docked 300 points for instructing one car to slow up under Safety Car conditions at the 2019 Bathurst 1000.
Grove Racing boss David Cauchi, whose squad is one of four with both its drivers in the Elimination round, believes “games” will be played.
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Two teams – DJR and Team 18 – have one driver in and one out of the Finals, opening the potential for the other to play “rear-gunner”.
Everything you need to know about the Supercars Finals Series
“There’s going to be some fun and games and teams will play it to their best advantage, because that’s why we’re here, we’re here to win the championship,” said Cauchi.
“Absolutely, teams are going to play games and drivers are going to play games, but I think bring it on and may the best man and team win.”
Supercars’ media arm appears to be hyping up the potential for tactics in the Finals, while Motorsport Australia officials are understood to be concerned about the potential for foul play.
“As long as Supercars has the balls to make decisions if people manipulate the sport,” said Erebus boss Barry Ryan, whose team is not a finals contender.
“If they do what NASCAR have done, there’s going to be big fines. You shouldn’t be able to manipulate the sport.”
Race manipulation through teammate and manufacturer tactics reared its head during NASCAR’s Playoffs last year, which the US category has fought to stamp out.
Ryan affirmed Supercars is yet to deliver any sort of “riot act” to teams or drivers on the matter.
“[Driving Standards Advisor] Craig Baird has a view on it, but Supercars is just going to wait and see by the sound of it, which doesn’t seem like the right approach,” he said.
The inaugural Supercars Finals Series bracket.
Warburton told Speedcafe at the Surfers Paradise street circuit on Thursday that Supercars isn’t expecting any issues.
“I don’t think there’s any need to jump at shadows,” Warburton told Speedcafe.
“Everyone is talking about [the Finals Series], it’s a really exciting concept and you can see it’s really gearing up for an explosive end to the year.
“We’ve got a rulebook and everyone will be watching if there’s anything untoward, but we’re not expecting anything along those lines.”
Warburton did note that the Supercars rules around driving standards won’t change for the finals – a point that will likely be underlined at a drivers briefing scheduled for later today.
“Nothing changes, but I think through the driver briefing they’ll be very clear in terms of the expectations, and we’ll let it play out,” he said.
While the Finals Series has been implemented to ensure pressure-cooker championship deciders, teams hope incidents won’t decide the outcome.
“We don’t want to see reckless driving and cars being taken out and that sort of jazz. That’s not good for the sport,” said Cauchi.
“We want to see what Supercars is about. It’s hard, close, fair racing.”
Supercars title deciders have not been immune from tactics in the past, most notably in 2006 when Holden teammates were deployed to help Rick Kelly in his battle with Craig Lowndes.