Matt Payne downfall shows \u2018flaw\u2019 in Finals Series system<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\nAllen knows how to win a title in Adelaide, doing so in the Super2 Series in 2023. And he carries the experience of driving in the main race last year as a substitute for Richie Stanaway.<\/p>\n
So, if Allen can rise again and take the title in front of a home state crowd that will include plenty of friends and family from his native Mount Gambier, it will well and truly complete the fairytale.<\/p>\n
But it may also prove a nightmare result for Supercars, which has already risked alienating rusted-on fans with its Finals Series experiment.<\/p>\n
Allen, after all, is yet to win a Supercars race and, under the old format, would enter Adelaide eighth in the standings \u2013 a whopping 1153 points behind Broc Feeney.<\/p>\n
Feeney\u2019s 13-win, 16-pole season is of course being used to argue both for and against the Finals.<\/p>\n
Based on points alone, Feeney would enter Adelaide 286 clear of nearest and only mathematical rival Matt Payne \u2013 a slam dunk to clinch the title in the Friday sprint race.<\/p>\n
The rightful champion but any traditional measure? Absolutely. The recipe for an entertaining finale? Not so much.<\/p>\n
Feeney has spent much of the year diplomatically answering questions about the legitimacy of the Finals Series and its fairness.<\/p>\n
And to his credit, he\u2019s the first to point out Allen has earned his way through under the system that\u2019s in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hasn\u2019t been the fastest guy week in, week out, but he\u2019s done a great job to be qualifying up the front and he\u2019s staying out of trouble,\u201d said Feeney of Allen.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not many would have picked him to be in the final four. Congrats to him, to be honest, congrats to the Groves on taking\u2026 I don\u2019t even think it\u2019s a punt, on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe got passed up last year and he\u2019s come out and made the final four. I think it\u2019s awesome the young kids are going so well.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
For his part, Allen says Feeney is \u201cprobably kicking himself with the new format\u201d, underlining himself as a real threat to snatch an unlikely title.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just the way the new format is, we\u2019ve got to understand that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ve understood that really well, it\u2019s not about winning every race and not trying to win on Saturday to get through the next round like everyone thinks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about chipping away and doing the best with what you can. We\u2019ve seen some guys that have a different mentality to me who\u2019ve been knocked out pretty early.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s been really cool to see that the team are really behind me, making sure that I\u2019m in the right mental space in the race and giving me updates and I can do my job on track.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Allen does rise again and take the title this weekend, he too will be a rightful champion, having made the most of the system in front of him.<\/p>\n
And if he does do the unthinkable, Feeney at least wants a slice of the credit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, he can thank me, actually,\u201d said Feeney, \u201cbecause I was on the one who got him through to the Finals on the last lap of Bathurst!\u201d<\/p>\n
No matter who wins, the bottom line is the Finals Series will make the Adelaide action \u2013 and reaction \u2013 well and truly worth watching.<\/p>\n
Championship standings based on traditional points accumulation format<\/p>\n
Driver
\nPoints
\nDiff to first
\nGap<\/p>\n
Broc Feeney
\n2871<\/p>\n
Matt Payne
\n2583
\n288
\n288<\/p>\n
Will Brown
\n2477
\n394
\n106<\/p>\n
Cam Waters
\n2256
\n615
\n221<\/p>\n
Chaz Mostert
\n2145
\n726
\n111<\/p>\n
Brodie Kostecki
\n1928
\n943
\n217<\/p>\n
Anton De Pasquale
\n1719
\n1152
\n209<\/p>\n
Kai Allen
\n1718
\n1153
\n1<\/p>\n
Andre Heimgartner
\n1628
\n1243
\n90<\/p>\n
Thomas Randle
\n1612
\n1259
\n16<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763784376_117_289522.png\"\/)
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