The frustration NASCAR fans have been shouting about all season found an unlikely echo on the other side of the world in Down Under. In Adelaide, Broc Feeney’s bid for his first Supercars Championship slipped away in gut-wrenching fashion, not with a final-lap fight, but with chaos and disheartening circumstance.

All year, the title picture revolved around Feeney and Chaz Mostert, two heavyweights trading momentum and building towards the finale. However, instead of a duel, the finale unraveled early. Contact on lap one and a lingering engine issue took Feeney out of contention before the race even settled in.

For many watching, particularly those still heated over NASCAR’s playoff drama, the ending felt painfully familiar: a dominant season undone by forces beyond the driver’s control.

‘Clown of a Championship’ – Fandom Erupts As Chaz Mostert Takes the Title in a NASCAR-Like Finish

The scene in Adelaide carried shades of NASCAR’s recent playoff frustration, the same hollow feeling fans experienced with the endings to Denny Hamlin’s Cup run (six Ws, five poles) and Connor Zilisch’s blistering Xfinity campaign (ten Ws, eight poles). However, this time, it was Triple Eight’s 23-year-old Feeney who was left stunned as his title hopes collapsed almost immediately.

For months, the championship narrative was built around Feeney and Chaz Mostert, two rivals trading momentum and setting the stage for a proper showdown. Instead, the finale devolved into chaos, echoing the kind of drama that has left modern motorsport fans fed up.

The sting was sharper given Supercars’ move to a NASCAR-style eliminator format this season, a decision now drawing pointed backlash.

With 14 wins, 19 poles, and a 23-point advantage over Mostert, Feeney was clearly the absolute favourite in the finale. However, after an early contact and recurring engine trouble, fate dealt him a cruel blow.

Fans, however, didn’t hold back. The moment the race wrapped, social media turned into a firing line aimed squarely at the format and the sanctioning body that approved it.

“You guys have a decision to make now,” one fan wrote. “Keep this format while chasing casual fans that won’t come, while driving away core fans and eliminating legitimacy in your sport. Or reverse course and save the series while you still have a chance.”

Another user was far less diplomatic, calling the finale an “Absolute joke.” A third user took things up a notch, directing their anger at Mostert’s team rather than the format – “This is a stain on the sport Mostert’s championship will forever be tainted I would honestly feel bad for him if he wasn’t driving for a team full of pricks and cheaters.”

The harshest blow came from a fan who drew a direct line to NASCAR’s long-running playoff backlash – “Clown of a championship, y’all sacrificed legitimacy and screwed over the statistical best driver of the year cause yall seem to prefer pure entertainment over it. Yall deserve the fallout that you are going to get.”

Then came the obvious stock car racing angle – “Hope you guys know that this will actively push a lot of people away that might have given your series a chance, we’ve hated it in NASCAR since the start so idk why you ever thought this was a good idea.”

By the closing lap, the damage was complete. Feeney not only lost his shot at a maiden championship, but he also slipped behind teammate Will Brown (reigning champion) in the standings as his mechanical woes worsened.

The buzz even got reputed racing journalist and former racer, Matt Weaver drop a few words. Reflecting on the uncanny similarities and the bitter fan reactions, he quipped, “I do wonder if the Supercars Grand Finals plays any factor in the NASCAR decision making process whatsoever.”

Mostert, meanwhile, kept his race clean and his points steady, sealing Walkinshaw Andretti United’s first drivers’ title since Mark Skaife in 2002, and doing so just as he prepares to depart for Toyota.