How Feeney got an early look at 2025 Finals tension
Supercars
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Broc Feeney gets early look at 2025 Finals Series tension
Star drivers fought for victory in Sunday's Gold Coast race
Supercars will adopt new elimination Finals format next season
While he still has a championship to fight for in 2024, Broc Feeney knows it will be even more tense in 2025 once the new Finals format arrives in Supercars.
Feeney will vie for the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship with Triple Eight teammate Will Brown at the upcoming VAILO Adelaide 500 on November 14-17.
Only Brown and Feeney are in mathematical contention for the crown, with Ford duo Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters dropping out of contention at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
The cream rose to the top in the Gold Coast finale, reigning champion Brodie Kostecki leading Brown, Feeney, Mostert and Waters in the closing laps in a tense run to the flag.
In that moment, Feeney understood what could be at stake in 12 months’ time, given the cutthroat nature of the new Finals system, where drivers will be eliminated before the Adelaide season finale.
If 2024 standings were adjusted using the Finals system, Mostert — who has been in the top three all season — would have dropped out due to his Gold Coast troubles, with Waters and Thomas Randle jumping in.
“For me, this weekend was really important, it's been a struggle for me here,” Feeney told Supercars.com’s Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.
"I need to be strong here next year to set up that playoff series. But look, out there it was Brodie, Will, myself, Cam and Chaz. It gave me a very Finals feeling already. You know, Will obviously had a lead.
"I think we're all taking quite a bit of risk out there. It's given me that feeling already. And I'm sure at Adelaide, I think all of us are going to drive as if we've got nothing to lose, and I'm excited for it.”
For now, 180 is the magic number for Feeney, who needs Brown to slip up in Adelaide to have a shot at the 2024 title.
Feeney admitted it’s "probably more Will versus himself now,” insisting he has to win races in Adelaide to have any shot at the championship.
"I think if you said that at the start of the weekend, I would have taken that, considering the last year's been pretty tough here,” Feeney said.
“But look, we don't come here to get two thirds. We come here to try and win both races. I think we had a really fast car today. Unfortunately for me, the last three or four rounds, if we qualified a couple of rows higher, the result would have been a bit better.
"It's probably more Will versus himself now, you know, I'm certainly a very long shot at the moment. So for me, Adelaide, just go and try and win a couple of races, finish the year off on a high and try and learn for this Finals series next year.
"So I'm excited. I really love Adelaide, one of my favourite tracks. It's such a good event. So excited to get back there.”
Brown and Feeney will fight for the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship at the VAILO Adelaide 500 from November 14-17. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
