Why Kostecki is eager for new Finals Series format

Brodie Kostecki is excited of the prospect of seeing more drivers in contention for the championship at the last round under the new-for-2025 Finals Series system.

The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship will be contested by Triple Eight Race Engineering teammates Will Brown and Broc Feeney at this weekend's VAILO Adelaide 500.

Brown leads Feeney by 180 points with 300 available, and could clinch the title on Saturday. Ford stars Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters were ruled out of mathematical contention at the last round in Surfers Paradise.

Come 2025, and gone will be journalists and fans musing over who's in 'mathematical contention'. In its place, 10 drivers will be eligible for the title with three rounds to go, with points resets after the first two Finals rounds.

In an elimination-style format, four drivers will go into the final round with a chance at the crown, something reigning champion Kostecki is a fan of.

“There’s a new point system coming next year, I’m very excited about that,” incoming Dick Johnson Racing driver Kostecki recently told the FIVEAA Sports Show.

“I think it’s going to be great for our sport, and it sort of aligns ourselves with other sports, with the Grand Final system, which is great to see.

“It’ll allow for more competition going into the last round to be in contention for the championship, which is cool.”

Kostecki won the 2023 championship under the current format, which awards the title to the driver who ends the year with the most points.

In 2025, drivers will be recognised by the new Sprint Cup after the first eight rounds next season, before The Bend and Bathurst make up the returning Enduro Cup. Crucially, unlike NASCAR's 'win and you're in' rule to lock drivers into the Playoffs, Supercars drivers will instead seal a Finals berth on points after the Sprint and Enduro rounds.

It ensures the final three rounds will be gloves off, something Feeney was wary of at the Gold Coast.

"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," Feeney told Supercars.com’s Schick Cool Down Lap podcast in Surfers Paradise.

"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.”

Speaking at the initial launch in Bathurst, Mostert hailed the new system, claiming "there's no hiding."

“It’s going to create an absolute pressure cooker for the whole year for all 24 drivers in the championship. There’s not one race you can’t let your guard down," the two-time Bathurst winner said.

“At the moment, you can have a good year for 85 percent, 90 percent of the way, then have a couple of bad races and probably still become the champion.

“Where here, there’s no hiding. More races, you’re fighting to get to the enduros, fighting through the enduros to make the Finals.

“What we see in other ball sports around the country, if you’re following your team, you’re riding that high through the normal season into the finals, and you’re hoping your team’s going to be there in the finals."

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.