Five-driver showdown to decide Super2 crown

Four drivers are within striking distance of Super2 points leader Declan Fraser heading to Adelaide.

While the Supercars drivers’ and teams’ titles have been decided, the Super2 crown is still up for grabs.

It could be won by as many as five different drivers from four different teams.

Fraser leads Zak Best by 75 points, with Matt Payne 132 points from the lead.

Cameron Hill and Tyler Everingham are 165 and 171 points behind respectively.

The top five all raced in the Repco Bathurst 1000, Payne finishing sixth with Lee Holdsworth ahead of wildcard Fraser in eighth.

Best capitalised on a rain-affected Bathurst round to eat into Fraser’s lead.

A title would cap a remarkable comeback by Best, who dropped to as low as seventh after crashing in Perth.

Payne and Everingham both crashed into each other in Townsville, while Hill has been caught up in a number of incidents.

Through it all, the 2022 Super2 season has been one of the most competitive in years.

Five drivers from five different teams have won in 2022 — Fraser, Best, Payne and Everingham have two wins each.

Image Racing’s Jaylyn Robotham won the first race in Sydney, and sat out of the last round to focus on his Great Race debut.

Six drivers went into the last round of 2021 with a chance to win, but the final three were more than 270 points behind.

On that occasion, Broc Feeney led into the season finale, and clinched the title.

Even then, that was after four rounds, two coming in Townsville; the 2022 title fight has been shaped by five.

You have to go back to 2018 to find a title fight as close.

Four years ago, Chris Pither led Paul Dumbrell by 32 points, with Garry Jacobson (-111) and Alex Rullo (-125) just behind.

In 2012, Scott McLaughlin led Nick Percat by 32 points, with Chaz Mostert (-77) and Scott Pye (-82) just behind.

On both occasions, the pre-event leader won the title.

Just two drivers were in contention in 2013, 2015 and 2016, with three in 2017.

The title was clinched a round early in 2014 and 2019, while there were only three rounds in 2020.

Should Fraser or Hill win the title, they would help Triple Eight to a rare sweep.

In 2022, Triple Eight has won the Supercars drivers’ and teams’ titles, the Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12 Hour.

Best could help Tickford Racing to its first Super2 title since Garry Jacobson in 2016.

The Ford team won its first title in dominant fashion courtesy of Cam Waters in 2015.

Everingham, meanwhile, could steer MW Motorsport to a third title in four years.

Drivers will be on track on all four days of the season-ending VALO Adelaide 500.

The Super2 and Super3 grids will tackle a race on the Saturday and Sunday of the event.