Match point: 2021 title on the line in Sydney finale

The Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight marks the first and only instance Shane van Gisbergen can clinch the 2021 title early.

Van Gisbergen, who also leads the Beaurepaires Sydney Cup standings, will enter the penultimate round of the 2021 season with a 337-point lead over Jamie Whincup.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing teammates have been one-two in the standings since March's Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint, and are all but certain to help their team to a championship quinella.

Van Gisbergen has beaten Whincup home in 17 of the season's 28 races, and leads the win head-to-head 13 to two.

Round by round, van Gisbergen has extended his points lead. However, tensions have been rising since Townsville, where they battled closely.

Last weekend, the teammates engaged in a heated battle which ultimately helped Will Brown win for Erebus Motorsport.

In only two rounds in 2021 - the Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint and ARMOR ALL Sydney SuperNight - has Whincup outscored van Gisbergen on a weekend.

The single biggest points chunk Whincup surrendered in one race came when he suffered a puncture in Race 24 at the ARMOR ALL Sydney SuperNight.

Thankfully for Whincup, his 72-point loss was alleviated just hours later when he won Race 25, with van Gisbergen slumping to 23rd.

Van Gisbergen's run to 23rd marked his biggest single points loss to Whincup in a single race all season.

The only other instance van Gisbergen failed to reach the top 10 - 13th in Race 12 at Hidden Valley - Whincup was 12th.

Even then, van Gisbergen outscored Whincup in that race by virtue of claiming fastest lap bonus points.

Van Gisbergen beat Whincup to the 2016 title

The 150-point paying races this weekend are even more crucial in the context of the title fight.

Say Whincup wins Saturday's Race 29 and van Gisbergen is 23rd, the deficit would be slashed to 223 points.

There is a chance, albeit minor, that van Gisbergen can clinch the title on Saturday.

Van Gisbergen must outscore Whincup by 113 points in Race 29 if he wants to wrap up the title on Saturday.

The only way van Gisbergen can clinch the crown on Saturday is if he wins, and Whincup finishes 23rd or worse.

Points are awarded to all classified finishers, and with 24 cars in the field, van Gisbergen must hope Whincup doesn’t finish Race 29 at all.

Positions 23 and 24 are worth 36 and 33 points respectively.

Will van Gisbergen record his second drivers' title this weekend, or can Whincup keep his quest for an eighth crown alive through to the Repco Bathurst 1000?

The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship and Dunlop Series seasons will resume this weekend at the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight. Click here to view the race schedule.

Every session of the event will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 506) and streamed on Kayo.

The Seven Network will provide live free to air coverage of the event. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

Shane van Gisbergen's 2021 points lead progression