It's crunch time in the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship, and it's all to play for entering the enduro season.
18 races have been run and won this season, with just six more races left at Sandown, Bathurst, and then two each on the Gold Coast and in Adelaide.
Through this season's 18 races there have been nine different Boost Mobile Pole Award winners, seven different race winners, and 13 of the 24 full-time drivers have appeared on the podium.
Broc Feeney has the best average qualifying position at 5.28, while teammate Will Brown has the best average finish at 4.17, with Chaz Mostert (5.56) and Feeney (5.67).
As the Supercars season gets set to shift into enduro mode at the upcoming Penrite Oil Sandown 500, Supercars.com takes a look at who is on top in the teammate head-to-heads at the end of the sprint rounds.
Race head-to-heads don't include races where one or both drivers from the same team recorded a DNF or DNS.
Red Bull Ampol Racing
Qualifying head to head: Broc Feeney 11, Will Brown 7
Best qualifying result: 1st (Broc Feeney 4 poles, Will Brown 1 pole)
Race head to head: Will Brown 11, Broc Feeney 7
Best race result: 1st (Broc Feeney 5 wins, Will Brown 3 wins)
Red Bull Ampol Racing have bounced back with a vengeance after losing finishing second to Erebus Motorsport in last year's championship, and have been the class of the field. Whilst Broc Feeney has been the quicker of the two drivers, Will Brown's consistency sees him carry a slim championship lead over Chaz Mostert into enduro season, whilst Feeney's run-in with Thomas Randle in Race 18 in Tasmania could be a pivotal championship moment.
Walkinshaw Andretti United
Qualifying head to head: Chaz Mostert 17, Ryan Wood 1
Best qualifying result: 1st (Chaz Mostert 2 poles)
Race head to head: Chaz Mostert 14, Ryan Wood 2
Best race result: 1st (Chaz Mostert 3 wins)
Chaz Mostert's surge in form since Townsville has seen him roar into a legitimate championship contending position, now sitting second in points 81 points behind Will Brown. Whilst the stats portray a different story, it has been an impressive rookie season so far for Ryan Wood, highlighted by fourth place finishes in Race 7 in New Zealand and Race 9 in Perth, where he started from the front row.
Tickford Racing
Qualifying head to head: Cam Waters 13, Thomas Randle 5
Best qualifying result: 1st (Cam Waters 5 poles)
Race head to head: Cam Waters 12, Thomas Randle 5
Best race result: 1st (Cam Waters 3 wins)
After a slow start to the year in Bathurst, Tickford are finally seeing the benefits of their streamlined two car operation, with Cam Waters only a strong enduro campaign away from being a genuine title chance. Thomas Randle has also been in great form since Townsville, claiming his first pole of the season last time out in Tasmania, and will be looking to claim his first career win before the season is out.
Penrite Racing
Qualifying head to head: Matt Payne 15, Richie Stanaway 3
Best qualifying result: 1st (Matt Payne, AGP Race 5 & Taupō Race 8)
Race head to head: Matt Payne 10, Richie Stanaway 7
Best race result: 1st (Matt Payne, Townsville Race 14)
It's been a season of peaks and troughs for Penrite Racing in 2024, with Matt Payne's stunning victory in Race 15 at Townsville followed by an equally impressive second in Sydney the highlights, though a tough weekend in Tasmania has likely ended any title hopes. After a solid run to start the season it's been a difficult period of late for Richie Stanaway, who moves on at the end of the year with the news Kai Allen will join Penrite Racing for 2025.
Shell V-Power Racing Team
Qualifying head to head: Anton De Pasquale 10, Will Davison 8
Best qualifying result: 1st (Will Davison, Sydney Race 16)
Race head to head: Will Davison 9, Anton De Pasquale 6
Best race result: 2nd (Will Davison, Taupō Race 7)
The Shell V-Power Mustangs have run solidly all season, but haven't yet been able to break through for a first win of 2024. Will Davison's pole for Race 16 in Sydney was a big box ticked for the veteran, whilst Anton De Pasquale won the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy in Taupō. With both drivers' contracts up at the end of the year, and speculation mounting as to what DJR's future looks like, both drivers will be looking to return to the top step before the year is out.
Team 18
Qualifying head to head: David Reynolds 11, Mark Winterbottom 7
Best qualifying result: 3rd (Mark Winterbottom, Darwin Race 11 & David Reynolds, Tasmania Race 18)
Race head to head: Mark Winterbottom 10, David Reynolds 8
Best race result: 2nd (Mark Winterbottom, AGP Race 4 & Darwin Race 11)
A lack of qualifying pace has haunted Team 18 this season, and with the field the closest it's ever been that makes it difficult to move forward from deep in the pack. Mark Winterbottom has only qualified in the top ten twice this season, and ended up finishing second both times. David Reynolds had a strong start to his first season with the team in Bathurst, but hasn't been able to consistently replicate that speed.
Matt Stone Racing
Qualifying head to head: Nick Percat 10, Cameron Hill 8
Best qualifying result: 3rd (Nick Percat, Sydney Race 16)
Race head to head: Nick Percat 12, Cameron Hill 5
Best race result: 1st (Nick Percat, AGP Race 6 & Tasmania Race 17)
Nick Percat's career resurgence has been the feel good story of 2024, enjoying his first multi-win season since 2020, and is now hunting down Matt Payne for a top five championship finish. Whilst Percat comfortably leads the head-to-head in the races, Cameron Hill is keeping him honest in qualifying, and claimed a career best fifth in the season opener at Bathurst to kickstart his second season in Supercars.
Erebus Motorsport
Qualifying head to head: Brodie Kostecki 9, Jack Le Brocq 7, Todd Hazelwood 2
Best qualifying result: 1st (Jack Le Brocq, Townsville Race 14)
Race head to head: Jack Le Brocq 9, Brodie Kostecki 3, Todd Hazelwood 2
Best race result: 3rd (Brodie Kostecki, Darwin Race 12)
It's been a difficult follow-up to their incredible 2023, but Erebus Motorsport have shown glimpses of what they're capable of. Since returning to the championship in Taupō, Brodie Kostecki has the sixth best qualifying average in the field at 9.42, and also claimed a podium in his sixth race back in Darwin. Jack Le Brocq has been a reliable performer, claiming pole in Townsville and comfortably leading the race head-to-head, but is yet to score a podium.
PremiAir Nulon Racing
Qualifying head to head: James Golding 9, Tim Slade 9
Best qualifying result: 1st (James Golding, Darwin Race 11)
Race head to head: James Golding 9, Tim Slade 8
Best race result: 4th (James Golding, Darwin Race 11 & Darwin Race 12)
The most evenly matched team in pit lane is PremiAir, which might come as a surprise given James Golding is ninth in points whilst Tim Slade is 19th. Their average finishing position paints a clearer picture, with Golding's 11.72 topping Slade's 14.78. Golding's breakout weekend in Darwin with a pole and back-to-back fourth place finishes certainly helped his cause, whilst Slade missed a golden opportunity for big points after crashing at the start of Race 7 in Taupō.
Brad Jones Racing
Qualifying head to head: Andre Heimgartner 11, Bryce Fullwood 7
Best qualifying result: 3rd (Andre Heimgartner, Taupō Race 7)
Race head to head: Andre Heimgartner 9, Bryce Fullwood 5, Jaxon Evans 2
Best race result: 1st (Andre Heimgartner, Taupō Race 7)
It has been a tough season for Brad Jones Racing, but last time out in Tasmania showed that there might be light at the end of the tunnel. Andre Heimgartner has been a standout once again, with his victory at Taupō the clear highlight of the Albury squad's season. Bryce Fullwood's third place finish in Race 18 in Tasmania was a welcome boost for team and driver, whilst Jaxon Evans has a single top ten to his name in his rookie season.
NOTE: Heimgartner's win in Taupō Race 7 and Fullwood's podium in Tasmania Race 18 do not count towards the head-to-head due to retirements for Fullwood and Evans respectively
Blanchard Racing Team
Qualifying head to head: James Courtney 13, Aaron Love 5
Best qualifying result: 3rd (James Courtney, Townsville Race 14)
Race head to head: James Courtney 10, Aaron Love 7
Best race result: 6th (James Courtney, Perth Race 9)
The experience of James Courtney has helped the expanded Blanchard Racing Team to some flashes of potential in what has been an otherwise trying season. A shock run to third in the Sunday Shootout in Townsville has been the team's standout moment of the season. It has been a baptism of fire for rookie teammate Aaron Love, who is yet to register a top ten finish or starting position this season.