Bragging rights or poisoned chalice? The quirk to 2026 season

While drivers know the cream must rise to the top in the Repco Supercars Finals Series, leading the championship is a clear sign of intent that you're the benchmark.

Or is it?

Through two rounds and seven races in the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, a bizarre trend has emerged that now puts extra pressure on Brodie Kostecki heading to New Zealand.

Across the last six races, the championship lead has changed hands five times across four different drivers. It seems no one really wants the orange numbers denoting the points lead.

Broc Feeney has been points lead after three races, Matt Payne two, and one each for Anton De Pasquale and Kostecki.

Not that the headstrong Kostecki would care that much, if not at all, the orange numbers could be somewhat of a burden when cars roll out in Taupō next month.

The hard facts are that Feeney, Payne and De Pasquale have each lost the points lead in dramatic fashion. Such has been the chaos, that Cam Waters is 28 points away from the lead despite having just two podiums in seven races.

So, how have we got to this stage?

Race 2

De Pasquale takes lead from Feeney

Feeney won Race 1 in Sydney, and duly grabbed the orange numbers. The next day, he lost them to De Pasquale, who defeated Kostecki. Feeney was penalised for an unsafe release, dropping him down the order and opening the door for De Pasquale to take a surprise lead.

Race 3

Feeney takes lead from De Pasquale

De Pasquale's lead lasted a single day, when Feeney took over with victory in Race 3. De Pasquale dropped out of the podium positions, ironically after a clash with Feeney's teammate Will Brown, to lose the lead. Kostecki could have also emerged in the lead, but was penalised over a separate clash with Aaron Cameron on the final lap.

Race 4

Payne takes lead from Feeney

While the least dramatic of the changes so far, it was significant. Feeney and Matt Payne were level on points heading to Melbourne, and the lead would go to the driver who finished ahead in Race 4. That was Payne, who passed Feeney on track before falling short of victory behind Kostecki.

Race 6

Feeney takes lead from Payne

Two days later, Payne lost the lead to Feeney, who outlasted Kostecki in a Saturday sprint for the ages. How Payne really lost the lead, though, added more fuel to the theory that the orange numbers aren't all that just yet this season. Payne was side-swiped by James Golding exiting Turn 2 on the first lap, and after suffering three punctures, suffered his first DNF since Bathurst 2024.

Race 7

Kostecki takes lead from Feeney

The most dramatic incident of the season — and one that will be hard to top — is what happened in the opening seconds of Sunday's finale. Feeney was tipped into a spin, gassed it up, and was wiped out by Cooper Murray and Zach Bates. It was Feeney's first DNF since Gold Coast 2022, and with victory, Kostecki took the lead for the first time since he won the title in 2023.