Burning questions hanging over final Sprint Cup rounds

There are 630 points and six races left to win before Supercars officially crowns its first ever Repco Sprint Cup winner, which guarantees a spot in the Finals Series.

Sure, there's plenty of attention on which drivers are under pressure to make the post-season, and rightly so. But winning the Sprint Cup is a huge deal, given the winner sails into the Finals, and wins 25 bonus points for the first elimination round.

After a wild start to the season, one driver has emerged with a clear pace advantage in recent rounds. But as we've seen in Supercars, anything can happen... especially in Townsville, where a championship charge nearly came to a screeching halt last year.

So, with Townsville and Ipswich on the horizon, Supercars.com highlights key burning questions that will be answered in coming races.

Can Broc Feeney be stopped?

With seven wins from the last nine races, Broc Feeney has been on a big march in recent rounds. After leaving New Zealand 61 points from the lead, Feeney has been on a mission, and has built a 183-point lead in three rounds. Feeney's qualifying form has been elite, and has ensured the Triple Eight driver can lead from the front. It seems the only thing that can stop Feeney from winning the Sprint Cup is himself, although Townsville is a proven car-killer. One bad round can change everything, and could set up a winner-takes-all Ipswich round.

If not, who is Feeney's closest rival?

Broc Feeney and Matt Payne had three wins each to their name after Tasmania. Feeney then won five of the next six, but Payne kept pace with three podiums. In the six-race Perth-Darwin swing, Will Brown and Chaz Mostert claimed two podiums, and Cam Waters one. Qualifying has let down Feeney's closest rivals in the points, yet when it comes to the races, Payne has made it work, with Penrite Racing emerging as the best strategic team in the lane.

Can Tickford arrest slide before enduros and Finals?

James: Tickford Racing's incredible start in Sydney seems to have cursed the team which, despite scoring the odd podium since, hasn't fired a serious shot in five events. Cam Waters and Thomas Randle are fourth and seventh in the points, but only Waters is in mathematical contention for the Sprint Cup. If anything, Randle could come under pressure to lock in a Finals spot in the enduros should he stumble in the next two rounds. Tickford knows how to win races, but strategy calls, pit stop blunders and a lack of speed have cost them dearly in recent rounds.

Has WAU already shifted focus to Finals?

At the start of the year, Walkinshaw Andretti United Team Principal Carl Faux was clear: "You’ve just got to stay in the top 10 and make sure you have a fast car for the end of the season." With four rounds before the cut-off, Chaz Mostert is 235 points ahead of 10th, while Ryan Wood is just outside the 10. With one win in 19 races, WAU is worse off in the wins column versus 2024, but they are likely to have two cars in the Finals, should Wood turn his speed into results. The team also has development of the Toyota Supra to deal with in the back half of this year. Do they have a trick up their sleeve?

What next for DJR?

It hasn't been the start to 2025 that Dick Johnson Racing fans would have hoped, with Brodie Kostecki and Will Davison with a podium apiece through six rounds. On raw numbers, after six rounds, the team had as many podiums in 2023, and one more in 2024. Qualifying has been the killer, which is a surprise given Kostecki started from the front row for all three Taupō races. Since then, Kostecki's qualifying average has been 10.2, and Davison's 17.3. If they want to win races and get both drivers into the Finals, they have to improve in qualifying.

What impact will Townsville have on the rest of the season?

Townsville is the first real look at what to expect in the Finals, given two of the last three events of the season will be held at street circuits. If there was ever a time for the likes of Cam Waters, Chaz Mostert or Brodie Kostecki to make a statement, it's now. Waters is perhaps the one to watch, given seven of his 18 career wins have come at street circuits. Then, there's the risk element. Remember, Will Brown was wiped out on lap 1 last year...

How will drivers approach first QR round in six years?

The first event at Queensland Raceway in six years is a tantalising prospect, given only 12 of this year's 24 drivers were on the 2019 grid. Of that 12, only Chaz Mostert, Will Davison and James Courtney are former winners. Barring a disaster for Broc Feeney's rivals in Townsville, Ipswich will crown the first ever Repco Sprint Cup winner. Much has changed since 2019, including the cars. While there has been plenty of Gen3 testing over the years, Ipswich has yet to host a Gen3 race. It only has six corners, but Queensland Raceway could be one of the rounds of the year, given how closely cars can follow each other, and how the new Soft tyre is performing.