How the second half of the Sprint Cup reshaped Finals race

The Repco Sprint Cup may be behind us, and all eyes are firmly trained towards the Ryco Enduro Cup, however the last four rounds have seen some big moves in the fight for the backend of the Finals bracket.

The second half of the Sprint Cup started with a wild Sunday in Western Australia, and finished with an equally manic throwdown at Queensland Raceway.

Through it all, one young gun has stood out to make a stunning charge towards The Finals, whilst there have been rollercoaster rides for several others after a strong start to the season.

Just two races remain for drivers to secure their place in The Finals, however despite the big points on offer across The Bend and Bathurst, it could very well be the back end of the sprint season that will tell the biggest story come Finals time.

Supercars.com takes a look back at the last four rounds of the Repco Sprint Cup, and how the key players in the race for the top 10 fared.

Perth Super 440

Ryan Wood stood to make a massive gain in Perth after claiming his maiden race win to open the weekend, however a suspension failure whilst leading Race 15 and a dramatic collision with James Golding in Race 16. Both were set to comfortably hold a spot in the top 10 after the weekend, but the collision saw Wood remain on the bubble, and Golding fall back out. Several drivers struck dramas in the final race, with Anton De Pasquale and Cameron Hill both striking mechanical gremlins through the 200km finale. Through all the chaos emerged Allen, who soared to eighth from 23rd on the grid, sparking his glittering form.

Darwin Triple Crown

Allen has never been to Hidden Valley Raceway before this year's Darwin Triple Crown, however inexperience didn't show. In his final race weekend as a teenager, Allen claimed his maiden podium to open the weekend on Saturday, and then went one better on Sunday to claim second behind a rampant Broc Feeney. Anton De Pasquale also claimed his first Team 18 podium to rocket back into the top 10 after a mid-season slump, whilst Thomas Randle copped the brunt of a disastrous weekend for Tickford, failing to register a top 10 finish. A triple top 10 weekend for Bryce Fullwood on home turf saw the Brad Jones Racing Camaro continue to chip away towards the top 10.

Townsville 500

James Golding wasn't able to recapture his pole-winning 2024 form in Darwin, and his misery was compounded by a frightening crash in Townsville that saw him launched roof-first into the wall. Randle was also caught up in the mayhem as his form slump continued, whilst Kai Allen's momentum also slowed with a quiet weekend. The star of the show was De Pasquale, who secured another trophy and didn't finish outside the top six across the three races. Fullwood also continued his progress with a further two top 10s and an 11th. Hill, meanwhile, suffered a freak brake failure on Sunday when a loose bolt was launched into the front left brake rotor and pad, bumping him out of the top 10 as a result.

Ipswich Super 440

Any fears of Allen's run coming to a grinding halt were quashed in Ipswich, where for the second time in three events he secured two podiums, to enter the Ryco Enduro Cup just 20 points away from a Finals berth. Ryan Wood also secured double podiums for the first time in his career, although his well-publicised run-in with Will Brown in the Sunday finale once again saw points squandered. De Pasquale was again a constant presence in the top 10 to firmly establish himself in seventh in the championship, 124 points clear of the cutoff line. A frustrated Hill was caught up in a wild exchange with wildcard Zach Bates on the Dick Johnson Straight, with the resulting drive through penalty putting him 108 points below the cutoff entering the enduros.

Points lost/gained on Finals bubble (10th) - last four rounds

Championship positions Perth-Ipswich