Tale of the tape: The Super2 title contenders

Four drivers start this weekend's final round of the Dunlop Super2 Series in Newcastle with hopes of winning the 2018 title.

Chris Pither, Paul Dumbrell, Garry Jacobson and Alex Rullo are covered by 125 points, with 300 up for grabs across a pair of 20-lap races.

That group is evenly split between two drivers chasing a first title and two looking for repeat honours.

Supercars.com looks at how they got here, across the year's first six events.

#44 Chris Pither, Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore

Back in Super2 for the first time since 2015, Pither holds a 32-point lead over Dumbrell and is eying a maiden title.

After a quiet start in the Adelaide opener, finishing sixth and seventh, Pither bounced back to win a race and the round at Symmons Plains.

Consistency has been the key, with seventh his lowest result other than 16th in the opening race at Sandown following a clash with Will Brown.

He even managed to take third at Bathurst, despite clouting the wall during the 250km race, which Dumbrell failed to finish.

With that, Pither went from being 226 points behind to taking a 32-point advantage to Newcastle.

#88 Paul Dumbrell, Eggleston Motorsport Holden Commodore

A third Super2 title looked well within reach for Dumbrell when he left Sandown in September leading Pither by more than 200 points.

The veteran has been the driver to beat all season, with five races wins and 11 podium finishes out of the 14 races.

Having led the championship all year, though, he was left to rue a zero-point weekend at Bathurst, after an early clash with Dean Fiore at The Cutting.

This weekend is a role reversal for Dumbrell from Newcastle 2017; from being the hunted – holding a points lead over Todd Hazelwood – to being the hunter, chasing Pither.

#100 Garry Jacobson, MW Motorsport Nissan Altima

Jacobson starts the weekend 111 points behind Pither and 79 behind Dumbrell, looking to add to the 2016 Super2 title won with Tickford Racing.

He started well, trading the Adelaide victories with Dumbrell on his MW debut, but endured a torrid weekend in Tasmania, with clashes in two of the three races.

That dropped Jacobson to seventh in the standings and he's been playing catch-up since, a penalty at Sandown after crossing the line first not helping his cause.

Jacobson was then central to the last-lap drama at Bathurst, tangling with leader Macauley Jones at The Chase on the last lap and ultimately finishing fourth.

#62 Alex Rullo, MW Motorsport Nissan Altima

Back in Super2 after his 2017 main game foray, Rullo has worked his way into contention after a rocky start to the year.

The Adelaide opener was one to forget, with a best race result of 11th leaving the teenager 12th in the points.

Since finishing seventh in Race 2 at Symmons Plains, the fifth race of the campaign, he hasn't been out of the top 10, including a maiden victory at Barbagallo Raceway in May.

With second at Bathurst last time out his third podium of the campaign, Rullo heads to Newcastle 125 points behind Pither.