The biggest winners and losers in 2024 enduros

The 2024 enduro season was always set to play a pivotal role in the outcome of this season's Repco Supercars Championship.

With 600 points on offer across Sandown and Bathurst, there were always going to be movers and shakers in the championship, with mistakes punished severely due to the big points on offer.

Whilst Will Brown did exactly what he needed to do to enhance his position at the top of the championship, there were plenty of other storylines to emerge from the enduro season.

Supercars.com takes a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from the 2024 enduro season.

WINNER: Will Brown

Entering the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, Will Brown had his championship lead whittled down 81 points by a rampant Chaz Mostert, who was at one stage 279 points behind. A win at Sandown and a third at Bathurst has seen Brown's advantage extend out to 204 points, and with 600 points on offer across the final four races of the season, many are suggesting that Brown has one hand on the trophy. Scott Pye proved to be a more than reliable co-driver for the championship leader, with his bounceback from a Thursday practice crash in Bathurst particularly impressive. If the Enduro Cup had been revived for the 2024 season, Brown and Pye would've claimed it over the sister Feeney/Jamie Whincup Camaro by just six points. Brown's wild in-car celebrations at Sandown showed just how important that win was in the context of the season, and if he can maintain his 100 percent podium record at every event this season, a maiden Repco Supercars Championship victory is surely in the bag.

LOSER: Chaz Mostert

On the flip side, Mostert's incredible charge back into title contention hit what could prove to be an insurmountable hurdle at the enduros. Walkinshaw Andretti United didn't have the pace to challenge for victory at either Sandown or Bathurst, and Sandown in particular was a rough event for the team as a whole, with WAU Team Principal Carl Faux describing the race as 'diabolical'. All things considered, Mostert did well to recover to seventh after Lee Holdsworth's wild ride at Sandown, whilst fifth was all they could muster with a flawless race at Bathurst. As a result, Mostert has lost 144 points to Brown across the past two races, and now trails Feeney by 21 points heading into the final two events of the season at the Gold Coast and Adelaide. Whilst the Mustangs were extremely quick at both circuits last year, 225 points could be a bridge too far for Mostert with 600 points on offer, especially when he has effectively lost a race's worth of points over the enduros.

WINNER: James Golding

Arguably the biggest winner of the enduro season was PremiAir Racing's James Golding, who finds himself fifth in the points standings as he continues a breakout season for both himself and the team. Third place was a just reward for Golding and PremiAir at Sandown after a stunning race performance from 14th on the grid, whilst they flew under the radar to finish sixth at Bathurst. The acquisition of David Russell for the 2024 enduros was a brilliant signing by Peter Xiberras, and any questions anyone might've had about whether the veteran could replicate his Erebus form have now been answered emphatically. Russell has proven himself to be one of the top co-drivers in the field alongside the likes of Jamie Whincup and Garth Tander, and has helped boost Golding into what is almost certain to be his career-best points finish at the end of the season. Golding has shown great speed on the Gold Coast since joining PremiAir mid-season in 2022, so there's every chance there could be another chapter to add to the story before the year is out, before the exciting addition of Richie Stanaway for 2025.

LOSER: Penrite Racing

A 50 percent finishing rate in the enduros is not what a team with the expectations of Grove Racing would've wanted across Sandown and Bathurst. An engine failure for Richie Stanaway curtailed the #26 Mustang's Penrite Oil Sandown 500, whilst Matt Payne was the only retirement at Bathurst after crashing at The Cutting and triggering the race's only Safety Car intervention. The Penrite Mustangs were arguably the fastest of the Ford contingent at the two longest races of the season, however they were unable to capitalise on the pace. Payne and Garth Tander were only half a second away from claiming a podium at Sandown, and were the first Ford home. Bathurst was a case of what could've been as well, after Payne took provisional pole on Friday. However, Sunday was a troubled day as Tander had an uncharacteristic off, before Payne ended their day. Stanaway and Dale Wood impressed, with Stanaway setting a stunning lap in the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout to start fourth, and nearly taking the lead after a blistering first lap. However, a nailed-on finish of sixth evaporated quite literally when the Kiwi ran out of fuel on the last lap, dropping to ninth at the chequered flag. Grove dropped from fourth to sixth in the teams points as a result, whilst Payne dropped to sixth, and Stanaway finds himself in a lowly 17th after his Sandown DNF.

WINNER: Brodie Kostecki

The start of the season for Brodie Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport has been well-documented, however the reigning Repco Supercars champion wanted one final success to tick off the list before departing for Dick Johnson Racing. Sandown was a warning shot, as Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood showed great pace without the result to show for it, but Bathurst was as close to a faultless weekend as you could have at Mount Panorama. Whilst they methodically worked on their own program throughout practice, when the time came for one lap pace, Kostecki wrote his name in history by claiming back-to-back Bathurst poles. Their Sunday performance was devastating, leading all but four laps to claim victory in the fastest-ever Bathurst 1000. It was a timely reminder of how brilliant both Kostecki and Erebus can be when they are both on top form, whilst it was the crowning moment of Hazelwood's long and arduous road to Supercars. It will be interesting to see whether or not both team and driver can carry this momentum into the final four races of the season, but for all of the drama that occurred before the season had started, no one can take away their extraordinary achievements across the past 12 months. A Repco Supercars Championship victory for both Kostecki and Erebus last year, two Bathurst poles, and now a Repco Bathurst 1000 victory, all achieved against the might of Triple Eight.

LOSER: Nick Percat

Nick Percat's hopes of achieving a top five finish in this year's championship have probably been crushed after a tough enduro season. Co-driver Dylan O'Keeffe got caught up in a clumsy collision with Kai Allen at Sandown, and also found trouble in practice at Bathurst after touching the grass in the braking zone for Griffins Bend. That ultimately led to finishes of 23rd and 17th respectively, with James Golding launching himself into the top five as a result. It wasn't all bad news for Matt Stone Racing however, as Cameron Hill and Cameron Crick recorded top 10 finishes in both races. Hill has quietly climbed to 13th in the standings, and with only 122 points separating Hill and 10th placed Will Davison in the standings, the Canberran could be eyeing off a top 10 points finish in his second season.

The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 25-27. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

Live coverage can be found on Foxtel, with live streaming available on Kayo. The Seven Network will take free to air coverage. International viewers can follow all the action on Superview.

Combined Sandown/Bathurst points