Feeney's to lose? Golding vs Wood Part II? Questions to be answered

The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship hits the Top End, with Hidden Valley Raceway hosting Round 6 of what has been an absorbing and intense season.

Through five rounds, we've seen seven different race winners, a whopping 13 different drivers on the podium, and eight different pole winners. Safe to say, it's been ultra-competitive, with six races decided by less than 0.7 seconds.

Broc Feeney has won four of the last six races, and has opened up a 72-point lead over teammate Will Brown. Feeney has won three of the last five races in Darwin, so it looks like the Repco Sprint Cup is his to lose.

Brown wants wins, Matt Payne wants wins, Cam Waters and Chaz Mostert want wins. Something has got to give towards the top, and as we've seen in Darwin over the years, some surprise names could be there to pick up the pieces.

As we celebrate race week, Supercars.com highlights key questions that will be answered in Darwin.

Is the Sprint Cup Feeney's to lose?

Zac: He has always been a frontrunner since joining the championship full-time in 2022, but there is no question that Broc Feeney has been THE man in 2025. He tops the pole and win charts this season, and more than has the measure of his championship-winning teammate Will Brown. Darwin is a place where Feeney is dominant in Gen3, so don't be surprised if the gap at top of the table reaches triple digits for the first time this season.

What really is Waters' approach from here?

James: Cam Waters told us he’s going to be “hauling ass” for the final Sprint Cup rounds, which means one thing — he’s going to be box office. Winless since Sydney, Waters has been there or thereabouts, but has fallen short. The Monster Mustang started from the front row twice in Perth, so Waters has pace. Tyre life is key, and if Tickford Racing can turn the corner, Waters could be hard to stop. A winner in Darwin in 2022, Waters knows how to get the job done, but has three rounds and nine races to overturn a 153-point deficit to Feeney if he wants to win the Sprint Cup.

Will we see Golding vs Wood Part II?

Zac: It was one of the biggest talking points to come out of Perth, and there's every chance it could rumble on over the coming races. Ryan Wood and James Golding are separated by just 27 points in the championship, with Wood holding down the all-important 10th place in the race for The Finals. Golding was superb in Darwin last year, whilst Wood has proven he's not one to back away from a fight. This could be an intriguing rivalry as the season builds to it's conclusion.

Can Ford snap its Darwin streak?

James: Ford has eight wins to Chevrolet’s seven through five rounds. However, Chevrolet is undefeated in Darwin in Gen3, along with Albert Park, The Bend (didn’t host a round in 2024), Bathurst and Sandown. Feeney has been the Darwin benchmark, winning three of the five races, while Team 18 and Matt Stone Racing pulled off shocks in 2023. Tweaks have been made across the last two rounds after recent dyno testing, which found the Ford was marginally down relative to the Chevrolet in hot conditions, while Ford had the edge in cool conditions. Waters and Mostert are both winners in Darwin, while Payne has been resurgent at all rounds this year. If there was ever a round for the Blue Oval to make a statement, it’s this one.

Will there be more trouble for drivers on the Finals bubble?

Zac: Sunday in Perth was topsy-turvy at the back end of the top 10 in points, as several Finals-contending drivers struck trouble. Remarkably, the top 15 drivers left Perth in the same order they started the weekend, although it could've very easily been a different scenario. Anton De Pasquale can count himself unlucky not to have jumped into the Finals bubble, whilst Cameron Hill will be looking to rediscover his strong early season form that saw him become a race winner.

Will the underdogs have their day again?

James: Darwin has sprung plenty of surprises since its debut in 1998, and given what we’ve seen so far in 2025, we expect nothing less this weekend. Think Russell Ingall in 1998, Michael Caruso in 2009 and 2016, Rick Kelly and Shane van Gisbergen in 2011, Anton De Pasquale in 2020, and Mark Winterbottom and Jack Le Brocq in 2023. With its long straight, fast sections and the infamous Valley hairpin, Darwin is a magnet for drama, and it usually leads to surprises. We’ve had seven different winners already, so why not more?

The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the betr Darwin Triple Crown on June 20-22 Tickets are on sale now.