Cut-line chaos, Finals shocks: Five bold Gold Coast predictions
For the first time ever, it's Finals season for the Repco Supercars Championship.
24 drivers started the season aspiring to be fighting for the championship on the streets of Adelaide. Now, that's only a reality for the 10 best drivers of the season.
Broc Feeney, Matt Payne, Will Brown, Cam Waters, Brodie Kostecki, Chaz Mostert, Anton De Pasquale, Thomas Randle, Ryan Wood, and Kai Allen are the combatants who will all be racing for a championship across the final three events of the season.
The ultimate journey to the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship begins at one of the tour's most imposing venues, the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit.
A place where driver skill and bravery is on full display, and the slightest mistakes are severely punished, it seems a fitting place for the Repco Supercars Finals Series to begin.
Who will sink, and who will swim on the Gold Coast? Supercars.com look at five bold predictions for the Elimination Final at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, brought to you by Schick.
At least two Finals Drivers will trip up in qualifying
Zac: The tight confines of the Gold Coast lends itself to high drama when the limits are being pushed in qualifying. Last year it was Will Brown who came unstuck at the bottom of the circuit at Turn 11, with Nick Percat and Tim Slade becoming unwitting victims. The year prior saw Brown have an even more spectacular moment at the first chicane, whilst Chaz Mostert and Scott McLaughlin both had weekend-enders in 2019. At just 2.96km long, traffic can also be a big issue in qualifying. Do not be surprised if we see several Finals Drivers trip up, through fault of their own or otherwise.
A crash will change Finals picture
James: With 10 drivers covered by 154 points, there’s plenty of scope for the order to change. As explained below, should Finals drivers trip up or play it safe, there’s every chance others could reap the rewards. However, there have been many pile-ups and concertinas on the Surfers streets, and should Finals drivers find themselves in the mid-pack, a crash — and DNF — could turn the order on its head.
A driver below cut-line will race into Semi Final
Zac: Of the 10-strong Finals field, Thomas Randle (-9), Ryan Wood (-18), and Kai Allen (-27) find themselves currently sitting on the outside looking in. Though the calibre of driver ahead of them is the best of the best, and no means easy to overcome in points, that's not to say it won't be impossible. Randle completed a Tickford Racing 1-2 on Saturday last year, whilst Wood impressed on his first ever visit with a Shootout appearance. The ultimate unknown is Allen, who has never raced on the streets of the Gold Coast before, however Penrite Racing have been strong in recent years.
A non-Finals driver will win a race
James: This is perhaps the most bold call of the lot. The Gold Coast favours the fast, but it punishes the erroneous. The quality of drivers inside the 10 should dictate where the wins will end up, but this is Supercars, and this is Surfers Paradise — there are no guarantees. The likes of Cameron Hill, James Golding and Cooper Murray were all superb in Bathurst, and could have pace to burn. If they can qualify well, there’s no reason they can’t charge through as Finals drivers play defensively and think championship.
A Finals Driver will be undone in the pits
Zac: It's not just the 10 Finals Drivers who are under pressure this weekend, the pressure will also be on those in pit lane. We saw a title challenge come undone last year in the pits, with Chaz Mostert's brilliant mid-season surge coming completely unravelled with a refuelling drama. Safety Cars could also wreak havoc for teams in Finals contention, with Red Bull Ampol Racing, Penrite Racing, Tickford Racing, and Walkinshaw Andretti United all having both of their cars in the championship hunt. The action on track will be fierce, but what happens in the pits could be just as, if not more important.
The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.
The 2025 Repco Supercars Finals Series commences at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 24-26. Tickets are on sale now. International viewers can watch the action on SuperView.
