Career-first in Grand Final underlines 'absolute ripper' Allen's potential

Penrite Racing co-owner Brenton Grove has expressed his pride in Kai Allen's bp Adelaide Grand Final performance, saying that his first win in Supercars is right around the corner.

Allen was the underdog story of the Finals Series, entering the Elimination Final on the Gold Coast as the final seed, with many expecting him to bow out at the first hurdle.

However, as more fancied runners cracked under the Finals pressure, the 2023 Super2 champion kept his cool to not only progress through the Elimination Final, but also the Semi Final at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

However, with Broc Feeney, Chaz Mostert, and Will Brown his adversaries, it was evident that if Allen was to steal the most unlikely of championships, he would need to save his best rookie performances for last.

Indeed, Allen did bring his best weekend performance of the season to the Grand Final, finishing inside the top five in every race of a multi-race event for this first time in his career.

Whilst the 20-year-old couldn't move forward from fourth in the standings, Grove insisted that he was "enormously proud" of Allen's fight throughout the weekend.

"I think we've taken it less from the championship approach and more from the progression, and what he can learn from that," Grove said post-race.

"I think it would've been great for him to win his first race here like Matt did in his first year, but there's no doubt his time is coming. I think to have this experience in the first year is going to bode well for future years, so I'm really proud of both of our drivers.

"They've shown why they're with us and what they're made of, and we're really proud to take them forward into next year."

Grove's sentiment was echoed by Allen's Penrite Racing teammate Matt Payne, who claimed a dominant victory in the final race of the year in Adelaide.

Whilst Payne claimed the squad's headline results in 2025, including winning the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, Ryco Enduro Cup, and Repco Bathurst 1000, it was Allen's stunning charge in the second half of the season that helped the team finish second in the teams' championship.

Speaking on the Cool Down Lap presented by Moza Racing, Payne said of Allen: "He's been an absolute ripper.

"He's had his struggles at the start, had a lot people running into him which sucked, but he's really come on strong at the the back end of the year, and his consistency has won us all really.

"He's been super strong, his car speed's been really good, qualifying speed has been really good.

"Honestly, I was kind of gutted, I thought he was going to get a win this weekend, but unfortunately it just didn't quite stick, he's going to have to wait until next year before he gets his first.

"He's been doing an awesome job. It's great having another guy who is fast in the other car, who can help with set-up direction and everything."