Champ in danger zone? Five bold Townsville predictions

It's crunch time in the Repco Sprint Cup, with just three rounds remaining until the first Finals berth is secured.

The business end of the sprint season takes the Supercars circus north to Townsville, with another gruelling 500km test facing drivers and teams alike after the extreme heat test of Darwin.

The battle at the top end of town is the tightest it's been since the opening round of the season, gaps are also closing around the Finals bubble, whilst there are also two new faces looking to disrupt the script.

Supercars.com picks out five bold predictions for the NTI Townsville 500.

Payne and Feeney tie for championship lead, again

Broc Feeney and Matt Payne have emerged as the runaway Repco Sprint Cup combatants, with 183 points back to third-placed Cam Waters. Feeney and Payne are separated by just 15 points through 19 races of the season, absolutely nothing with 315 available per sprint weekend. How much closer can it get? We believe it could even closer yet, in fact so close that they can't be split. The last time it happened? Exiting the opening round in Sydney.

Waters closes to within 100 pts of championship lead

Cam Waters was at his vintage best in Darwin, repaying the hard work Tickford have put in to reverse a slow start to their season. Now with some momentum behind him, Waters heads to one of his favourite venues in Townsville, where he was won three times. The winningest active driver on street circuits, another strong weekend could see him soar into unlikely Sprint Cup contention if Feeney and Payne both stumble.

Kostecki bounces back with a win

Brodie Kostecki missing the Darwin finale mightn't have been a complete shock given the circumstances surrounding his illness, but it was a shock in the Sprint Cup battle. Having been clawing his way back into the mix in the first two Darwin races, Kostecki is now the wrong side of 200 points away from Feeney. However, Townsville was where it all clicked for the DJR/Kostecki combination last year for their first win. Another win will further solidify his already strong title credentials.

Mostert drops out of the 10

At the other end of the scale, reigning champion Chaz Mostert has had a tough time of it as Toyota iron out their teething issues. Another Toyota engine failure in Darwin has put Mostert back in danger of falling back out of the 10, with Jack Le Brocq ready to pounce at 51 points below the cut line. Walkinshaw TWG Racing and Mostert have a proven track record in Townsville, however Toyota do not. It could be the biggest test of the Supra yet.

Wildcard jags a top 10

The grid expands by two in North Queensland, with Reuben Goodall and Aaron Seton joining the field in wildcard entries from Tickford and Matt Stone Racing. Both are at different stages of their careers, Goodall looking to break in to the main game full-time, and Seton having plenty of enduro and Super2 experience, though never having contested a solo Supercars start. It will be a steep learning curve for both, but if they can execute, they could surprise a few people.

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