On the brink: Why Le Brocq and MSR's Finals fairytale isn't over yet

Through the opening four rounds of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, Jack Le Brocq and Matt Stone Racing proved to be the ultimate Finals underdog.

However, they now find themselves on the brink, a favourite round of theirs from years gone by having worked completely against them in Tasmania.

Having scored a win and podium in the last two seasons at Symmons Plains, some, including Supercars.com, believed that Le Brocq could keep his Finals fight alive with a strong run, however he was hobbled all weekend long.

An engine problem saw Le Brocq only complete seven laps in the final practice session of the weekend, before it reared it's ugly head once again in the 200km finale, consigning him to a last-placed finish.

To make matters worse, nearest rival Chaz Mostert had his best weekend of his title defence to date, winning his first race of 2026 to comfortably jump ahead of Le Brocq and into the top 10.

“Overall, we didn’t have the weekend we were after here in Tassie," reflected Le Brocq.

"We were coming off a strong start to the season and the expectations were high with the previous form of MSR and how much I enjoy the circuit here.

"Unfortunately from the outset it seemed Lady Luck was against us for the weekend with a technical issue during practice on Friday which in turn returned again during Sundays race taking away a chance at a decent result.

"But nonetheless the team at MSR continued to push hard and make improvements as the weekend went on. We’re confident we can bounce back for the next round in Darwin as it’s been a happy hunting ground for us in the past."

Whilst 68 points is by no means an insurmountable gap, with some six rounds remaining before the Finals field is set after the Repco Bathurst 1000, Le Brocq and MSR need to arrest the slide.

Darwin, the scene of MSR's first Supercars win courtesy of Le Brocq in 2023, couldn't have come at a better time for the 33-year-old.

A revised race format for the 2026 betr Darwin Triple Crown represents a major opportunity to claw back ground, with two big points races over the Saturday and Sunday.

Darwin switches from the Super 440 format to the 500km format last seen in Sydney, with a 100km Friday sprint followed by two 200km refuelling races. The following round in Townsville will also run the same format.

It's the 200km races that have kept Le Brocq in the game for Finals, claiming top 10 finishes in both of Sydney's longer races, as well as Christchurch. In Taupō's 200km race, he finished 11th.

Arguably, they will need more than just top 10 runs to pick themselves back up, especially given how strongly the Toyota Supra has performed right out of the gates at the beginning of it's development cycle.

But, the form of Team 18's Anton De Pasquale and David Reynolds, as well as PremiAir Racing rookie Jayden Ojeda proved that something was unlocked in the Camaros in Tasmania, even if Reynolds was the only Chevrolet driver to claim any silverware.

With how wide open and competitive the field has been throughout 2026, there's bound to be more twists in the tale before the Finals field is set. Le Brocq and MSR could provide the first of them.

Round-by-Round Supercars Finals standings: Jack Le Brocq

The 2026 Repco Supercars Championship continues at the betr Darwin Triple Crown from June 19-21. Tickets are on sale now.