Three drivers enter this weekend's Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 with a chance to be crowned the winner of the 2026 Repco Sprint Cup.
Matt Payne and Broc Feeney have arguably been the class of the field, along with Brodie Kostecki, however a strong of misfortunes have seen the 2023 champion fall by the wayside for Sprint Cup contention.
In his place steps Cam Waters, a proposition that felt improbable when he could barely crack the top 10 in qualifying trim across the opening five rounds of the season.
Yet, it will be Waters who will be looking to pull off a major shock, with Payne and Feeney the key contenders.
Matt Payne
Points leader
Story of the season: Matt Payne has been ruthlessly consistent this season, claiming 16 podiums in 25 starts this this year. Whilst early points leaders Broc Feeney and Brodie Kostecki have suffered some stumbles, Payne has been rock solid, and three wins in the last five races have sent a statement to the field.
What needs to happen: The task is simple, just finish within sight of Broc Feeney all weekend. The destiny of the Sprint Cup is firmly within his grasp, with 118 points a very comfortable safety margin should he encounter any difficulty across the weekend. For reference, should the pair replicate their performances from 2025 (12th, sixth, and fourth for Payne, and first, second, and first for Feeney), the Kiwi would still come out on top, though by just eight points. It's looking unlikely that Penrite Racing will have such a stutter again this weekend, having consistently rolled out with fast Fords all season long.
Broc Feeney
Trails Payne by 118 points
Story of the season: It looked to be a case of different manufacturer, same Broc Feeney as he romped to two wins to start the season in Sydney, but Triple Eight's struggles have seen the #88 slip behind Payne. However, the slide was halted with a brilliant win in Perth, well timed with enduros and Finals fast approaching.
What needs to happen: Feeney is by no means out of it, but he needs to hope that Payne either strikes trouble or, perhaps even less likely, Penrite Racing have an off weekend for the first time all season. As outlined above, even his near total dominance of last year won't be enough to win the Sprint Cup even if Payne has a stutter, however, if he was to complete the dominance, it's a different story. Three race wins would hand him back-to-back Sprint Cups should Payne finish 10th in both Saturday races and fifth on Sunday. Should Feeney convert with fastest laps, he would still win the Sprint Cup even if Payne secured two ninth place finishes, and it goes without saying that a DNF for the Kiwi would blow the chase wide open.
Cam Waters
Trails Payne by 277 points
Story of the season: Whilst Tickford were struggling for raw speed to start the year, Cam Waters put in some remarkable drives to keep himself entrenched in the top four. Now the team have turned a corner, and Waters is winning races at the right time of year.
What needs to happen: For the Monster Mustang, it's about as long of a shot as you can possibly get, but this season has proven that anything can and probably will happen. At the bare minimum, he needs three trophies to keep himself alive, though more likely three wins and fastest laps, and hope Payne scores no more than 38 points across the weekend, likely needing at least two DNFs. He will also need to overhaul Feeney, who is 159 points up the road. If Waters was to win all three races, Feeney would have to record two 12th's on Saturday, and a seventh on Sunday. The Sunday marker becomes sixth or worse if Waters wins with the fastest lap.
