Finals Race: Feeney, Payne level as championship heavyweights lose early ground

We might only be one round into the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, but there are some big names who had a quiet start to their quests to qualify for the Repco Supercars Finals Series.

It might seem a little early to be talking about the makeup of the Finals field, given that the first berth likely won't be decided until Ipswich in August, with the remainder of the full field of 10 locked in at October's Repco Bathurst 1000.

However, last year proved that every point matters in the regular season; Kai Allen scraping into the final transfer spot by just three points over both Andre Heimgartner and Cameron Hill.

Once again, the Repco Sprint Cup winner and Ryco Enduro Cup winner gain automatic entry to the Finals Series, with the remaining eight berths decided by the eight highest points scorers outside cup winners.

If the same driver wins both the Sprint and Enduro Cups, then the nine highest points scorers secure the remaining berths.

With seven drivers on the podium in three races, early indication are this season could be more competitive than ever before, with the likes of Blanchard Racing Team and Team 18 impressing in Sydney.

However, it was Broc Feeney, Matt Payne, and Cam Waters who got their years off to the best starts, all three more than 100 points clear of the cut line.

However, it's positions 13-15 that stand out, with reigning champion Chaz Mostert, 2025 Grand Finalist Kai Allen, and 2024 champion Will Brown all below the cut line after difficult weekends.

Mostert was disqualified from the second race, Allen had a potential victory slip through his hands with a steering failure yesterday, whilst Brown found himself in the medical centre after a cool suit.

However, with another 27 races between now and the Finals contenders being set, there is guaranteed to be plenty of change as the season wears on.

Supercars head to Albert Park next week for the Melbourne SuperSprint from March 5-8.

2026 Repco Supercars Championship Finals race: Round 1, DUNLOP Sydney 500