Finals winners and losers: Golding drops out, Heimgartner hurt

The 2026 Finals battle exploded into life at the NTI Townsville 500, with huge points swings changing the complexion of the fight for the top 10 just four rounds out from the Finals field being set.

Both the top and tail of the Finals bubble saw big changes in an at times tense weekend in North Queensland, which represented something of a dress rehearsal for Finals events at the Gold Coast and Adelaide.

Some have struck form entering the business end of the season, others have headaches that need to be resolved quickly, whilst a few late season flourishes could be rewarded come enduro time.

Supercars.com pick out the Finals winners and losers from a crucial weekend in Townsville.

Winner: Jack Le Brocq

The big Finals news in Townsville was that Jack Le Brocq jumped back inside the Finals bubble for the first time since the end of the Christchurch weekend. Despite qualifying back in the pack for the two longer races, Le Brocq carved his way through the pack with big points on the line, finishing ninth on both Saturday and Sunday. Entering the weekend 51 points off the bubble, he's now 11 points clear.

Loser: James Golding

On the other side of the equation is James Golding, who tumbled out of the bubble. Golding entered the weekend ninth, with a comfortable 67-point gap back to Le Brocq, but a rough run was highlighted by two opening lap incidents in the two refuelling races, a particularly bitter pill on Saturday after qualifying eighth. Glimpses of his early-season speed are still on show, but not as consistently as he or Blanchard Racing Team would like.

Winner: Matt Payne

For their first time in their brief Supercars history, Penrite Racing lead both the drivers' and teams' championships, and it isn't just a coincidence. Matt Payne has struck some serious form and consistency in recent rounds, finishing on the podium in seven of the last eight races. As a result, Payne has had a staggering 182-point swing go his way over Darwin and Townsville, 107 of which came in North Queensland alone.

Loser: Broc Feeney

Triple Eight are in the midst of an uncharacteristic performance slump, and it might cost Broc Feeney the chance to defend his Repco Sprint Cup title. A 15-point advantage turned into a 92-point deficit in Townsville, as both Feeney and teammate Will Brown struggled for car speed throughout the weekend. Given current form, Feeney might battle to claim any Sprint or Enduro Cup bonuses come Gold Coast, though he will still be at the pointy end.

Winner: Thomas Randle

Boy how Thomas Randle and Tickford needed a weekend like that. The #55 Castrol Mustang had by far its most competitive weekend of the season, and while it didn't net any trophies, it did net some serious gains in the battle for Finals. Having entered the weekend with a mountain to climb at 230 points adrift, Randle has now closed to within 156 points, clawing back 74 points in a single weekend. If he maintains the trajectory, he's not out of the question for the top 10 by any means.

Loser: Andre Heimgartner

Just one point behind behind Randle sits Andre Heimgartner, however whilst there's optimism in the Randle camp, the same can't be said for the Kiwi. After suffering his second engine-related retirement of the year with the fledgling Toyota program, Heimgartner admitted his Finals hopes are 'almost killed'. If fortunes are to change, they need a drastic change in form, which we know can be unlocked given their lights-to-flag win in Tasmania.

Winner: Chaz Mostert

It would be remiss not to mention the reigning champion after he put in the best weekend of the season so far. Fourth in round points, Chaz Mostert was rock-solid with finishes of fifth, seventh, and fourth. It was a big bounce back after his Darwin engine failure, and he made sure to let us know he wasn't out of the fight yet after our pre-event predictions. Fair play!

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.

2026 Supercars Finals standings: NTI Townsville 500