Who can play themselves into Sprint Cup contention?

Four rounds into the Repco Sprint Cup, and a three-way fight has emerged to punch the first Golden Ticket through to the Repco Supercars Finals Series, beginning on the Gold Coast.

Ford stars Broc Feeney, Brodie Kostecki, and Matt Payne are all separated by just 46 points after 13 races, the closest top three through four events since 2017.

While the top three look set to duke it out right through to the final race of the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 in August, there is a group of hungry drivers that fill out the top 10 that could all find themselves entering the conversation.

In fact, there's a further six drivers who find themselves within 300 points of Feeney in the lead, who have all had differing tales to start the season.

However, as Supercars.com analyses, all six of them could feasibly work their way into Sprint Cup calculations, starting at the upcoming Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440 from May 22-24.

Cam Waters (-138 points)

The fact that Cam Waters finds himself fourth in the championship despite Tickford Racing having failed to fire a real shot in 2026 is testament to how well he has driven in the opening four rounds. There's no better example of this than last time out in Christchurch, where he stormed from a forced pit lane start to fifth.

However, if Waters is to announce himself as a true contender, both he and Tickford need to find the qualifying speed the duo have become renowned for. A new chassis coming online in Tasmania could be just the spark they need, with Tickford's form at Symmons Plains strong.

Kai Allen (-197 points)

There's no question that Supercars' newest race winner will be riding the wave of confidence of the back of a breakthrough weekend in Christchurch. With a team in Penrite Racing that is also humming, and would be leading the teams' points had it not been for dual penalties in New Zealand, they're primed to have two horses in the race.

One thing that the 20-year-old would like to get on top of is the head-to-head battle with his teammate Matt Payne. The Kiwi out-qualifies him 12-1, and has also outraced him to the tune of 9-3. Allen admits that there is plenty of work to be done to close the gap, especially when Payne is right in the hunt for the Sprint Cup.

Ryan Wood (-199 points)

The Walkinshaw TWG Racing young gun was the breakout star of 2025, and he has kept that form rolling into a new era with Toyota. All of Toyota's key milestones this year have been achieved by the Kiwi; first podium, first pole, and first win. Of the five drivers in Supras this year, it's Wood who has been consistently maximising the new package.

However, on more than one occasion we've had proof of how raw the Toyota is, most notably with Wood's late engine failure in Christchurch. WTWGR haven't made any secret that this early stage of the season is about learning, and there are bound to be low points alongside the early highs.

Anton De Pasquale (-236 points)

Leading the charge for General Motors and Chevrolet is Anton De Pasquale, who at his best has been a race-winning force this year. His win in Sydney silenced the doubters, and was proof that Team 18 can take the mantle as GM homologation team when everything falls into place.

However, the reality is that said pieces have only fallen into place in one of 13 races held this year. In the time since, Chevrolet haven't appeared on the podium once, while newcomer Toyota have claimed six trophies. Being forced into fuel saving in Christchurch was an awkward stumble, and one that can't be replicated if they want to fight in the upper echelon.

James Golding (-246 points)

The feel good story of the 2026 season to date, James Golding has been a revelation at the Blanchard Racing Team. After a strong start in Sydney, Golding and BRT have gone on with it since, and have proven that their speed in both qualifying and race trim isn't a fluke.

Behind Golding is a hungry pack, headlined by former champions Will Brown and Chaz Mostert, both of whom are only getting stronger with every round. BRT, admittedly still a young team in the grand scheme of things, have never found themselves in such a strong position before, but have proven they can stay there.

Will Brown (-293 points)

The last driver within 300 points of the championship lead is Will Brown, who has started to turn a corner after a tough opening to his year. A champion as recently ago as 2024, there is no doubting that Brown is still one of the premier drivers in the category, while Triple Eight also find themselves on top despite not being in peak form.

In saying that, 293 points is a lot of ground to make up, especially when the driver in the lead is driving the same equipment as you. There has also been the odd qualifying stumble this season, although nowhere near as prolific as they were last year.

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