How career-best Wood, Allen are making their mark in 2026

Kai Allen and Ryan Wood have emerged as big winners year-on-year through the opening two rounds of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship.

After mid-season surges set up Finals campaigns after slow starts to the season, 20-year-old Allen and 22-year-old Wood have begun their new seasons on the front foot.

12 months ago, it was a brutal initiation to the championship for a then-teenaged Allen, who despite showing flashes of speed, found himself on the wrong end of several incidents.

However, this year has seen blinding race pace, something which the South Australian has used to climb up to eighth in points, some 11 positions better than where he was last year.

The 2025 Grand Finalist could have had an even greater gain had it not been for a heartbreaking late race steering failure in the Sydney finale, as he chased a physically fading Broc Feeney for a potential first career win.

Meanwhile, Walkinshaw TWG Racing ace Wood finds himself inside the top 10 in points through the opening two events for the first time in his young career, highlighted by Toyota's first Supercars podium.

He also finds himself ahead of teammate and reigning champion Chaz Mostert, though if it weren't for a Race 2 disqualification in Sydney, the positions would be reversed.

David Reynolds' horror start to 2025 has not repeated 12 months on, as he now knocks on the door of a Finals berth, whilst the season's quiet achiever in Jack Le Brocq has also leapt up the order as he picks up where he left off at Matt Stone Racing.

The big shaker in the field has been Will Brown, the 2024 champion tumbling back 12 places year on year after a fraught start to his season in Triple Eight's new era with Ford.

However, a drought-breaking pole position, and a hard fought podium last time out in Albert Park could be the biggest sign yet that he could be getting back to his best.

A race winner by this stage last year, Cameron Hill has slipped back from eighth to 14th as Brad Jones Racing get their brand-new Toyota GR Supras up to speed, whilst Mostert has also gone back six positions, though provisionally holds the 10th and last Finals spot.

Early title contenders Broc Feeney and Cam Waters have remarkably found themselves in the exact same position year on year, but have taken different roads to get there.

Waters dominated the Sydney opener last year before a quieter weekend in Melbourne, however this year has seen a consistent run, finishing no higher than third, but no worse than sixth in all seven races to date.

Feeney meanwhile has won three of the seven races to date, avenging something of a slow start in 2025, but his first DNF since the 2022 Gold Coast 500 has seen him slip down to third having led the championship before the most recent race.

The next opportunity to rise in the championship standings will come at the inaugural ITM New Zealand Doubleheader, beginning at Taupō from April 10-12, and then moving to Christchurch from April 17-19. Tickets are on sale now.

Round 2 championship position: 2025 vs 2026

^Didn't contest Round 1, 2025

*2026 rookie