Drivers weigh in on 'overtime' style race finishes

Drivers have entertained the concept of ‘overtime’ style rules being introduced in Supercars to guarantee grandstand finishes, after two races this year ended behind the Safety Car.

Already in 2025, two races — in Darwin and Ipswich — have finished under Safety Car conditions. Coincidentally, on both occasions, David Reynolds came to grief, with Broc Feeney winning the race.

It comes after the first race of 2024 in Bathurst, and the second Melbourne sprint in 2023, also finished behind the Safety Car. After the 2024 Bathurst 500 race, the top three of Feeney, Will Brown and Chaz Mostert defended that particular scenario, insisting marshals were still clearing an incident.

However, speaking after the Ipswich race, Feeney was keen for a restart despite having the most to lose, saying: “I think we nearly could have done it at the end.

“It was super touch-and-go. Davey probably got pulled out as we came out of Turn 3, so I think they wanted lights out [on the Safety Car to signal a restart] at Turn 3.

“We were probably a couple of corners too late. I was all hyped up with a few laps to go and the heart rate came down a bit.”

Brown was firmer, saying on his Lucky Dogs podcast: “The track was clear. Everything was off the track. They could have let us go at Turn 4 and allowed us to do one lap to make it interesting.

“Obviously, I wanted it to happen because I had four tyres and the guys in front of me didn’t. I’m sure everyone wanted it to happen.

“Everyone watching on the hill had come to watch, then you just go, ‘Oh, nah, sorry, we’re going to finish under Safety Car’. That race was able to be [restarted] with a one-lap dash to the end.”

One such method to ensure grandstand finishes in Supercars could be a system similar to NASCAR overtime, also known as ‘green-white-chequered’, which is a rule used to set up an additional two-lap dash in the event of a late caution.

If a caution is thrown and there isn’t enough time to restart the race without completing the advertised distance, an overtime finish will occur. In overtime, if another caution is thrown before the leader takes the white flag (to commence to final lap), then another overtime finish will occur. In NASCAR, there is no limit on how many overtime restarts there can be.

Kai Allen finished on the podium behind Feeney in the Darwin and Ipswich races, and was keen to “have a crack” at the points leader. However, the Penrite Racing driver insisted drivers would be wary of causing carnage before the second race of the day.

“I’m always keen for a restart. I think in that scenario, it was pretty smart because sometimes we get a bit silly and we had a race an hour after,” Allen explained to Supercars.com.

“You don't really wanna go green-white-chequered and then the top three take each other out. There's a lot of damage, which I guess that's racing and you’ve got to probably counter that. You can't always be safe.

"But I'd love to see, say it's a Sunday race, I'd love to have an overtime and like a green-white-chequered because it just creates more exciting racing for the fans. Otherwise it can be anti-climactic.

“Going back on my comment about Saturday, even if it did go to an overtime scenario, I think that's really our responsibility as drivers to make sure that we're keeping our cars clean for the next race.

"So, I'm all for it. I thought, 'I hope they finish under Safety Car because I'm gonna get a really good result and there's less risk there’. But if it went green, I could have had a crack at Broc.

"I'm not saying I would've got him, but it would've opened up more opportunity for a race win for me. It definitely opens up more exciting racing.”

Beyond motorsport, sudden-death finishes are nothing new in sport, from overtime in NBA and NFL, golden point in NRL, extra time in AFL Finals and football, and Super Overs in limited-overs cricket.

Team 18’s Anton De Pasquale trailed Feeney in Darwin, and suggested teams and drivers would be wary of fuel usage throughout the race should there be an extension. At Super 440 events, only Sunday 200km races permit refuelling.

“In Darwin, it was Broc in front, so he would've been half a second ahead by Turn 4,” Pasquale joked to Supercars.com.

“Honestly, it's obviously difficult, in the sense of obvious things like fuel. But in situations like the QR one, I think we all would've been in agreeance that it would've been a good thing to do.

“Ultimately we all in that moment want to get on with it. The only guy that's probably happy to finish behind the Safety Car is probably the leader, because he’s safe.

“But the rest of us, I was in eighth [in Ipswich], a couple cars had fresh tyres, a battle would've happened for sure on that lap at some point. Something would've went down.

“Ultimately it's what we as drivers and the fans would be keen to see."

Erebus Motorsport rookie Cooper Murray sat sixth in the queue in Ipswich, and believes a last-blast dash to the end would not only have an impact on the race, but the viewing experience for the fan.

"I think it would've been pretty cool. Obviously me being in that position, I would've been happy either way,” Murray told Supercars.com.

"I think especially for TV and for the fans on the hill, an overtime finish would’ve been fun. It also spices up a little bit of driving, it would definitely keep us on our toes.

"NASCAR have got it and it provides some really entertaining racing, and it can really change the race for good or bad. So I definitely wouldn't be against it.

"I definitely think it would work for the Sprint Cup races, but I think even the whole season would be cool. Maybe if they just implemented it in some Sprint Cup rounds, to test it out and see what it's like.

“No doubt, it would definitely be a good thing for the sport.”