Finals Race: Who can clinch a Finals spot at The Bend?

The hunt to clinch Finals berths continues into the Ryco Enduro Cup, with seven positions still up for grabs in the new road the Repco Supercars Championship.

Broc Feeney, Matt Payne, and Will Brown have all mathematically clinched their spot into the Finals Series that will begin at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, with Feeney securing 25 bonus points as the Repco Sprint Cup winner.

Five drivers enter the AirTouch 500 at The Bend with a chance of clinching their spot in the post-season, with two of Ford's biggest stars currently in a position to secure their spots.

The Ryco Enduro Cup could see the biggest swings in the race for The Finals yet, with big points on the line. Bigger risks could make huge rewards, or it could shape the course of your season.

What's at stake in the Enduro Cup?

300 points are on offer for the winner of the AirTouch 500 at The Bend, as there will be for the Repco Bathurst 1000 in October.

For all remaining races this year, there will be no bonus points awarded for fastest laps, meaning that there will only be 300 points available on any given weekend.

Much like the Repco Sprint Cup, there is an added incentive to win the Ryco Enduro Cup, with a Golden Ticket to The Finals and 25 bonus points on the line for the full-time driver who accumulates the most points across the two enduros.

If Sprint Cup winner Broc Feeney was to also claim Enduro Cup honours, both 25 point bonuses will be combined, putting him in an extremely favourable position to progress through the Elimination Final on the Gold Coast with relative ease.

An added wildcard element is that the Golden Ticket for winning the Enduro Cup is available to any full-time driver in the field.

This means that a driver who is outside the top 10 in points could theoretically win their way into The Finals, and bump out the driver who is 10th in points come the end of Bathurst.

Cam Waters

Currently 472 points ahead of 9th, don't lose 171 points to clinch

The most likely candidate to secure their berth in the Elimination Final on the Gold Coast is Cam Waters. After opening the season in frightening form in Sydney, the Monster Mustang hasn't reached the same heights, however it is still a very good chance that he clinches a Finals place a round before the cutoff. With a 472 point buffer over ninth in the standings entering the maiden 500km race at Tailem Bend, Waters is in good shape, and has the vastly experienced hands of Mark Winterbottom alongside for the two enduros. Waters also has the best average finish of any active driver at The Bend at 6.39, with two victories against his name.

Chaz Mostert

Currently 335 points ahead of 9th, don't lose 34 points to clinch

On the current full-time grid, no one has more podiums at The Bend Motorsport Park than Chaz Mostert, who also currently has a big enough buffer over his Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Ryan Wood to clinch a Finals berth. However, he has 500km to get through first, with 34 points of safety in his back pocket. Mostert has never broken through for a win in 19 starts at The Bend, though has claimed four podiums in the past six races at the venue. If he was to climb the top step with Fabian Coulthard, himself a former winner at The Bend, Mostert would secure his berth and enter the Repco Bathurst 1000 without the added Finals pressure.

Brodie Kostecki

Currently 200 points ahead of 9th, must gain 101 points to clinch

Brodie Kostecki was the man to catch in 2023 at The Bend, sweeping all three race wins to strengthen his ultimately successful title charge. He will need to rediscover that form if he wants to clinch his Finals berth in South Australia, as the first driver who needs to gain points on ninth. Kostecki currently sits 200 points ahead of ninth, with 300 available across both enduros. Though he is now at Dick Johnson Racing, the Bathurst-winning combination of co-driver Todd Hazelwood and engineer George Commins reunite, and there's no reason they can't strike form at The Bend, a circuit where DJR have won seven times in the past.

Anton De Pasquale

Currently 90 points ahead of 9th, must gain 211 points to clinch

Another driver with a strong record in Tailem Bend is Anton De Pasquale, who arguably is massively outperforming pre-season expectations at Team 18. The 29-year-old claimed his second career podium at the circuit in 2019, and claimed a victory in 2021, and is on a run of eight consecutive top 10 finishes. It will be a tall order for De Pasquale to lock in his Finals berth at The Bend, needing a 211-point swing in his favour to put his place in the Elimination Final beyond doubt. With 600 points on offer across the Ryco Enduro Cup, there is still opportunity for plenty of movement throughout the standings. Rookie co-driver Harri Jones proves the ultimate unknown, having never competed in any tier of Supercars competition, however team principal Adrian Burgess is unwavering in his support for the Porsche star, who remains in contention for a full-time seat at the team next year.

Andre Heimgartner

Currently 7 points ahead of 9th, must gain 294 points to clinch

Although a mathematical possibility, Andre Heimgartner's battle will be to stay inside the top 10 across the Ryco Enduro Cup. The long distance races could be a chance for the BJR spearhead to make big gains in his Finals quest, with the Kiwi ranked seventh among the field in the 200km refuelling races this year. It will take a highly unlikely scenario for Heimgartner to clinch a Finals berth in South Australia, namely gaining 294 points on ninth with 300 available. In short, he needs a win in a race of high attrition for those battling around the back end of the top 10. The points buffer to watch for the #8 Camaro is his gap to safety, which currently sits at 41 points over Kai Allen in 11th.