Why Gold Coast opener is the most important race of 2025 so far

The Repco Supercars Finals Series is upon us, and with it, comes pressure that has rarely before been seen in the Supercars Championship.

Whilst unforgettable title deciders such as 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2017 live large in the memory, they have all been final round thrillers with two, sometimes three main protagonists.

Now, we're guaranteed a 10-way title battle on the Gold Coast, before being whittled down to seven at Sandown, and four for the finale in Adelaide.

The points reset has brought the gap from Broc Feeney in first to Kai Allen in 10th from 1026 points following the Repco Bathurst 1000, all the way down to just 154 points entering the Elimination Final.

With 150 points on the line for each of the two races, it's needless to say that even a single position change could swing the fortunes of a Finals Driver's season. After all, a single position is what cost both Andre Heimgartner and Cameron Hill at Bathurst.

However, there is another element at play which turns the battle for victory on Saturday into the most important one of the season for the 10 Finals Drivers.

Any Finals Driver who wins a race in Surfers Paradise will automatically punch their Golden Ticket to the Semi Final at Sandown, regardless of their other result and final points tally from the weekend.

It's highly likely that come Saturday evening, someone will be just one step away from fighting for championship glory at the bp Adelaide Grand Final. After all, only one race this year has been won by a driver who didn't make The Finals: namely Hill's Melbourne breakthrough.

For Chaz Mostert, who enters The Finals in sixth position, just 18 points clear of the cut-line, the message to fans is simple: "Expect the unexpected."

The 33-year-old Walkinshaw Andretti United star is still yet to win a championship in his illustrious career, however this year could represent his best chance yet.

Whilst he's only recorded a single race win this year, and dropped a position in the standings following an engine failure at Bathurst, Mostert's experience and ability on street circuits have him well placed to potentially win his way to the Semi Final.

"I think it's going to be story after story the whole weekend, especially this time of year with our normal championship you've kind of got a runaway lead car, and you're trying to work out who's in the mix right until the last round," said Mostert.

"With the reset in Finals, there's still that little bit of stagger, but it's all to play for. One bad race in these last three rounds is going to absolutely knock you out.

"There's pressure that comes with that, we love AFL and NRL so much because when we get to the finals, we see those players give it their all, and it comes all the way down the buzzer, so expect the same with Supercars this year."

Track action begins Friday, with 250km races on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets on sale now.