Gold Coast sets up semi finalists for Supercars Finals Series

If the Gold Coast 500 is any indication of what happens on a street circuit in a Supercars Finals series, fans at the bp Adelaide Grand Final crowd are set for an epic weekend of racing.

 

A chaotic weekend on the streets of Surfers Paradise dropped three fan favourites for the 2025 Supercars championship out of Finals contention.

 

Mobil 1 Optus Racing’s Chaz Mostert, Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney and his teammate Will Brown, Monster Castrol Racing’s Cam Waters and his teammate Thomas Randle, and Penrite Racing’s Matthew Payne and his teammate Kai Allen, have moved through to the Semi Final at Sandown.

 

There, they will race hard to be one of four drivers to be eligible to vie for the championship at Adelaide on the last weekend in November.

 

Shell V-Power Racing’s Brodie Kostecki, Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing’s Ryan Wood and Cub Cadet Racing’s Anton De Pasquale were eliminated from championship contention after suffering shocking luck in qualifying and racing across the weekend.

 

The Gold Coast 500 featured massive crashes, on-track clashes and incredible passing manoeuvres, as drivers desperately tried to claw their way as close to the front of the field as possible and make it through to the Semi Final.

 

Maybe it was because of the pressure that drivers are feeling as they fight for the championship.

 

Or, maybe it was the style of race track, that winds through city streets and is lined by concrete walls that severely punish even the slightest mistake.

 

But the thrilling racing and turn of events that occurred at the Gold Coast 500 may be a sign of what fans can expect to see at the bp Adelaide Grand Final.

 

HOW THE ELIMINATION FINAL SHAPED THE TOP 7

 

Any driver in Finals contention who won one of the Gold Coast 500 races secured a golden ticket into the Semi Final at Sandown.

 

So they were all out to win.

 

In the end, Mostert won both Saturday and Sunday races.

 

But he had to do it the hard way, surviving chaos in pit lane on Saturday where he got blocked then whacked by each of the Penrite Racing cars to drive a very fast street-circuit car to the front.

 

Then on Sunday, he managed to hold off Feeney after he made a lunge for the lead that included sliding along the concrete wall in the dying stages of the race

 

“I can’t believe it, it’s been an up and down year but we found our form here right at the right time,” Mostert said after the race.

 

On the flip side, his teammate Wood suffered a shocking weekend that was no fault of his own.

 

After qualifying in pole position for the Saturday race, his Mustang started leaking fluid in the early laps and he was forced to pit, falling to the back of the field.

 

Needing to win on Sunday to secure his golden ticket, his team tried a unique strategy but it did not pay off, so he did not accrue enough points to make it through to the next round of the Finals.

 

De Pasquale, meanwhile, looked set to scrape through into the Finals when he received a late-race penalty for an incident on Sunday.

 

A 15-second time penalty ruined his Finals chances and he is also out of the hunt.

 

The Gold Coast 500 proved it will take a combined effort of pace, flawless racing and a reliable race car to win a Supercars championship.

 

TOP DRIVERS SUCCOUMB TO THE FINALS PRESSURE

 

Kostecki was the first driver to succumb to the pressure, crashing his Mustang twice in two days at the Gold Coast 500.

 

The first time was in practice on Friday, but it was the second time during qualifying on Saturday that led to his battered car leaving the track completely.

 

His car was so damaged when he hit the fence that it had to be taken out of the circuit for repairs. They could not be completed on Saturday and he did not take part in the race, all but ruining his Finals chances.

 

He needed to win the race on Sunday to secure a golden ticket to continue in the Finals, but could not find the speed in his repaired car to get to the front.

 

Brown, meanwhile, crashed in both Top Ten Shootouts, so he started both races well down the grid.

 

His damage was not as significant as Kostecki’s, so he was able to not only compete but find race speed in his car.

 

He made it through to the Semi Final, but still, the pressure that the Finals format put on his shoulders showed.

 

THE SEMI FINAL AT SANDOWN

 

The seven drivers in championship contention have received points based on their results for the year to date.

 

The championship standings heading into Sandown are now:

 

• Broc Feeney 4150 points
• Chaz Mostert 4120 points
• Matt Payne 4096 points
• Cam Waters 4078 points
• Will Brown 4066 points
• Kai Allen 4057 points
• Thomas Randle 4048 points

 

With only 30 points separating fourth and seventh positions – and a maximum of 150 points available in each of the two Sandown races – one poor qualifying session or incident on track may mean the difference between racing for the championship in Adelaide or kissing that trophy goodbye.

 

Again, any driver who wins a race will secure their golden ticket to the final Finals round.

 

The three drivers with the lowest points at the end of Sandown – who do not win a race – will no longer be eligible for the championship.

 

WHAT THE GOLD COAST 500 RESULTS MEAN FOR THE BP ADELAIDE GRAND FINAL

 

The Gold Coast 500 provides many insights into what fans can expect when the championship is decided at the bp Adelaide Grand Final.

 

The fierce racing and desperation shown by drivers to get as many points as they can, even when running at the front of the field, indicates the passion they have to win the championship.

 

Mostert’s Mustang was a jet in both races at the Gold Coast, so his team Walkinshaw Andretti United knows how to tune a race car for a street circuit.

 

Despite run-ins with other cars in pit lane as well as on the track, he kept his cool, so he also has the mental focus needed to claim the championship.

 

Feeney finished second in both races, so his Camaro no doubt will also have pace on Adelaide’s streets.

 

He also tried to make a desperate late race pass on Mostert on Sunday, showing how much he wants to win, regardless of the cost.

 

Payne and Waters kept out of trouble and finished in solid positions to move through to the next stage of the Finals, but may need to find more pace and passion on the track if they are to take the championship.

 

At this stage, Mostert, Feeney, Payne and Waters appear most likely to fight for the championship in Adelaide.

 

Allen and Randle progressed to the Semi Final, largely because the three eliminated drivers made significant mistakes that took them out of contention.

 

Brown, meanwhile, also benefited from others’ misfortune, but he made mistakes of his own that he will need to avoid if he is to remain in the championship hunt at Adelaide.

 

Crashing his car during both Top Ten Shootouts put him on the back foot in both races.

 

However, the reigning champion also won last year’s Adelaide 500, so if he makes it through the Semi Final, he will definitely have the experience to secure the championship again