A Quick Catch-Up Ahead of the Supercars Semi-Final at Sandown!

The supercars field of contention for a championship win is getting smaller and smaller with this year's final’s system only allowing the top ten contenders to continue for points after Bathurst! Last weekend we saw the Gold Coast 500 where only 7 drivers progressed to the current stage. 

This means that after Sandown only four drivers will continue to the finals. 

As it stands, the 7 drivers who will be giving it their all to continue are:

Chaz Mostert comes into Sandown hot off back-to-back wins on the Gold Coast, putting him second in the standings. The Walkinshaw Andretti United team will have a simpler strategy this weekend, with teammate and Kiwi Ryan Wood now out of the running.

For everyone else, things get a bit more complicated. Every other team still has both drivers in contention, which means some tricky “what if” conversations have probably already taken place—like who gets priority if both are in strong positions, or who should defend to help their teammate move forward.

For example, if Kai Allen finds himself in third but the Penrite Racing crew decide to give Matt Payne the edge… well, that’s where team tactics can really shake things up.

If you’ve been out of the Supercars loop for a while, this is the perfect time to tune back in—there are only seven drivers to keep track of now, and the rest are simply put, racing for pride (and fun!).

Friday:

Practice 1: 3:30 PM (NZT)

Practice 2: 5:55 PM (NZT)

Saturday:

Qualifying: 1:50 PM (NZT) - TTSO: 2:40 PM

Race 30: 5:20 PM (NZT)

Sunday: 

Qualifying: 1:20 PM (NZT) - TTSO: 2:10 PM

Race 31: 5:20 PM (NZT)

A Few Insider Notes - for the Superfans

Don’t forget the “win and you’re in” rule—if any of the top seven takes a race win this weekend, they automatically secure a spot in the final at Adelaide.

Mostert himself seems quietly confident:

“I think every year I come into this saying it’s my best chance, but it’s starting to become a bit of a broken record,” said Mostert on Sunday.

And of course, Bathurst winner Matt Payne remains the only Kiwi still in the finals mix.